Prepared Interns Come Out Ahead

"Prepared Interns Come Out Ahead"
Chicago Tribune (06/17/07) P. C8; Bigda, Carolyn

According to former intern Jamie Fedorko, author of "The Intern Files: How to Get, Keep, and Make the Most of Your Internship," interns in corporate offices would do well to work hard; be willing to put in some extra time; and embrace making copies, filing, and other grunt work that makes companies run. "If you don't show you can do those tasks well, you're certainly not going to be trusted with bigger assignments," says Fedorko.

Florida State University's career center encourages students to set three measurable goals for their internship and to track their progress with written reports, including writing an assessment of what was learned. Students should discuss their goals when they initially meet their immediate supervisors, sit down with them about halfway through the internship, sooner if things are not going as planned, and discuss the students' progress. Students should also indicate in these meetings that they would like to help out in other ways as well.

Interns should try to make connections with other people in the office, share some of their ideas, and be ready to take advantage of any opportunities that arise. The job may not be structured, but interns should ask the supervisor for feedback so they can discover their strengths, how they can improve, or what's not going well.

Toward the end of the internship is the student's opportunity to ask for a letter of recommendation or, if s/he liked the company, to remind the supervisor of when you'll be graduating. Interns would be wise to keep in contact with their supervisors after the internship has ended.

Internship Seminar
A Vision for Incorporating Best Practices Into Your Campus Internship Programs

Download the PowerPoint presentations below:

	UNH Workshop August 8, 2008 - NSEE 8 Principles of Good Practices
	UNH Worshop August 8, 2008 - A Vision for Incorporating The Best Standards of Practice into Your Campus' Internship Programs