Starting and Maintaining a Quality Internship Program

Engineering Career Center

LEEP 2

1536 W 15th Street, Room 1410

Lawrence, KS 66045

785-864-3891

ecc@ku.edu

Adapted from text created by:

Michael True, Director

Internship Center, Messiah College

Introduction

The dream…hire experienced employees who require very little, if any, training. But this dream conflicts with reality. How can organizations meet the needs of today and prepare the workforce of the future? One solution is to develop a quality internship program. This booklet will assist you in doing just that.

What is an Internship?

An internship is any carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience. Characteristics include:

Duration of anywhere from a month to two years, but a typical experience usually lasts from three to six months. This provides an introduction to the organization's professional culture, office politics, etc.
Generally a one‐time experience.
May be part‐time or full‐time.
May be paid or non‐paid.
Internships may be part of an educational program and carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit, or internships can be part of a learning plan that someone develops individually.
An important element that distinguishes an internship from a short‐term job or volunteer work is that an intentional “learning agenda” is structured into the experience.
Learning activities common to most internships include learning objectives, observation, reflection, evaluation and assessment.
An effort is made to establish a reasonable balance between the intern's learning goals and the specific work an organization needs done.
Internships promote academic, career and/or personal development.

Adapted from materials published by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE)

How Do Internships Benefit Employers?

Year round source of highly motivated pre‐professionals
Students bring new perspectives to old problems
Visibility of your organization is increased on campus as they may become your best champion
Quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and projects
Freedom for professional staff to pursue more creative projects
Flexible, cost‐effective work force not requiring a long‐term employer commitment
Proven, cost‐effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees
Your image in the community is enhanced as you contribute your expertise to the educational enterprise
Employers taking part in NACE’s 2019 Internship & Co‐op Survey reported that 56.1 percent of their Class of 2018 hires came from their own internship programs.

KU School of Engineering Definitions

Internship – a temporary work experience where the student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout that experience. Typically 8 to 12 weeks over the summer
Co‐op – a temporary work experience where the student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout that experience. Typically done for a longer period of time during the regular semester or academic year. The co‐op experience is normally a full-time work experience and the student is not attending classes during the co‐op experience

Characteristics of KU Engineering Internships

Majority of internships KU engineering students participate in are paid
Typically the internship experience is full time over the summer (8 to 12 weeks), unless local.

Steps to Beginning an Internship Program

Designing an internship program that meets your needs

As varied as organizations are in age, size, industry and product, so too are their internship activities. How do you know what kind of program will work best for you? Designing an internship program to meet your needs is as easy as five steps.

Step 1: Set goals

What does your organization hope to achieve from the program?
Are you a small organization searching for additional help on a project?
Is your organization growing quickly and having difficulty finding motivated new employees?
Is your organization searching out new employees with management potential?

A careful discussion with management can create a consensus on program goals that can be understood by all. The program and internship can be designed to best meet those expectations. As many staffing professionals may know, in order for a program to be successful, it will require the commitment of management.

Step 2: Write a Plan

Carefully plan and write out your internship program and goals. Managers, mentors, interns and university career centers are all going to be reading what you write about the internship. Draft a job description that clearly explains the job’s duties. Do you want someone for a specific project? What about general support around the workplace? How about giving the intern a taste of everything your company does? Structure the internship ahead of time so that you can be sure to meet your goals and not find yourself floundering partway through. (See the Internship Position Description later)

Things to think about include:

Where will you put the intern? Do you have adequate workspace for them? Will you help make parking arrangements, living arrangements, etc.?

What sort of academic background and experience do you want in an intern? Decide on standards for quality beforehand — it’ll help you narrow down the choices and find the best candidates.

What will you pay the intern? Wages vary widely from field to field, but almost all engineering interns are paid. Therefore, be sure yours are competitive or offer competitive incentives. According to the 2019 Internship Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) the average hourly wage for an engineering internship was $21.67, and $21.59 for computer science majors. Another way to calculate a wage for your intern is to pay a specific percentage of what the position would pay if it was full time. This can be a graduated scale based on the students’ level of education.

Who will have the primary responsibility for the intern? Will that person be a mentor or merely a supervisor?

What will the intern be doing? Be as specific as possible. Interns, like others in the process of learning, need structure so they don’t become lost, confused or bored. What role(s) will the intern play in the department and company? How much inclusion will the intern have in staff meetings? Will they work with upper management?

