Welcome to Internship Info, our weekly blog segment featuring information about internships, opportunities in Sioux Falls, and more! Each week on Tuesdays, you’ll find a new post to learn about a featured employer or best practices for applying for jobs and internships. This week, SFDF’s Talent Recruitment Coordinator, Claire Herbst, shares tips for creating a great resume.
Your resume is not just a comprehensive list of your career, but instead is a marketing document that allows you to show how you are the perfect match for the position you are applying for. Here are a few tips that can help you when crafting up your resume for your next job.
Tailor your resume.
Tailor your resume to each individual position that you are applying for. By doing this, you are allowing everyone who reads it to be able to see how your skills and experiences make you a match for the position.
Work experience goes in reverse chronological order.
When writing your work experience section, list your experiences in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Include the name of the company, job title, the period you were employed, and job achievements that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
Format your resume.
Formatting your resume will help in making it look as polished as possible. Keeping it simple will allow the reader to easily read what is written. Font size should be 10 or 12, with headers slightly larger or in bold. Use bullet points to list job achievements. Avoid using pictures or images as they make a resume clunky.
Focus on transferable skills and experiences.
Focus your resume on transferable skills and experiences. This can include volunteering, school projects, clubs/organizations, internships, etc. The skills that you acquired in these experiences are more than likely transferable to the current position you are applying for. Utilize them to sell yourself!
Limit your resume to one page.
Keep your resume to one page. This forces you to only add the most relevant skills, experiences, and information. If you are having trouble keeping it on one page, a few things that you can do are trim your margins, combine sections, and shorten bullet points.
Remember, your resume is a tool that should be utilized to sell yourself to the hiring manager and show them that you are the perfect match for the job!
To measure how local economies were faring during one of the most volatile economic periods in recent memory, Brookings Metro launched the Metro Recovery Index in 2020. It included critical insights on certain elements of economic recovery, including jobs, home prices, rents, and commuting patterns. Their newly released Metro Monitor provides a comprehensive look at how the pandemic impacted inclusive growth across 192 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 250,000, which together are home to 78% of the nation’s population and contribute 84% of the nation’s GDP.
The Metro Monitor examines economic performance across five broad categories: growth, prosperity, overall inclusion, racial inclusion and geographic inclusion. Each category is measured using three standardized indicators. To assess how the pandemic influenced inclusive growth, this analysis examines trends across those indicators over two time periods: 2011-2019 and 2019-2021 during the pandemic.
Sioux Falls metro was one of 50 areas considered “Resilient,” having an inclusive growth score that ranked in the top half of metro areas in both periods, meaning it was a strong performer prior to the pandemic (ranking 18th) and sustained strong performance through the pandemic (ranking 12th).
Learn about the Sioux Falls Young Professionals Network in this Q&A with Casey Boerger, the YPN Manager! If you’re interested in getting involved with YPN, click the link below to learn more.
Tell me about yourself.
I was born and raised in Watertown, South Dakota, and spent the first 22 years of my life there. Eventually, upon graduating college, opportunity led me south on I-29 and I ended up making Sioux Falls my home.
What is the Young Professionals Network?
The Young Professionals Network is your avenue to connecting with career-focused young professionals in the Sioux Falls area. We work to create opportunities for learning and networking, support civic involvement and promote an overall investment in the future of the community.
What can students get out of joining YPN as an intern?
Your YPN membership is free for the first year. It is a great tool to learn how to network, learn about your community, and meet people. Joining YPN as an intern is one of the smartest ways to excel in your chosen career field while also helping strengthen your roots in the community that you are already investing time in.
In what ways can being a part of YPN impact someone’s career?
Current and past testimonials can speak to this question. However, putting time into networking and cultivating professional relationships is the number one way to impact your career in a positive way/ YPN is supported by numerous organizations in the community as they understand the benefit in investing in the younger generation of future leaders. More times than not, current leaders are willing to provide time, resources, & guidance to benefit those that want to excel personally and professionally.
What do you love about living and working in Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls has that big-city feel with the safety of a small town. You are bound to know someone just about anywhere you go! I also love how vibrant our downtown is and the Sioux Falls community is so friendly and willing to help in any way that they can. We truly are fortunate to live here.
