Visit with Your Career Coach or an Internship Course Instructor to Discuss:
- Reasonable goals for what you will accomplish and learn
- Internship course registration directions, if needed
- How to use an internship to explore a career
Things to Know Before You Begin:
- What time and day do you start?
- What is your schedule?
- What are your job duties?
- Who is your supervisor?
- Where is the office?
Become Familiar with the Organization
Use their website to look at:
- Mission
- Products, services, or programs
- Divisions and/or departments
- Awards, employee programs, and focuses for company culture (ex: sustainability)
Logistics to Consider
- What is the dress code? Consider how to dress for success at your site.
- Where should you park, exit the bus, or walk to?
- What lunch and/or snack items will you bring?
- How will you record notes and names? A notebook? A tablet? A laptop?
- How will you minimize distractions? Do not forget to put your phone on silent.
Set Goals
Consider:
- What you want to learn
- What you will do to learn
- How to know if you've achieved your learning objective
- Who do you hope to make connections or network with?
Become a Career-Ready Bystander
Take the free ICON training and learn:
- Why and how to build a work culture of inclusivity and respect.
- Definitions and potential responses if harassment occurs.
- Resources for support and reporting.
Understanding the Stages of an Internship
All students will go through a variety of emotions during their internship; H. Federick Sweitzer and Mary A. King’s (2014) “The Successful Internship” propose the following general stages:
Understanding the Stages of an Internship
Anticipation
Excitement and anxiety; worries about preparation or fitting in.
Disillusionment
Excitement wears off; disappointment about reality of professional world; discovery that world of work is very different from school.
Confrontation
Face disillusionment; re-examine goals and expectations; compare job duties with learning goals to help with reality check and discuss interpersonal issues with supervisor and mentors.
Competence
Morale, professionalism, and productivity increase; interns can ask for higher level tasks and feel a part of the organization.
Culmination
Pride in accomplishments and potential sadness at end of the experience; potential guilt with wanting to accomplish more or that project may not continue without them; discuss feelings with supervisor.
Once you have set goals, understood logistics, and know generally what to expect, start to think about how you will manage time, focus, attitude, and projects. Read the tips for succeeding during your internship: