Internship Orientation Fall 2008 Internship Program Staff Heather

Internship Orientation Fall 2008

Internship Program Staff Heather Banks Internship Assistant hbanks@gac. edu 507 -933 -7523 Brian Koeneman Internship Director koeneman@gac. edu 507 -933 -7532

Agenda v. Reflection v. Professionalism v. Assignments to complete v. Evaluation criteria v. Successful internships

“You learn nothing from experience alone, you only learn from reflection on your experiences. ”

Before you begin your Internship describe v. Your hopes: v. Your fears:

Common Fears: § Adjusting to working in addition to everything else. § I will hate it and will end up being uncertain about future career. § Not knowing what to do. § Do not have adequate knowledge or experience to complete the task. § I will not succeed.

Professionalism Before you arrive at your internship site confirm: v Your exact start and end dates v Your scheduled work hours v Appropriate work attire Be sure to thank them again for this opportunity!

Professionalism “Set the tone” for a positive experience Arrange to meet with your site supervisor during the first few days to review projects, goals and expectations. v Keep personal business to a minimum v Confidentiality/Non-disclosure agreements

Update your G-Net Profile Go to Career Center Home Page, double click on Username: 234234_gustavus Password: 12121988

GNET Profile

Assignments to complete ü Reflection Questions Emailed out every three weeks. Send response by email to Brian and copy to your Faculty Sponsor. ü Two informational interviews ü Essay v Other assignments vary so check in with faculty sponsor! ü Student Journal ü Summary Paper

Informational Interviews (two) § The point of the informational interview is to discover whether or not this type of work is a good fit. § Develop your career network (still the most effective way to find a position). § Think of specific questions related to your career options. § Don’t ask the obvious.

Example Questions for an Informational Interview v How did you obtain your position? v What do you enjoy most about this position? v What is a typical day like? v What are the entry-level opportunities in this field? v What are the trends in this field? v What qualifications, skills, & personalities does your organization look for? v What advice do you have for me?

Site Supervisor Evaluation Mailed to Site Supervisor early December Criteria: § Relations with others § Judgment § Ability to learn § Attitude § Dependability § Quality of work § Attendance § Punctuality § Overall Rating

Positive Evaluation examples § Wonderful personality & gets along great with everyone. § Has set the bar high for future interns. § Great initiative, seeks out tasks without having to be told. § Often going above and beyond to find the answer to questions.

Not so positive comments § § § Gets along satisfactorily with others. Average in diligence and interest. Usually dependable. Average quality of work. Professional skills need improvement. Needs to take more initiative.

G-Net Student Survey 1) In general terms, how do you rate your overall internship? Average: 2 Good: 8 Excellent: 14 2) How involved has your faculty sponsor been in your internship? Very involved: 1 Not at all involved: 2 Involved much of the time: 6 Somewhat involved: 15 3) How involved has your site supervisor been in your internship? Somewhat involved: 1 Involved much of the time: 7 Very involved: 16

Student Survey continued 4) How much of an influence has your internship had on your future career? Minimal influence: 2 Some influence: 11 Strong influence: 11 5) To what level did your internship meet your expectations? Exceeded my expectations: 6 Met my expectations: 18 6) Would you recommend this internship site to future interns? Why or why not?

Making it Work v. What if you have nothing to do? …How will you deal with this? v. The internship is NOT what you expected… now what?

Support from us!!! *Site Visits (Faculty Sponsor &/or Career Center) *Email or phone call Heather Banks Brian Koeneman Internship Assistant Internship Director hbanks@gac. edu koeneman@gac. edu 507 -933 -7523 507 -933 -7532

Keys to Internship Success Initiative & Communication Ask Questions every day Ask for feedback on your performance Reflection Networking & Job offers Professional References