College Intern Blog

Technical Internships at Yahoo!

2010-07-31T00:01:00.005-05:00

Technical internships are competitive. That's not a surprise. So, start early for NEXT summer. On this page for Yahoo! Internships, you'll find a link to Search. Of course, the current links are for the current season. So, you won't want to apply! But you can read about the specific positions that Yahoo! makes available for college interns. That helps plan how to be prepared to make a successful application when the next season's openings are advertised.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Ideas from the Web

2010-07-23T20:48:00.004-05:00

Here's a tip to get the mind on task: check out web sites about travel and study abroad, even if the sites will not be your sources for selecting a specific internship. Transitions Abroad displays the range of possibilities. Of course, international (and all) internships must be based on the college's requirements and standards. Just use the web to get ideas.

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. © 2008 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Dreaming of DreamWorks? Apply!

2010-07-17T00:01:00.005-05:00

DreamWorks Animation works interns. As you might guess, the company receives a lot of applications so you have to be prepared to never hear back from them. On the other hand, if you do hear back from them, you'll know you were an outstanding applicant!

The DreamWorks Internships web site has two crucial divisions: Artistic Jobs and Non-Artistic Jobs. The application process is different for these two types. Read the web site thoroughly before you start your application. And good luck!

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. © 2008 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Internship at Disney: Florida or California

2010-07-10T00:01:00.006-05:00

Chances are, you grew up on Disney movies. And maybe you took a vacation at a Disney park, too. Well, as a college student, you can apply to be an intern at one of those parks. And get paid!

The Disney College Program runs at both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. Fall and Spring internships offer a paycheck and housing for a low fee. (The rent can be deducted from the paycheck.)

Applications for 2010 are closed. Applications for 2011 will be gearing up in Fall. Recommended: visit the web site (small tabs under the headline link to the two locations) and plan the application, even if you must wait a couple of months to make the formal submission.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Search Tool for Internships

2010-07-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

Search—or just read the whole list! The Jobsource search page of the Orion Grassroots Network emphasizes employment in public service but also includes internships. The search page has a column on the right called "Experience Level" with an option checkbox for "Internship."

The checkbox displays the number of entries. The day I checked, there were 25 internships listed. That's a small enough number to skim without narrowing the search. So, just checkmark that box and then click the Find Jobs button.

Locations are all over the U.S. Remember: even if you cannot travel to a particular internship, you can follow up with similar employers and agencies in your own geographic area.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Penn State's Internship Web Page

2010-06-26T00:01:00.005-05:00

You don't have to be a student at Penn State to benefit from the school's tips on internships. Go to the web page for Liberal Arts Internships for general information to guide your investigation.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Phone Hero at the Intern Site

2010-06-12T00:01:00.003-05:00

When to be a hero with your phone: For just about any circumstance at the internship, your phone should be off. It's a tool for personal communication and work sites are not the place for personal communication.

Still, your phone can be a tool that benefits everyone in the conduct of business. Stereotyping just a bit: young people can access more information via cell phone than most middle-aged bosses can with the power of a computer.

Services you (with a phone) can provide on the job:

1 - calculator to confirm numbers being tossed around in a meeting,
2 - address look-up for locations under discussion (might include lunch!),
3 - text message to a colleague for information when phone and email would elicit a slower response.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

On Time Delivery: Intern Work

2010-06-05T00:01:00.006-05:00

Imagine yourself at the end of your internship. You and another student have put in 4 months of hard work. You know there's a chance that the agency will offer a job.

One intern sometimes reported on a project with, "I'm still working on that."

The other intern always reported with, "It's ready for you." Or maybe "I finished it early" or "It will be on your desk in an hour." Timely work is a mark of professionalism and these are the phrases that announce that.

Now, if you were the boss making the job offer, which intern would you be learning toward?

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Semester Break

2010-05-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

The blog is on break. Will return with summer school.

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. © 2008 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

Practicum or Internship?

2010-05-08T00:30:00.004-05:00

The words can mean the same thing but most colleges have specific meanings for each. At a lot of schools, a practicum is a short "observer" assignment while an internship is a semester- or year-long "learn on the job" assignment.

That said, a practicum may also be a "practice" experience, with the same meaning as internship. How the terms are used may be discipline-specific.

Tip for getting along at the site: regardless of how the college labels the experience, the wise student adopts the term used out at the site. So, if your academic program says Practicum, but your assignment calls you an Intern (in an Internship), adopt the internship language when you are at the site!

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. © 2010 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

Looking for Internships... Every Day!

2010-05-01T01:00:00.004-05:00

When the internship season is in high gear, you'll probably be on the web every day, searching for leads. A helpful web site for that purpose is One Day One Internship. Can you guess what it does each day?

The site is based on One Day One Job, which reports on entry level jobs. Reading a profile of a company (or internship site) doesn't get you in the door. But it will help you understand the priorities of a site and thus help to prepare your application, either for that place or a similar one.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Internships for High School Students

2010-04-24T00:15:00.004-05:00

Internships can start before college! The College Board (the folks who publish the SAT) provides a good overview of internships for high school students. The examples ring true, too.

Even though high school interns may not have the same type of school credit that college students earn, it's a good idea to visit with a school counselor about how the internship fits your school career.

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. © 2008 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 http://www.marybold.com/

When You Must Take a Call

2010-04-17T00:01:00.003-05:00

Regardless of how well you plan, there's bound to be one day at the internship (or on the job) that you must be able to answer a personal phone call. Amid all the warnings to not use your cell phone on the job, what's the best way to take that call?

1 - Try to arrange the time of the call. Chances are, you can take a lunch or coffee break at the appointed hour and remove yourself from the business setting.

2 - If you must be available all day for the call, make the interruption as unobtrusive as possible. Put your phone on vibrate and take a seat near the door if you must attend meetings that day. Excuse yourself quickly to take the call, exiting the room before you start speaking into your phone.

3 - If you must have more of an alert than a vibrating phone, then select a short and muted ring for the day. A low-volume chime may suffice. This is definitely not the day for musical rings, nor barking dogs and quacking ducks. Those rings may have amused you when you selected them and they may be so customary now that you don't even imagine their impact on other people. For most settings, they are too distracting.

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. © 2010 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

Figuring a Salary: Fast Math

2010-04-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

A paid internship (or a summer job) may be described in the pay per hour. A quick multiplication task will tell you how that pay would translate to an annual salary.

Pay per hour X 2000 = approximate annual salary

$8/hour pay is roughly equivalent to $16,000 per year.
$10/hour pay is roughly equivalent to $20,000 per year.
$20/hour pay is roughly equivalent to $40,000 per year.

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. © 2010 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

Dress Code: Hair Styles

2010-04-03T00:01:00.007-05:00

Is there a hair style in this line-up that doesn't belong on the job/intern site? Could be that they are all OK!

Hair style as part of dress code: context is everything.

If you are interning in food service, you already know the rules and they may include hair nets. If you are interning in an office setting, the rules may be unwritten (and have more to do with distraction than health). And in another setting a purple spike may be admired and honored!

If you land in a conservative setting but yearn for a dramatic new hairstyle, you will probably have to wait until the end of the internship to enjoy it. In the meantime, remind yourself that the internship is a learning opportunity and self-expression is not a feature of it!

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Texting on the job: r u lol?

2010-03-27T00:01:00.003-05:00

As web-enabled mobile devices became more common, communication followed. We now routinely expect to send and receive work-related text messages. As an intern, you may have need to communicate "on the job" via email and text. Tip for successful business communication: use the technology but not the shortcuts.

So, keep text messages (as well as email) as short as possible while using standard spelling and capitalization.

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. © 2010 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

Snow Day @ the Internship

2010-03-20T00:01:00.005-05:00

Three concerns for a snow day:

1 - Safety
No one at the internship expects you to risk your life in treacherous travel. Research with weather and traffic reports before you leave home!

2 - Responsibility
Know what your responsibility is during extreme weather. Virtually all work places have BC (business continuity) plans. Rarely does an intern have a responsibility for BC in extreme or emergency conditions. But you may have a responsibility to your mentor or to a client to give notice of inability to travel to the site.

3 - Field Hours
The last concern—in third place—is how a snow day affects the tally of your field hours. Don't assume that a missed day will be excused from the tally of hours you are supposed to complete for your internship. You'll have to ask your mentor or campus instructor.

And enjoy the snow day!