Do you want to plan a program beyond the work you give your interns? Will there be special training programs, performance reviews, lunches with executives, social events? Keep in mind that your interns are walking advertisements for your company. If they have a good experience working for you, they’re likely to tell their friends — word gets around. A bad internship, by contrast, can only hurt your chances of attracting good students for next year.

These are just some of the questions to consider. Your organization’s approach will depend on your specific resources and needs.

A very important part of your plan should be the assignment of a mentor or supervisor — that is, someone from the intern’s department who will be in charge of the intern. This person doesn’t have to be a teacher per se, but should be selected because he or she likes to teach or train and has the resources to do it. If the person you select has never mentored an intern before, give him or her some basic training in mentoring.

Step 3: Recruit an intern(s)

How will you find those ideal candidates to fill your internship position(s)? The number‐one tip from those who have established programs is to get out there early! This cannot be overemphasized to organizations that want the very best interns. Begin searching three to four months before you need a student to begin. Starting early has other advantages: the longer you accept applications, the better your chance of finding the best person for the job. The sooner you get one, the longer you have to form a good working relationship with him or her.

When you’re out recruiting, develop relationships with local recruitment resources. Promote yourself with school‐to‐work coordinators in high schools and with the career or internship centers at colleges and universities, attend internship and job fairs, ask about marketing opportunities at the school you are recruiting from, and send material to student organizations. Promote yourself elsewhere in the city by getting to know people at local employment organizations, and youth employment projects. Post advertisements on such organizations’ websites and get to know the contacts there.

And remember; choose your interns just as carefully as you’d choose permanent employees. After all, they might be permanent employees some day. You’re making an investment; time and money will go into this person. This is where the interview will come in handy: Is the intern truly motivated, or does he or she just want a job? Will the intern fit into your organization’s culture? Does he or she have the level of experience you need? With careful consideration of whom to hire at the beginning, you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls of internships.

Last, but certainly not least, learn the legal implications of hiring interns. Just like any other workers, they are subject to legal protections and regulations. Protect yourself and your intern by knowing the laws: What work can and can’t you assign? This is especially important if your company employs a lot of international students, who need special qualifications to work in the U.S. Consult your corporate lawyer for more information, if you think you might run into problems.

Step 4: Manage the intern(s)

Once you’ve hired a worker, you have him or her work, right? That’s true for interns as well as regular employees, but with an intern, you’ll be making an important first impression. The beginning days of the internship program are often its defining days. When you give them their first tasks, you’re signaling what can be expected in the future. If you give them nothing or very little to do, it sends a message that this job will be easy — and boring. Interns don’t want that, and of course, neither do employers. The organization of your internship program will probably be the single most important influence on an intern’s impression of your organization, and thus the chances that he or she will come back. So how do you “plan for success”?

Consider the goals of your program. The nature of the program and the activities that you choose to undertake should directly relate to your program goals.

First things first:

Orient your intern to his or her new workplace. This might take the form of a conventional orientation program or merely a walk around the office, depending on the size of your company. After all, even though they may not be permanent employees, they’ll be spending a great deal of time in your workplace. Give interns an overview of your organization; some companies give talks or hand out information about the company’s history, vision and services. Explain who does what and what the intern’s duties will be. Introduce him or her to co‐workers and give them a complete tour of the facility. Making your intern at home in the office is your first step to bringing him or her back.

Give your intern the resources he or she needs to do the job.

That may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many companies stick their interns out in the hallway or transfer them from desk to desk. That sends a potent message you don’t want to send: Interns aren’t important; we don’t want you here. Give the intern a desk, point out the supply room, and introduce the tech support people. If you intimidate your interns into silence, you could miss out on valuable contributions to your projects—or warnings about impending problems.

Keep an eye on the intern.

This doesn’t mean to watch their every move, but do make sure you know what’s happening with their daily tasks. Watch for signs that the intern is confused or bored. As often as silence means that an intern is busy, it also could mean that he or she is confused and shy about telling you so. It’s easy to be shy in a workplace full of older strangers who all know each other. See whether the intern is trying to do anything that requires someone else’s input. Make sure that work is taking precedence over web browsing. Paying attention early helps you head off problems and bad habits early on.