“I love YPN because it’s a great way to make new connections and learn about the Sioux Falls community! Being able to tour different businesses, hear from some of our city’s most influential business leaders, and just meet new people has been so fun to experience.”
“YPN is an amazing opportunity to get involved and connected in the Sioux Falls community. When I first moved to Sioux Falls, I didn’t know very many people. Attending YPN events was very beneficial in the aspect of networking and meeting awesome individuals in the area. I highly encourage all young professionals to join YPN because it opens up doors to new friendships, collaborations, and career opportunities.”
In between cheering on their teams at the recent Summit League Basketball Championships, college students from every school in the tournament connected with work opportunities in Sioux Falls.
Here’s an inside look at how the Sioux Falls Development Foundation connected with them off the court.
Summit League 2023
Want to be involved in next year’s event? Contact:
The decision to retire can be a difficult one, but with the freedom to live your life to the fullest, why not retire somewhere that your life can be better than ever?
Well, South Dakota is one of those places! According to WalletHub, South Dakota is the 7th best place to retire for 2023.
“If retirement is still a big question mark for you because of finances, consider relocating to a state that lets you keep more money in your pocket without requiring a drastic lifestyle change,” the article releasing the findings says. “To determine the best states to retire, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 47 key indicators of retirement-friendliness. Our analysis examines affordability, health-related factors and overall quality of life.”
Sioux Falls is one of the happiest cities in the country! That’s according to a new study conducted by WalletHub.
The researchers used three key dimensions to determine happiness in 182 of America’s largest cities: the 150 most populated cities in the country, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state.
“WalletHub drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America,” the article releasing the findings says. “We examined each city based on 30 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.”
To see the methods and how other cities stacked up, click the link below!
While the cost of living is rising, renter households in the Sioux Falls area fare better than most peer communities in the region.
Newly released data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey provides the housing cost ratio (percentage of household income spent on housing costs) for every county in the nation.
Here’s how Sioux Falls compares:
Housing Cost Ratio
St. Paul, Ramsey County 29.8
Rochester, Olmsted County 28.6
Omaha, Douglas County 28.3
Minneapolis, Hennepin County 28.2
Des Moines, Polk County 26.9
Sioux City, Woodbury County 25.9
Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County 25.9
Sioux Falls, Lincoln County 25.5
Fargo, Cass County 25.3
Households are considered cost burdened when they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, mortgage, and other housing needs.
Learn about First Western Bank and Trust in this Q&A with Ryan Martin answering questions about Sioux Falls and Kelsey Aller answering questions about FWB&T. Ryan is the Market President at the Sioux Falls office and Kelsey is the Human Resource Officer in Minot, ND. Apply for jobs and internships at the link below!
Tell me about First Western Bank & Trust.
First Western Bank & Trust has been a family-owned community bank since 1964. Today, we have 18 locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
The ideals that First Western was founded upon continue to remain true today:
To provide the best in customer service.
To work hand-in-hand with our customers to help them find the best banking solutions for their needs.
To give back to the communities we serve with charitable donations, volunteer work, and sponsorships.
To create a professional and positive work environment with internal growth opportunities for our valued employees.
To remain innovative and be an industry leader with the best products, services, and banking tools.
Our Mission
First Western Bank & Trust strives to be the premier bank and financial service provider in the communities we serve by building strong customer relationships, providing great customer service, offering diverse financial products, and maintaining knowledgeable, friendly, professional employees.
Giving Back
We take pride in the communities we serve and value the importance of giving back through charitable works. Our employees are actively involved with our service projects, sponsorships, and worthy causes.
What is your favorite thing about working at First Western Bank & Trust?
I love working for a family-owned community bank. We are a very tight-knit organization that leads with common sense when assisting our customers and serving our communities.
Why do you think internships are important?
Internships are a great way to explore areas of interest for young people, as they get closer to embarking on their careers. They are able to gain relevant industry experience while earning college credit toward their degree. In addition, they afford the opportunity to work collaboratively with others in the workplace and get feedback from those with more industry experience. This provides a unique opportunity to ask questions, gain confidence, and develop and refine skills.