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Sick Days During College Internship

2010-03-13T00:01:00.005-06:00

As a college intern on assignment, you are on the clock. That means that someone (maybe just you) must keep a record of your hours. So, what happens when you're sick?

1 - Employees at a site are likely to have an allotment of "sick days" that they can use without losing pay. As an intern, you don't!

2 - If you miss an assigned day due to illness, you will probably have to make up the hours in order to claim that you have accomplished the internship.

3 - If you miss more than a couple of hours during the semester, you should alert your campus professor. Absences from the internship can be problematic when it's time to receive credit on your transcript!

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. © 2010 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

College Internship: When the Dress Code Calls for a Uniform

2010-03-06T00:01:00.004-06:00

A college internship sometimes meaning putting on a uniform. For some students, it's the first ever experience of buying and wearing prescribed clothing.

If the site requires uniforms, you don't have a choice but to conform. Still, you can ask these questions to minimize your cost and inconvenience:

1 - Is there funding for the uniform so that I don't have to spend my own money?

2 - If I have to buy the uniform, can I ask around for a used uniform from an employee?

3 - Can I wear my choice of shoes and accessories?

The internship supervisor or mentor may have good suggestions for making your uniform inexpensive. Just ask!

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. © 2010 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

Planning Spring Break... to Plan a Practicum

2010-02-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

Spring Break = March. At least for most students, March is the month. How does that relate to a practicum or internship?

Taking action in March is timely for the application for many Summer internships. In fact, some businessess and agencies will not even open the application season before March or April. So, it's smart to read applications well ahead of time so that you can meet the deadline.

Taking action in March may also be timely for the Fall internship. Competitive placements may well require planning 6 or more months ahead. How do you know which internships are competitive? Your professor should be able to give an indication but there's no substitute for calling the site yourself. "I am interested in becoming an intern at your site next year. Can you recommend a good time for me to start that process?"

Taking action in March may also be timely for an internship a full year in the future. Typically, that's the international practicum. Do not delay! Start today!

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

I'm Sorry: The Prompt Apology

2010-02-20T01:01:00.004-06:00

Most people hate having to say, "I'm sorry," when they have made a mistake. But at the internship site, a simple apology is nothing to fear!

It's not a matter of expecting interns to make errors. It's a matter of being tolerant if interns make errors. Because the internship is a learning experience, this tolerance is almost always kinder than a response to an error-prone employee.

Of course, the intern should strive for error-free work. But if a mistake is made, the next best thing to being error-free is being apologetic. Always report mistakes immediately and offer to remedy the situation if that is possible. The prompt reporting will impress your mentor. In fact, prompt reporting practically makes up for the error!

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. © 2008 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

Interning with Your City

2010-02-13T00:01:00.003-06:00

Your city's government offices might not be the first place you think of when you consider internship sites—but these offices are homes of great training programs. And some even pay!

Locations may include the Fire Department, Parks & Recreation centers, Libraries, City Hall, and even Ambulance services. Social service centers (such as youth probation, child protective services, etc.) also invite interns. Expect to have to make an application several months ahead and be prepared to interview with an internship coordinator.

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. © 2008 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Google: Summer of Code Preview

2010-02-06T05:00:00.004-06:00

For about a thousand student programmers, the news is good that Google will again sponsor a Summer of Code (SoC) for interns working with mentors. Around the world!

In what is a frustrating Spring season each year, news of the internship doesn't solidify until early March. But there are reports that SoC is confirmed even though the official Google web page still displays 2009 events.

The best resource right now: wikipedia.

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Plan for Fall 2010 Internship

2010-01-30T00:01:00.004-06:00

Who would start planning in January for a Fall semester internship?

The smart college student who knows how complex it is to get an international internship or practicum!

Application deadlines are commonly 6 to 9 months ahead. Passports and immunizations should be achieved 4 to 6 months ahead (for the safety net). And the logistics of travel and housing can easily take 2 to 4 months, especially if those logistics include applications for funding.

Don't just dream about an overseas internship next year... begin with the plan, now.

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. © 2010 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

Search Craigslist

2010-01-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

In the Jobs category of craigslist (first search by state and city), you can checkmark "Internship" to pull up entries in a wide variety of fields.

You can also go to a city's list of "Gigs" and enter a search for "internship."