Along those same lines, it’s important to give them lots of feedback! Especially if your interns have never done this kind of work before, they’ll want to know if their work is measuring up to your expectations. No matter what the level of experience, they need you, as a more experienced worker, to let them know if their work is officially “okay”. Periodically, examine what your intern has produced and make suggestions.

Evaluate the intern’s progress every now and then.

Remember those goals you outlined before? A few weeks after the internship begins, it’s time to see how well you and your intern are meeting those goals. Evaluation processes differ. Yours might be as formal as written evaluations every three weeks or as informal as occasional lunches with the internship coordinator and/or the intern’s mentor. Some companies have the intern evaluate the experience and the company as well. Again, your structure is largely up to your corporate culture and needs. As an added bonus, these evaluations will be handy later if you decide to interview a former intern for full‐time work, or to publicize how successful your program has been.

Maintaining program popularity will require hard evidence that your organization is getting a return on its investment. Some organizations have adopted a process of formal exit interviews. Through this process they can determine if interns are leaving the company having had a good experience, and it provides valuable feedback to managers for program planning in the following year.

In addition to qualitative measures, a number of quantitative measures have also been adopted. Some common measures include the number of interns that become full‐time employees; repeat requests for interns from managers; and growing numbers of intern applicants. In order to successfully measure your own program outcome, you should return to the stated program goals, and address those outcomes.

Step 5: Keep your focus on the future

With the job market experiencing a dearth of qualified employees, it only makes sense to investigate early those quality high school, community college, technical school and college students whom you can bring back later. Take on interns now and you’ll have a competitive advantage in recruiting the best workers—you’ll already be known to the employees you want most. Your new workers will already be trained for your workplace and loyal to your company, lowering training time, recruiting costs and turnover rates. You’ll build a reputation that will pay off with students, colleges and the community. In addition, your company will save money while benefiting from the input of talented, enthusiastic, innovative people. With all of these advantages, you might find that you can’t afford not to do internships.

Ten Concerns of Interns

Give us real work!

It can’t be said too many times that interns want to work and learn. An internship can help you get a job done that you couldn’t otherwise, right? If you’ve brought on an intern as a recruitment tool, then how will you be able to assess their abilities? It just makes sense to utilize your interns well.

Do what you say, and say what you do!

Be honest with your interns about what they can expect during their internship. If the job will require stuffing some envelopes, then make that clear. But if you tell the intern they will be researching a project, and they spend 90% of their time doing “grunt work,” then bad feelings will develop. Honesty doesn’t cost you anything, and it will make the interns feel that much more respected.
We like feedback!

Remember that interns are students, and they may not have the business skills and experiences that you take for granted. If your intern makes an oversight, just pull him or her aside and explain how the situation should be handled in the future.

We want to be included too!

Is there a staff meeting they can attend? Can they quietly tag along to that next project meeting?Headed to lunch with a couple of people in the office? Please include them in the daily life of your workplace. After all, if you provide a little more perspective on the intern’s work, the product will be much better.
Please explain.

When you assign work, make sure you give a detailed explanation. While the work may seem trivial and obvious to you, it may not be obvious to someone who’s never done it before. Patience and a few extra minutes at the beginning will pay off later when your intern can produce good work independently.

I want a mentor!

Make sure that interns have a mentor or supervisor to provide guidance. Make it someone who truly likes to teach, and the experience will be even better.

A minute of your time please.

The best mentor in the world is useless if he or she can’t or won’t spend the necessary time mentoring. As newcomers, interns may not speak up if they’re feeling ignored, so the burden of making sure they’re okay is on the mentor. If the busiest person in the office wants to be the designated mentor, he or she should schedule regular times to meet with the intern.

Be prepared!

That wonderful day has arrived and the intern goes to start their internship only to learn that no one knew they were coming, and there is no place for them to work.

Um…I need a chair.

It is amazing how many employers hire an intern and don’t think about the fact that they will need a desk, chair, phone and a computer in order to do the task assigned. It is no fun, and not efficient to move an intern from desk to desk as people are out one day to the next. If you want to get a job done, you need to supply the intern with the tools to do the job.

Show me the money (as best you can).

While each internship experience is different, and each industry has its own personality, remember that interns have expenses. Your organization may not be in a position to pay much, but anything can help. Maybe you can help pay for their parking, take them to lunch every so often, or develop some other creative way to assist them.

Legal Issues

Do you have to pay interns?