What do you love about living and working in Sioux Falls?
I love that I live in a community that is experiencing growth in so many areas – you can feel the energy around town. Yet, we can still maintain that small-town sense of being welcoming and friendly.
Welcome to Internship Info, our weekly blog segment featuring information about internships, opportunities in Sioux Falls, and more! Each week on Tuesdays, you’ll find a new post to learn about a featured employer or best practices for applying for jobs and internships. This week, SFDF’s Talent Recruitment Coordinator, Claire Herbst, shares tips for applying for internships.
Internships are a valuable experience that can broaden a student’s knowledge and prepare them for real world work experience. They are a great way to show future employers that you have some basic skills in your field of interest. Applying for an internship can be an intimidating process for students, so we’ve come up with a few things that can make the process a little easier.
Know and understand what type of internship you want.
Do some research to get an understanding of the different types of internships your area of interest offers. Talk to classmates and professors to get an idea of what their previous internship experiences consisted of. Figure out the ideal location that you might want to be after graduation and the ideal size of the company you want to work for. Having the knowledge and understanding of what you want to get out of an internship will make it easier to choose an internship that will provide you with your desired experience.
Create your resume.
When preparing your resume, the first thing that should be listed is any type of educational experience or background that you may have. Following the section on educational experience can be any work experience, whether it’s directly related to the position you’re applying for or not. Finally, an extracurricular activities section and/or an achievements section should be added to showcase talents and qualifications in a different light. Ensure that when you submit your resume it contains everything that you have done and achieved up to the point of applying. You should also cater your resume to the position you’re applying for. This may seem tedious, but it will make your resume stand out.
Pick the right internship for you.
When exploring the different opportunities, make sure you’re focusing on what you want to get out of this experience. An internship is the best way to create a foundation for your whole career, so don’t rush it!
Welcome to Sioux Falls, SD, where our residents are among the hardest working people anywhere in the United States!
Recently, WalletHub ranked Sioux Falls as the 6th hardest-working city in America. Using factors like employment rate, work week hours, commute time, and community activism, the study confirmed that Sioux Falls a great place to work.
“In order to determine which cities outwork the rest of America, WalletHub compared the 116 largest cities across 11 key metrics,” the article publishing the findings says. “Our data set ranges from the employment rate to average weekly work hours to the share of workers with multiple jobs.”
To see the full methodology and how other cities compared, click ‘learn more’ below.
The high school student who walks into a business for the first time and walks out with a career interest.
The college student who discovers Sioux Falls as an appealing city to live and finds an internship that leads to a first job.
The adult who lands a promotion thanks to upskilling for an in-demand occupation.
They’re all examples of those served through an in-depth, strategic workforce development approach through the Sioux Falls Development Foundation that’s reaching those at multiple career stages nationwide.
“2022 has been a huge year for us. Since 2019, we’ve turned pilot programs into really mature processes. When I started, there was a goal of helping people, but we needed a broader strategy,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development. “Our program continued to grow even with COVID as our strategical tactics allowed us to step into a digital, social strategy like never before, and we’re really reaching people.”
That’s also creating measurable results. For instance, in 2022, more than 22,000 people had a direct workforce connection, participating in one of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s 13 talent and workforce programs.
In the Career Connections program, 87 percent of seniors participating went on to further their education after graduation, including 11 Build Dakota scholars.
The program, which immerses high schoolers seeking career direction in participating businesses, has generated growing interest from schools, students and businesses.
“During the spring and fall, we had more than 800 kids come through Career Connections, and that was a significant increase from our previous year’s pilot program,” Guzzetta said. “As we look at how to efficiently and effectively move people into the workforce, our greatest opportunity is people we have right here. This is a way to invest in them, remove barriers, address challenges and do so in partnership.”
This year, the program will add a certificate option, “so we’re influencing skilled workforce and getting people into education, so they can have a viable sustainable career whatever their situation,” Guzzetta said. “Now, they’re climbing and accelerating, and in many cases thriving.”