Like any web source, craigslist is a site you still have to investigate for truthfulness and accuracy. (Remember, anyone can upload anything.) There's no way the good folks at craigslist can check out every listing. Your task is to vet* the listings that interest you.

*Vet means confirm and validate. It comes from the informal language around race tracks: veterinarians check out the horses. A horse that is "vetted" is healthy and sound. The term is used in business routinely to mean check out, run a reference check, confirm, etc.

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. © 2010 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

Summer Internship: Aim for the White House

2010-01-16T00:01:00.005-06:00

Like many other government facilities, the White House sponsors summer interns. For 2010, the deadline for applications is early February and requires 3 letters of recommendation.

Competitive? You bet. But you can give it a shot as you plan other applications at the same time. Use the White House app as your motivation to write great essays that will lead to a fun and stimulating internship. You won't want to depend on only the White House app for your 2010 plans but that doesn't mean it's a waste of time.

Remember, someone will be chosen and you won't lose anything by volunteering yourself as a prospect!

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. © 2010 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 http://www.marybold.com/

Blog on Winter Break!

2009-12-19T00:01:00.002-06:00

College Intern Blog will return January 16, 2010.

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

Forgotten Dress Code: Shoes

2009-12-12T00:01:00.005-06:00

Dress codes, the official ones as well as the unofficial ones, often ignore the matter of shoes. But as we can all attest, we do notice what people are wearing on their feet.

When footwear is dirty or broken or extra scuffed, we not only notice it but we also remember it. In fact, a first impression can be a lasting impression.

Comfort matters and there's no reason to wear uncomfortable shoes to the workplace. The problem with comfort is we sometimes keep wearing shoes long past the date we should retire them. Take an objective look at your shoes and decide if it's time to make them yard shoes.

Break in new shoes gradually so that you still put a priority on comfort!

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

Money in the Workplace: You Are Not Being Distrusted

2009-12-05T00:01:00.003-06:00

In virtually every workplace, money is tracked very closely. And not just by the accountants. You may be asked to turn in receipts for money spent and you may be asked to sign receipts for any money or property you receive. It's not a matter of trust (or distrust). It' s just business.

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

College Internship Grades: A is not for Automatic

2009-11-28T00:01:00.002-06:00

Every college intern should make an A for the course, right? A is not for Automatic.

While you might think there's no content in the course, just process, this is the place where your content courses culminate. In short, your internship is where you apply the content you've learned in previous classes.

There's more to an internship, of course, and that's where your site supervisor plays a crucial role: evaluating your performance on the job. Some colleges count that evaluation in the semester grade while other schools downplay its importance for the academic record. (The reason is a pretty simply one: there may be little consistency in evaluation across all the internships so it's not a level playing field for everyone in the class.)

Best protection for the internship grade: understand the criteria for grading. Best sources of information: the professor and the syllabus.

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. © 2008 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

College Interns: When You Have to Kill Time

2009-11-21T00:01:00.004-06:00

On unlucky days at your internship site, you will be bored. That's when you need to have your own time-killer in your backpack. Recommendation: be prepared to take care of yourself and to take action.

First, let your mentor know that you have no task at hand.

Second, ask if you should wait for an assignment.

Third, assuming you are asked to wait patiently, create your own activity so you really can be patient.

Your own activity... read a book that you brought with you, pull out your own journal or notebook and write an entry about the day, work on an assignment for school. You know what not to do: play games on a computer (even your cell phone) and talk on your phone (even texting).

How you spend the down time will reflect on your time management skills. Make a good impression. You never know when a mentor is envisioning you as an employee.

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

College Intern Days Off

2009-11-14T00:01:00.002-06:00

Two weeks before Thanksgiving (or any holiday) is a great time to ask your internship mentor or college professor about protocol for taking some time off. The operative words: two weeks before.

On your campus, professors and students may have some unwritten rules about Thanksgiving week. The most common one is "it's OK to leave campus before the holiday." The next most common rule is "you cannot leave campus before the holiday."

Your internship may not have any such expectation. In fact, your internship may be working on Thanksgiving! Or back on the job on Friday or Saturday.

As a college intern, you may be excused from the internship site for the span of days that match your campus holiday. But the responsible thing to do is to confirm that... two weeks before.

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

International Internships: A Starting Point

2009-11-07T00:01:00.003-06:00

To locate international internships, look to directories of internships and expect to have to read broadly!

