28 February 2009

Storm Warning for the College Internship

Internships can go bad... and you may not have any warning. We know one college student who was lucky to have a paid internship at a scientific laboratory. But unlucky when the lab shut down for 3 weeks for a security investigation. She received pay during that time but could not go anywhere or do anything. She and all the interns and staff members got a lot of reading done!

College interns have one "first action" at the sign of trouble: reporting to your college instructor for help with the logistics of a canceled internship. Possible issues are insurance coverage, travel logistics, evaluation from the intern site, and the grade for the semester.

A disrupted internship may have the same issues and so the instructor will advise on whether to end the internship or try to return to it after the disruption.


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

21 February 2009

How to Sample College Internships

Do you wish you could sample a lot of college internships before you have to decide on which ones to apply for?

You can research through the web and you can read books on internships—but that's a lot like shopping online for yarn. Very convenient way to survey the options but you miss feeling the texture of the yarn.

Ways to sample internships:

  • 1 Ask for a tour or attend an open house.
  • 2 Volunteer for a special event at the site.
  • 3 Best of all: take classes that require field work or observation of sites. (These commonly require just 15 or 20 hours of time in the field.) Plan ahead to locate several internship sites you would like to preview and then propose those sites to your professor for the field observation assignments. In 15 hours, you'll see the best and the worst of a site and know if it's the right fit for you for a much longer internship.
The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

14 February 2009

Photographing Your Internship

You may have the urge to document your internship with photos, video, or other representation of the site. You may even have the perfect camera or cell phone to accomplish that task.

But wait. You may need permission. And you may not be allowed.

Like all of your activities at the internship site, photography (and video making and sound recording) require the awareness of your supervisor. Ask before you even bring a camera to the site because you might learn there's a restriction about what equipment you can bring to work. (Granted, the built-in camera in a cell phone would defy such a restriction. But then some places restrict cell phones!)

Reasons for not allowing photography/recording:

  • Privacy/safety of clients
  • Security of the building
  • Confidentiality of business practices
Ask before you photograph!

The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

07 February 2009

Not So Visible Internships

These are real life examples of college interns who found their own placements in not so visible places. One received a small stipend from the agency; the other received a (minimalist) paycheck.

Janet's interest was children's therapeutic horseback riding but she was not close enough to a facility to make that a reasonable internship. So, she went to a local horse stable and volunteered to clean in exchange for the privilege of observing lessons and classes. Janet's idea was a good one: by observing lessons for children without restrictions, she would have knowledge about children and riding that could later support her in working with children with restrictions. She also learned a lot about the logistics of keeping a stable in good condition. Another important feature for her future work!

Tonya already knew she would end up in the family business of real estate but she wanted to bring new information to that career. So, she interned in a rural real estate agency where all tasks were handled in-house. She learned how to write the marketing newsletter, she invented a new calendar system for the agents, and she designed an information intake form to use when new clients called. The rural setting gave her insight into properties very different from the ones she would eventually work with. The experience reinforced her decision to begin working on her license during her senior year of college.

Look around your community and you may see a perfect opportunity to try out a career, or prepare for one, even at a site not usually listed on your college's internship roster.


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com