Connecting businesses with college students also is an enhanced focus for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. In 2022, the foundation hired its first talent development coordinator, Claire Herbst, as part of building “a comprehensive offering for internships,” Guzzetta said.
“We’re looking at how we can serve smaller to midsized organizations that needed help sourcing talent, and how do we help them engage that talent and offer an experience in return to help them build a consistent pipeline.”
Through other programs, “we’ve helped businesses work through how to select the right candidate with the right skills and then engage them effectively and build a culture where they don’t want to leave,” she continued. “We’ll continue that approach, and then we’ll leverage Claire and her skills to actively engage on college campuses and make sure students know about the variety of opportunities our businesses are offering.”
For those already in the workforce, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation also is helping focus on building needed skills. The new Upskill Sioux Falls program helped 109 workers earn a commercial driver’s license last year in partnership with Southeast Technical College.
“We started it as construction season was ramping up, and we knew the community wanted us to find a way to train efficiently for those who needed a CDL,” Guzzetta said. “Southeast Tech developed a great way to train people, and they dedicated resources and equipment and expertise, and that’s something we’ll continue to build on.”
This year, Upskill Sioux Falls will add a focus on technical skills.
“Seventy-five percent of us in the workforce are going to continually need to retrain on technology, so this summer we will offer a program in that area where we know businesses need help and we can have an effect,” Guzzetta said.
By the numbers, it’s clear the workforce strategies employed by the Development Foundation are gaining traction.
For instance, in 2022, there were 304 relationships created with post-secondary educational partners, providing career advice and guidance to early career professionals – up from 252 in 2021.
More than 800 high school and college students completed job shadows or internships supported by Development Foundation programs in 2022, nearly double the number in 2021.
And more than 9 million digital impressions were created through recruitment and engagement campaigns designed to draw interest in Sioux Falls and its career opportunities – up from 2.8 million in 2021.
“Add to that our ongoing high-touch efforts, including Your Future STEM classroom engagement, our Talent Thursday live interview series, our popular online content profiling newcomers to the community and our successful outreach during the Summit League basketball tournament, and you get a sense for the comprehensive approach we take to workforce development,” Guzzetta said.
“We know we are looking at generational change in terms of how people engage, so we’re very committed to meeting them where they’re at with content and experience that connect. We’re excited to build on so many of these successful strategies.”
To connect, learn more
Join the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s Recruitment Council – a group for any who want to further connect and advance workforce solutions in the business community.
Monthly education sessions offer cutting-edge information on emerging workforce themes, culminating in the annual WIN in Workforce Summit in the fall.
“We have so much interest that often the sessions are virtual, but that also makes it cost-efficient and able to fit your work life so you can invest in yourself and your organization without taking a lot of time away from work,” Guzzetta said.
The next Workforce Recruitment Council event will be held virtually from 10 to 11 a.m. Feb. 28 and will focus on the top three trends to know in order to remain competitive to attract and retain top talent.
The City of Sioux Falls employs over 1,300 people, all committed to public service. Learn more about the City’s Ascend Internship Program in this Q&A with Talent Manager, Mandy Frey, and apply for jobs and internships at the link below!
Tell us about yourself.
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, I have always loved this community! In fact, when selecting a major in college, I always knew I wanted to serve our community. After graduating college from the University of Sioux Falls in 2007, I decided to begin my career in higher education. I spent 15 years working in higher education between the University of Sioux Falls and Southeast Technical College. These experiences solidified my interest in workforce development for the Sioux Falls community. In December 2022, I took a leap and changed my career from education to local government. As the new Talent Manager for the City of Sioux Falls, I’m excited to use my background in higher education and workforce development to showcase the City of Sioux Falls as an Employer of Choice in our community!
Tell me about the City of Sioux Falls as an employer.
