 | |
| Vol. 17, No. 24 | March 19, 1998 |
| |
| Vol. 17, No. 24 | March 19, 1998 |
Many high school and college students are familiar with the term "internship," and many books and articles offer tips on how to apply for and secure internships.
But, what there has not been, up until now, is a book telling current and future interns how to behave and what to expect once they have successfully secured an internship.
These issues, and others relating to internships are the subject of a new book, Internship Success, written by Marianne Ehrlich Green, Career Services Center, and published by VGM Career Horizons of Lincolnwood, Ill.
Green teaches the class "Experiential Education," which includes a requirement for students to participate in an internship program. About 100 students take this class yearly, choosing career-related internships where they will have a chance to network and build contacts for future career employment.
"Over the past seven years, I have heard all kinds of stories from students about what goes on during internships," Green said. "It was these things that I learned from my students that became the basis for writing this book."
Encouragement and support from colleagues such as Jack Townsend, career services director, and Richard Sharf, Center for Counseling and Student Development, helped Green turn the project into a reality.
"I had written articles on the subject, and I thought that writing the book would be an extension of what I had done," Green said. "People were very encouraging and supportive of what I was doing."
In her book, Green describes internships as "real-world work experiences, where students take on temporary roles in an organization and reflect on these experiences in an academic setting."
The book begins with a section on how to find internships, who to talk to, what to say to these persons and how to put together the all-important resume and cover-letter.
Other issues addressed in the book include how and why certain things happen during an internship, what constitutes a good or bad supervisor and how to solve basic, on-the-job problems and what to do if a mistake is made.
To get the most from an internship, Green encourages students to show interest in the company, perhaps asking to see the firm's annual report, and to become involved in company newsletters or other employee publications.
Dealing with coworkers requires a different set of skills, she said. Students should be prepared to cope with situations such as being asked by fellow workers to comment on the attributes or shortcomings of a supervisor or colleague. Green's advice is that, regardless of how comfortable a student becomes in an internship, a proper professional distance between fellow workers must be maintained.
Students also are encouraged to keep an easy-to-use, small journal that can be used to jot down key words, phrases and events that occurred during the day at work. This will be useful when they reflect on the experience both personally and in class.
Green said she hopes-by thinking about internship experiences and talking about them in class-students will see the big picture and how the internship fits into their overall career plans and life experiences.
"It is important that an internship helps a student's career experience," Green said. "In most cases, steps can be taken to maximize the experience to help achieve the student's goals."
Green said the combination of theoretical knowledge and student reflections will help future interns get a good idea of what certain fields are like and what to expect on the job.
"Major career decision making has to go hand-in-hand with experience," Green said. "Until we experience something, we really don't know what it is all about."
Green's experience includes a bachelor's degree in English from Goucher College in Baltimore, a master's degree in reading from Xavier University in Cincinnati and another master's degree in counseling from Washington University in St. Louis. She joined the UD staff in 1985.
In addition to developing career skills and establishing network connections, Green said the internship experience also teaches another valuable lesson: "It is possible to get the most out of every thing we do. With the right attitude and spirit, you can make the most out of any experience."
-Jerry Rhodes
Book signing
Internship Success is available in the University Bookstore. A book signing will be held from noon-1 p.m., Friday, March 27, in the University Bookstore in the Perkins Student Center.