The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which applies to all companies that have at least two employees directly engaged in interstate commerce and annual sales of at least $500,000.00, severely restricts an employer’s ability to use unpaid interns or trainees. It does not limit an employer’s ability to hire paid interns.

You don’t have to pay interns who qualify as leaders/trainees. The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined six criteria for determining trainee status:

Interns cannot displace regular employees
Interns are not guaranteed a job at the end of the internship (though you may decide to hire them at the conclusion of the experience)
Interns are not entitled to wages during the internship
Interns must receive training from your organization, even if it somewhat impedes the work
Interns must get hands‐on experience with equipment and processes used in your industry
Interns’ training must primarily benefit them, not the organization.

Workers’ and Unemployment Compensation

Workers’ compensation boards have found that interns contribute enough to a company to make them employees. It’s wise to cover interns under your workers’ compensation policy even though you aren’t required to do so. Student interns are not generally eligible for unemployment compensation at the end of the internship.

Keep In Mind

Even if a student is working through a school program for which he or she is being “paid” in college credits, the student still has the right, under the FLSA, to be paid unless the employer is not deriving any immediate advantage by using him/her.

Paid interns make ideal workers — hungry to learn, eager to make a good impression and willing to perform a multitude of tasks. The relatively small amount of money employers spend on intern wages and benefits is a good investment, because it often produces future, long‐term employees.

The employer should identify the specific terms and conditions of employment (e.g., dates of employment as an intern, including the date the internship will end; compensation; organizational and/or reporting relationships; principal duties, tasks or responsibilities; working conditions; confidentiality; any other expectations of the employer), and should discuss these with the prospective intern, so that there is no misunderstanding regarding the relationship. Also, it may make good sense to document such a discussion with a written agreement.

If an intern is harassed at your organization, and you don’t do anything about it, your organization opens itself to the risk of lawsuits. Take time to advise your interns of appropriate workplace behavior, the organization’s harassment policy and complaint procedures.

International Students

Two of the most common statuses held by international students are F‐1 and J‐1. Below is information on employment for those statuses.

F‐1 Student Off‐Campus Employment Options

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training is an opportunity for F‐1 international students to participate in professional, temporary employment that is directly related to their major area of study, but not a part of the academic curriculum. It is limited to 12 months total per degree level and can be authorized pre or post‐completion of a student’s degree. Applications are made to the U.S. government and can take 2‐3 months to process.

OPT 17 Month STEM Extension

The STEM OPT extension extends the previous 12‐month OPT limit an additional 24 months (for a total eligibility of up to 36 months) for certain degree holders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The extension can only be granted in a 24 month period; the period cannot be “split” into multiple periods. Employers must be E‐verify and the STEM OPT extension is for post‐completion of degree only. Applications are made to the U.S. government and can take 2‐3 months to process.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular practical training is an opportunity for international students in F‐1 status to participate in professional, temporary employment such as an internship, co‐op program, practicum or similar situation, which is undertaken prior to the completion of studies. The training must either be a required part OR an integral part of the established curriculum and the student must receive academic credit for the employment. Authorization granted by the student’s Designated School Official (DSO) at their school of attendance.

Severe Economic Hardship

A student must be able to demonstrate severe economic hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances. Applications are made to the U.S. government and can be granted for up to one year at a time (although students can apply for an extension).

J‐1 Exchange Visitor Off‐Campus Employment Options

Academic Training

Academic training is an opportunity for J‐1 exchange students to participate in temporary professional employment related to their academic program. It may be engaged in either during or after completion of the period of study. Undergraduate or pre‐doctoral training may not exceed 18 months (inclusive of any prior academic training in the United States). Post‐doctoral training may not exceed 36 months and is authorized in 18‐month increments (inclusive of any prior academic training in the United States). Authorization granted by the student’s program sponsor (entity who issues student’s DS‐2019).

Economic Hardship

A student must have serious, urgent, and unforeseen economic circumstances which have arisen since acquiring J‐1 status. The dates of authorization may extend through the validity of a student’s DS‐2019 or up to 12 months, whichever period is less. Authorization granted by the student’s program sponsor (entity who issues student’s DS‐2019).

Creating a Position

An Engineering Intern might perform many of the same duties that full time engineers do within the organization; in a scaled back form. Therefore, the job description could be adapted from an existing position description.