Sioux Falls is growing exponentially, and we need you to join our team of 1,300 full-time and hundreds more part-time and seasonal employees. Find a place to serve alongside us in a range of careers available in 11 diverse departments. There’s a role for every interest from public safety and health, to culture and recreation, to technology and internal operations. Our employees’ partner with local businesses and community members to provide the infrastructure, safe neighborhoods and recreation opportunities that keep Sioux Falls consistently ranked among the top places to live and work. Our core values of safety, teamwork, innovation, character, and respect build community from the inside out. Employees’ top culture drivers include a strong sense of accomplishment, growth through learning and training, and supportive colleagues. Team members achieve job satisfaction every day with the knowledge that their service positively impacts the high quality of life this community enjoys.
What is it like being an intern for the City of Sioux Falls?
The City of Sioux Falls offers paid internships throughout the summer, providing mentoring, professional development and growth opportunities to students interested in a variety of careers. As one of the most diverse employers in Sioux Falls, we provide a wide array of settings for you to explore your interests, gain real world experience, and develop professional skills and competencies. Our internship will provide you with a full-time mentor in your department, meaningful projects for you to spearhead, acquisition of career-specific skills, weekly intern cohort networking, speakers, tours, and dedicated resources to the cohort of interns.
What makes the City of Sioux Falls stand out from other employers?
The City of Sioux Falls developed the One Sioux Falls Framework that guides our work for strategic community growth. It truly is an honor to work for the City who takes such pride in focusing on these four focus areas that are supported by innovation, engaging people, and sustainable growth:
Safety & Health: Provide a safe community in which the health and well-being of our citizens is above the national average.
Accessible Housing: Foster the availability of housing options at all income levels, throughout the city.
Workforce: Continue to develop a community with a qualify of life that will attract and retain the best employee base in the United States.
Kids: Support a community where kids and families want to be and can thrive.
Additionally, the salary and benefits! The City of Sioux Falls just completed a salary and benefit review and the results prove that the City has a competitive advantage as it relates to its salary and benefit packages as compared to other public organizations and private industries.
What do you love about living and working in Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls is home. Being a young adult, I always wondered what it would be like to live in a big city, but never took the risk. Sioux Falls has the small-town feel, but in a larger community. It feels like the best of both worlds. And I’m not the only one to recognize this! SmartAsset ranked Sioux Falls the number one city in America for young professionals in 2021.
Watch these videos for more information about the Ascend internship program!
Talent Thursday is a weekly social media livestream event that spotlights talent and workforce in the Sioux Falls area by sharing the stories of young professionals in our community.
For Thursday, February 16, 2023, we caught up with Autumn Hernandez, who is the training and recruitment manager for Central Bank. She shares about her career journey and why she loves being part of Central Bank, from the family-centered culture to the way they care for their customers.
Talent Thursday is held weekly on Thursdays at 3 p.m. CT on the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s Facebook page. Follow here: https://www.facebook.com/developsf.
Talent Thursday
POWERED BY:
Forward Sioux Falls is a unique, innovative program designed to grow and improve the Sioux Falls region. Created through a joint venture between the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, we work to outline strategic initiatives to grow jobs, businesses and quality of life.
Add Amie Martens and her fiance, Chuck, to the growing number of people who moved to Sioux Falls for a job.
In their case, it was two jobs – both at Hy-Vee. Chuck is a commercial baker, and Amie is the general manager of Wahlburgers, the restaurant inside Hy-Vee.
“Our first interview was here in Sioux Falls, and we took it,” she said.
That was last summer, months after she joined Hy-Vee in Nebraska following a career that included everything from call center roles to trucking.
“I’d been to Sioux Falls a number of times trucking – I’ve been to all but three states,” Martens said. “And living here has been great.”
From the start, their employer and the community have stepped up, she said. At one point, when they struggled to find housing after one opportunity fell through, “Hy-Vee actually took care of us until we were able to find an apartment suitable for our family,” she said.
“We have a kayak, and one of the managers at Hy-Vee said we could store it in their garage, and at work I have a great group of employees.”
The couple represents a growing number of new Sioux Falls residents. The city’s population estimates reflect about 14,000 new residents in the past two years. Data from First Dakota Title compiled by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation offers additional insight.
A sampling of change of addresses shows more than 100 new residents from the Phoenix metro area, 65 from two counties in the Los Angeles area, 41 from the Las Vegas metro area, about the same amount from the Seattle area, Colorado Springs and the Chicago area.