Developing Work Activities & Measurable Learning Objectives

A large part of producing an effective position description involves the development of challenging work assignments that complement students’ academic programs. One way to do this is to design a preliminary list of work activities that will fit the needs of your department. A detailed description of typical tasks will help the educational institution to promote your internship or field experience, and help you screen the right candidates for the position. Later, when the interns you select join your team, you will have a chance to review the work activities and modify them according to the interns’ knowledge and personal work/learning goals.

As part of the educational process, internship work activities should focus on projects specifically related to the academic major and the degree the interns expect to receive. Students who perform menial tasks will become quickly demoralized and will learn nothing about applying their expertise to a business environment. While many students work (or have worked) at part‐time jobs to finance their education, an internship should offer every opportunity to link classroom learning to workplace experience.

Undergraduate students expect and appreciate clear direction regarding what is expected of them and frequent feedback concerning what and how they have done. (In their academic environment, clear direction and periodic feedback is the way of life.) It is also most important that the interns perceive their work is making a useful contribution to the sponsoring organization.

A particular concern at the undergraduate level is that the work assignments provide the interns with a variety of tasks, while accommodating the needs of the organization. Of course, some of the interns’ responsibilities will involve repetition; all work involves some repeated activity. We are suggesting, the program be designed to maximize the skills and abilities of the student while contributing to meaningful organizational activities.

Developing challenging work assignments relative to the students’ abilities is a major thrust of the position description. Your final internship, or field experience, description will incorporate the needs of your organization as well as the abilities and academic goals of the students you employ.

Key Points

Describe challenging, but realistic tasks students can accomplish within a three‐month period.
Identify outcomes or expected products.
Be willing to incorporate the students’ particular strengths
Show how this work relates to the overall efforts of the department or organization.

Academic Issues

Credit vs. Non‐Credit Internships

Each department on campus that offers credit for internships handles it differently. However within the University of Kansas School of Engineering, there are currently no programs that require the students to do an internship for credit. At times, there is a student for a variety of reasons who needs the internship or co‐op for credit. In this case, please refer the student to Engineering Career Services.

University of Kansas School of Engineering Undergraduate Programs

Aerospace
Civil
Electrical
Interdisciplinary Computing
Architectural
Computer Engineering
Engineering Physics
Mechanical
Chemical
Computer Science
Information Technology
Petroleum

University of Kansas School of Engineering Graduate Program Areas

Aerospace
Chemical
Computer Engineering
Engineering Management
Information Technology
Project Management
Architectural
Civil
Computer Science
Environmental Engineering
Mechanical
Bioengineering
Construction Management
Electrical
Environmental Science
Petroleum

Posting Positions

Your internship as well as full time positions can be posted in HireJayhawks (our job posting system by

Symplicity) for all students to see. There are requirements that can be set (i.e. major, GPA, or level of

education) to focus the pool of candidates who can apply for the position.

Visit hirejayhawks to register for a free account. You can go online and post any position at your convenience. Or, if you prefer, you can email the job description to us at ecc@ku.edu with the date the applications should close and we will post the position for you. (see Position Description form on the next page which outlines the information needed)

Internship Position Description

Organization Name:

Contact Information

Name:

Email:

Phone:

Position Information

Position Title:

Salary:

Posting Dates:

Begin:
End:

Method(s) of Application: Email or Other

Orienting and Training Interns

Many students are unfamiliar with the activities, environment and objectives of business and industry. Even though your interns may have worked part‐time to support their education, these experiences may not have exposed them to organizational politics, the need for confidentiality, the importance of teamwork, or the profit‐making orientation of business. It is this orientation and training dimension of the internship experience that emphasizes the partnership role of the sponsoring organization.

The sooner your student interns understand what your organization does and how it operates, the sooner they can assume assigned responsibilities and become productive. You can help this process by providing the following kinds of information about your site:

Prior to the First Day

Set up an organized work area for the intern
Set up phone, voicemail, PC, email, and internet access and/or other resources necessary for them to accomplish the tasks you have stipulated in the internship position description
Outline work expectations for the duration of the internship
Prepare forms to be signed, including a confidentiality agreement, if necessary

Personnel Structure

Company organization
Special industry jargon
Specific work standards and procedures
Reporting relationships
Access to the supervisor (days, times, and duration)
Tasks that can be completed without supervisory approval
Work processing requests and timeliness
Mail and telephone systems
Approved form(s) for correspondence
Safety regulations
Procedure for signing off completed work
Periodic forms or reports to be completed
Security and confidentiality issues, if relevant
Acceptable dress and appearance
Maintaining the premises and work station
Productive interactions with others at the work site
Personnel who can answer different kinds of questions
How the organization wants the intern to deal with clients, customers, and vendors

Communicate This Information

Take your interns on a tour of the facilities and introduce them to the other Employees
Give your interns company materials to read such as newsletters, annual reports, an organization chart, or memos from the CEO
Encourage your interns to spend break and lunchtimes in places where employees gather
Schedule regular one‐on‐one meetings with them
Give the interns opportunities to observe (or participate in) professional meetings
Allow the interns to interview company personnel and encourage the interns to walk around and observe others at work

Key Points

Develop a thorough orientation and training plan to be implemented when the interns begin work, so they will learn quickly and become productive members of your team.
Invest supervisory time to establish an important bond with interns and set a crucial tone for the internship experience.

The success of an internship depends on the planning process and the site supervisor is the critical link. You guide your interns by providing direction and feedback. If a problem occurs, you counsel the students and contact others, when necessary.

Orientation Checklist

Experience shows that employers who take adequate time at the beginning of the internship to orient the student reap productivity and effectiveness more quickly than those who donʹt. To help acclimate interns, please take time initially to:

Explain the Mission of the Organization

How did the organization start? Why?
What is unique about your product or service?
Who benefits from your product or service?
What are the organizationʹs current objectives?
How may the intern contribute to those objectives?

Explain the Organization Structure

Who reports to whom?
Who, specifically, is the internʹs supervisor?
What is the internʹs department responsible for?
How are decisions made?
Which personnel can answer different kinds of questions?

Outline Organizational Rules, Policies, Decorum and Expectations

Is there special industry jargon?
What are the specific work standards and procedures?
What access to the supervisor (days, times, and duration) does the intern have?
How should they process requests?
How do the mail and telephone systems work?
What are the approved forms for correspondence?
By what safety regulations must they abide?
Is there a procedure for signing off completed work?
What periodic forms or reports need to be completed?
What local, state, and/or federal guidelines or laws apply to their work?
Are there security or confidentiality issues the intern should be aware of?
What is acceptable with regard to dress and appearance?
How should they maintain the premises and their work area?

Define the Internʹs Responsibilities

What is the internʹs role?
What projects will be assigned to him or her?
What resources are available to the intern?
What training is necessary?
How does the organization want the intern to deal with clients and vendors?
What tasks can be completed without supervisory approval?
Do other employees understand the internʹs role?

Monitor the Internʹs Adjustment and Understanding of What is Expected

Make yourself visibly available to the intern
Assign someone who can periodically ʺcheck‐inʺ with the intern
Provide feedback and constructive criticism
Encourage the intern to ask questions

Developing Work Activities

and Measurable Learning Objectives

A large part of producing effective position descriptions involves the development of challenging work assignments that complement studentsʹ academic programs. One way to do this is to design a preliminary list of work activities that will fit the needs of your department. A detailed description of typical tasks will help the college to promote your internship or field experience, and to screen the right candidates for the position. Later, when the interns you select join your team, you will have a chance to review the work activities and modify them according to the internsʹ knowledge and personal work/learning goals.

As part of the educational process, internship work activities should focus on projects specifically related to the academic major and the degree the interns expect to receive. Students who perform menial tasks will become quickly demoralized and will learn nothing about applying their expertise to a business environment. While many students work (or have worked) at part‐time jobs to finance their education, an internship does not fall into the category of a job. It is actually part of their academic program and should offer every opportunity to link classroom learning to workplace experience.

A particular concern at the undergraduate level is that the work assignments provide the interns with a variety of tasks, while accommodating the needs of the organization. Of course, some of the internsʹ responsibilities will involve repetition, because all work involves some repeated activity. We are suggesting, however, the program be designed to maximize the scope of the studentsʹ organizational experience.

Sample tasks that undergraduate students have provided for their sponsoring organizations include the following:

performing laboratory tests
writing handbooks or manuals
designing posters, charts, graphs
generating financial forecast and cost recovery reports
performing software/hardware modifications
conducting studies and surveys
developing slide/sound presentations
compiling technical reports
creating academic lesson plans
conducting research
generating marketing plans
conducting training packages
preparing budgets and financial reports

Developing challenging work assignments relative to the studentsʹ abilities is a major thrust of the position description. Your final internship, or field experience, description will incorporate the needs of your organization as well as the abilities and academic goals of the students you employ.