Regionally, new residents have come from the Twin Cities, southwest Minnesota, Sioux City, northwest Iowa, Omaha, Fargo, Des Moines and Lincoln, Nebraska – in that order of volume.
“Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive,” Martens said. “It’s completely different than Omaha and Lincoln. Those are college towns, and the political environment feels different. This has more of a hometown feel. When I’ve reached out to the community online about things to do, they were great. Part of my job involves hosting fundraisers, and people gave me ideas above and beyond what I expected. Everyone has been extremely welcoming.”
As a person who lives with autism, she said she finds that especially powerful.
“I’m very open about how I communicate a little differently,” she said. “My employees, my co-workers and the community has been overwhelmingly accepting of that. I’m not shy about it. But everyone has been so loving and welcoming, it’s been amazing.”
They now have an apartment in central Sioux Falls with a rent she said would be twice as much where she used to live in Nebraska. Chuck’s 8-year-old daughter has found a good fit in school, she said, “and we’ve seen so much cool stuff downtown. We love the cotton candy store. We love our neighborhood. It’s quiet and within walking distance to so much, at least two or three parks.”
The family’s experience illustrates the broader trend the Development Foundation identified, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development.
“People move for so many reasons, but careers are definitely a driver, and it’s wonderful to see how this family has found a fit with one of our largest employers,” she said. “Amie is absolutely right that this is an incredibly welcoming and inclusive community, and I think that’s why we’ve seen people embrace living here despite moving from such a variety of places nationwide.”
At Gage Brothers we manufacture architectural and structural precast products that are used to create the buildings that make up our communities. The Sanford Children’s Hospital, Target Field, Denny Sanford Premier Center, TCF Bank Stadium, Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center, SDSU Jackrabbit Grove, and Eleven on the River are just some of the high-profile jobs we have had the pleasure of working on.
What sets Gage Brothers apart from their competition?
Diversity sets Gage Brothers apart. From our projects to our product line, to our team, diversity is what makes us successful. We are proud to be involved in a variety of projects in Education, Industrial, Residential, Commercial, and Medical industries. Our diversified product line includes an array of precast and prestressed concrete products such as: architectural wall panel, insulated wall panels, beams, bridge girders, columns, double tees, hollow core, and stadia. Our team is what makes it all possible. Our experienced engineers, drafters, carpenters, concrete specialists, steel workers, equipment operators, batching experts, maintenance teams work together originally from 25 different countries to produce works of art that others said couldn’t be done. Established in 1915, Gage Brothers has over 100 years of continued success backing us up and launching us forward. Not only have we been doing this for a while, we are also Employee-Owned, which means that our team works with unmatched dedication to the success of our projects.
What is your favorite thing about working at Gage Brothers?
Working at Gage Brothers is exciting. I have been working here for over 8 years and I have never been bored. The projects are always different, there are always opportunities to be creative with the team. Gage Brothers is a large enough organization that the work you do has an impact on the people who work here as well as the communities we serve but also small enough that when you have an idea, we can try it right away without many formalities. Everyone knows your name at Gage, and you are part of our community.
One of the things I love about working here is that you get to be part of something much bigger than yourself. Yes, we make concrete products, but those products build our communities. They are places that create safe havens for sick children to heal, places for fans to make memories, beautiful places to live and build a life. These buildings become pillars of the community and I am proud to be a part of these jobs.
Why do you think internships are important?
Internships are so important for you to get hands-on experience in your field. This gives you valuable real-life examples to use in future interviews and a chance to ask the necessary questions in an appropriate environment. Make connections in the industry and start the interview process for future opportunities with that company or someone who can give you a positive reference later on. Take some pressure off your first day at your first job by having done an internship and know what to expect BEFORE you get there.
What do you love about living and working in Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls is constantly growing and developing and young professionals in Sioux Falls are leading this. All the opportunities to learn from experienced, successful professionals are right here. Long-standing businesses with solid reputations are looking for the next generation to take their companies to the next level. Stay local and make a real difference right here in Sioux Falls!