Key Points

Describe challenging, but realistic tasks students can accomplish within a three‐month period.
Work with faculty to establish specific learning objectives for students.
Identify outcomes or expected products.
Be willing to incorporate the studentsʹ particular strengths.
Show how this work relates to the overall efforts of the department or organization.

Supervising the Intern

As an intern supervisor, you use all the skills necessary in any effective supervisory relationship:

Providing leadership
Motivating
Delegating
Communicating
Developing and training
Evaluating

Additionally, the students will look to you as a mentor who will assist their transition from the classroom to the work environment. Since the internship is an extension of the learning process, you will need to provide opportunities to bridge the two experiences.

We suggest that you meet with your interns regularly to provide feedback concerning their performance. During these meetings, the students can:

report on the status of a project
ask questions
learn how their work is contributing to the organization
participate in an evaluation of their strengths
discuss areas needing growth and development
get a sense of what kind of work lies ahead

At the same time you will have an opportunity to coach, counsel and reinforce positive attitudes and performance.

If the internship is for academic credit, you should anticipate that you will have some interaction with your studentsʹ internship coordinator through telephone calls, on‐site visits, and written evaluations. Such persons will help you find a solution if difficulties occur (intern attendance or punctuality problems, low motivation, unsatisfactory work, or personal conflicts). Also, you should get in touch with the college contact if the internship conditions must be altered, such as a change in supervisors, delays in the availability of data needed by the student to complete an assignment, a strike by unionized employees, transfer or termination of an employee involved in the internsʹ work, or other unanticipated changes.

Encourage your interns to keep a portfolio of work accomplished during the experience. This will help fulfill the studentsʹ academic requirements and provide them with a sense of accomplishment. In addition, it will give you a basis to discuss their professional growth. Specific work documents to include in a portfolio might be any of the following:

Job Descriptions
Legislation
Proposals
Manuals
Company Newsletters
Performance Appraisals
Charts/Graphs
Correspondence
Financial Reports Displays & Exhibits
References

In addition to spontaneous and informal meetings, you should evaluate your interns’ performance at the midpoint of the internship, so the students know where they stand. You should consider the quality and timeliness of the work produced to date, ability to take and follow direction, work habits, and areas needing growth and development. This information will also provide data for the final evaluation and serve as a reference point for the studentsʹ subsequent performance.

Key Points

Maintain an open channel of communication with formal and informal meetings
Keep the interns busy and directed towards their learning objectives. Students rarely complain of overwork, but they do complain if they are not challenged.
Provide opportunities for increasing responsibility.
Encourage professionalism by assisting the interns in developing human relations skills, decision‐making abilities, and managing office politics.
Remember that you are a role model.
Develop connections

Sample of an Employer Evaluation of Student Intern

Unsatisfactory (Never demonstrates this ability/does not meet expectations)
Uncomplimentary (Seldom demonstrates this ability/rarely meets expectations)
Fair (Sometimes demonstrates this ability/meets expectations)
Commendable (Usually demonstrates this ability/sometimes exceeds expectations)
Exceptional (Always demonstrates this ability/consistently exceeds expectations)

If any criteria are not applicable to this internship experience, please leave the response blank.

Ability to Learn:

Asks pertinent and purposeful questions (1 2 3 4 5)
Seeks out and utilizes appropriate resources (1 2 3 4 5)
Accepts responsibility for mistakes and learns from experiences (1 2 3 4 5)

Reading/Writing/Computation Skills

Reads/comprehends/follows written materials (1 2 3 4 5)
Communicates ideas and concepts clearly in writing (1 2 3 4 5)
Works with mathematical procedures appropriate to the job (1 2 3 4 5)

Listening & Oral Communication Skills

Listens to others in an active and attentive manner (1 2 3 4 5)
Effectively participates in meetings or group settings (1 2 3 4 5)
Demonstrates effective verbal communication skills (1 2 3 4 5)

Creative Thinking & Problem Solving Skills

Breaks down complex tasks/problems into manageable pieces (1 2 3 4 5)
Brainstorms/develops options and ideas (1 2 3 4 5)
Demonstrates an analytical capacity (1 2 3 4 5)

Professional & Career Development Skills

Exhibits self‐motivated approach to work (1 2 3 4 5)
Demonstrates ability to set appropriate priorities/goals (1 2 3 4 5)
Exhibits professional behavior and attitude (1 2 3 4 5)

Interpersonal & Teamwork Skills

Manages and resolves conflict in an effective manner (1 2 3 4 5)
Supports and contributes to a team atmosphere (1 2 3 4 5)
Demonstrates assertive but appropriate behavior (1 2 3 4 5)

Organizational Effectiveness Skills

Seeks to understand and support the organization’s mission/goals (1 2 3 4 5)
Fits in with the norms and expectations of the organization (1 2 3 4 5)
Works within appropriate authority and decision‐making channels (1 2 3 4 5)

Basic Work Habits

Reports to work as scheduled and on‐time (1 2 3 4 5)
Exhibits a positive and constructive attitude (1 2 3 4 5)
Dress and appearance are appropriate for this organization (1 2 3 4 5)

Character Attributes

Brings a sense of values and integrity to the job (1 2 3 4 5)
Behaves in an ethical manner (1 2 3 4 5)
Respects the diversity (religious/cultural/ethnic) of co‐workers (1 2 3 4 5)

Open Category: Industry‐Specific Skills

Are there any skills or competencies that you feel are important to the profession or career‐field (represented by your organization) that have not been previously listed in this evaluation? If so, please list these skills below and assess the intern accordingly.

Section for Comments:

Overall Performance (if I were to rate the intern at the present time)

Rate on a scale

Example:

Unsatisfactory, Poor, Average, Good, and Outsatanding

Scale 0 to 10

Scale F to A+

This assessment was reviewed with the intern on (Month/Day/Year) _____________________________________

Evaluator’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: ___________________________

Title/Position: ________________________________________________ Telephone: ______________________

Sample of a Student Evaluation of Internship

Please respond to the following questions regarding your internship experience and site. The purpose of this form is to provide opportunity for frank appraisal of the internship.

Your Name:    _________________________________________________  Date:    _____________________________

Organization:   ________________________________________________  Semester/Year:     ____________________

Location:     ___________________________________________________  Supervisor:   ________________________

Please rate the following aspects of your internship experience on the basis of this scale:

Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent

If any criteria are not applicable to this internship experience, please leave the response blank.

Site

Physical environment was safe (1 2 3 4 5)
An orientation was provided to the organization (1 2 3 4 5)
Adequate resources were available to accomplish projects (1 2 3 4 5)
Co‐workers were accepting and helpful (1 2 3 4 5)

Supervisor

Supervisor provided a clear job description (1 2 3 4 5)
Regular feedback was provided on my progress and abilities (1 2 3 4 5)
An effort was made to make it a learning experience for me (1 2 3 4 5)
Supervisor provided levels of responsibility consistent with my abilities (1 2 3 4 5)
Supervisor was supportive of the agreed‐upon work days and hours (1 2 3 4 5)

Learning Experience

Work experience related to my academic discipline and/or career goal (1 2 3 4 5)
Opportunities were provided to develop my communication skills (1 2 3 4 5)
Opportunities were provided to develop my interpersonal skills (1 2 3 4 5)
Opportunities were provided to develop my creativity (1 2 3 4 5)
Opportunities were provided to develop my problem‐solving abilities (1 2 3 4 5)
This experience has helped prepare me for the workplace (1 2 3 4 5)

Overall Value Rating for this Internship (1 2 3 4 5)

Feel free to explain any of your responses to the above criteria here (use other side if necessary):

B. Would you work for this supervisor again? Yes No Uncertain

C. Would you work for this organization again? Yes No Uncertain

D. Would you recommend this organization to other students? Yes No Uncertain

Resources

National, member organizations can offer excellent assistance. The following organizations, and their regional and/or statewide affiliates, should be consulted.

Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA)

P.O. Box 42506

Cincinnati, OH 45242

Phone: 513-793-CEIA

Fax: 513-793-0463

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

62 Highland Avenue

Bethlehem, PA 18017‐9085

Phone: 610-868-1421

National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE)

19 Mantua Rd.

Mt. Royal, NJ 08061

Phone: 856‐423 – 3427

Fax: 856‐423‐3420