But here's a short cut to get started: IIEPASSPORT.ORG's list of countries with descriptions of what an internship might entail. Click on a country name and take time to scroll down to the section called Online Resources on each page. There, you will find links to "official" pages to keep researching.

Connecting with an international internship takes months! Start early!

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

Apply Early for Summer Internships

2009-10-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

Maybe you want a New York summer internship. Start applying now!

Popular locales attract many applications and a timely start to the process can be important. Fog Creek Software describes its summer intern opportunity in terms of stipend, qualifications, and expectations for the work to be accomplished. Check out Fog Creek's announcement even if you are not into programming. You'll learn a lot about what a company looks for when interviewing applicants for a paid 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

Dress Code: Costumes at the Intern Site

2009-10-24T00:01:00.004-05:00

If you are interning for George Lucas, by all means, get competitive and try to win the costume contest at the Halloween party.

If your internship is at any other workplace, weigh your costume choice against these tips:

1. Check out the company dress code. Does it specifically outlaw costumes?

2. If costumes are the norm, don't try to out-dress everyone else. Let the regular employees shine.

3. Dress in layers and skip specialty make-up. Even if costumes are acceptable, you want to be able to convert to a "regular" look in case of impromptu meetings with company executives.

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

From Internship to Paid Employment

2009-10-17T00:25:00.001-05:00

Most internships do not turn into paid jobs. That would imply that every company were expanding, every year, and hiring only from the intern pool. The more realistic picture is that a company may hire just one or two interns; and a small company may never hire an intern.

But if you land in the perfect internship, can you try for a job there? Yes! Be realistic about the prospect of going on salary as a regular employee but also put your best foot forward. (The worst that can happen is that you are told no, but your realistic expectation will have you prepared for that possibility.)

On a more optimistic note, outstanding interns have the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their value. Your own self-evaluation is important: can you point to your contributions? Can you tell a manager how you can bring even more value as a regular employee?

Don't hesitate to say, "I would like to work here." It's amazing how many job applicants forget to say that. And it's a statement that managers pay attention to!

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

Self-Introduction: Choosing a Name

2009-10-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

The internship is a good time to try out a workplace name if you've been waiting to make a change. Does everyone do this? Of course not. But if you've wanted to leave behind a childhood nickname or simplify a hard-to-pronounce first name, you can try out a replacement that you think you'd prefer as your "professional persona." Just use the new name in your self-introduction. Everyone will accept it.

And if you don't like the change, it ends with the 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

Not snapping the photograph

2009-10-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

Whether your internship is located in a bank or a bike shop (or a bank of cubicles), you probably have an impulse to photograph it. Maybe put the image on Facebook? Maybe just send it to a friend?

Resist the urge.

1. You may have signed an agreement not to disclose the location of your internship in a public manner. (This can be especially important if you work in a location that serves clients.)

2. You may need to think through common provisions of privacy. Visual cues can invade the company's or a coworker's privacy.

3. You may need to ask, "Will an image disclose a location that makes someone vulnerable to an outsider?"

Workplace exteriors can be just as sensitive as interiors. Take a mental snapshot for your memory. Forget the recorded kind.

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

Intern Dress Code: Campus Casual OK?

2009-09-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

Dress clothes..., casual..., business dress..., business casual..., and then there's the most comfortable dress code: campus casual.

Maybe your college expects something dressier than jeans but most don't! In fact, it wasn't so many years ago that pajamas were the campus clothing of choice. Today, jeans are acceptable for undergrads, grad students, and professors, too.

So, time to transition to the workplace for your internship... is your campus casual wardrobe appropriate? In the minority of internships, your wardrobe will be fine. That means that in the majority of settings, you will need to step up a notch.

OK! How about expensive jeans? Nope, they still qualify as campus casual. Put them in the closet for a semester.

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

Research the Industry of Your Preferred Internship

2009-09-19T01:58:00.003-05:00

An application for a college internship should start with researching the industry. The state of the economy may influence how many opportunities you find in a particular field. The hotel and resort industry is a current example: with fewer tourists, even the big hotel chains may cut back on their number of paid internsihps. Start your research early so that you can plan your applications.

(Habbo Hotel is a virtual world that is populated by teenagers worldwide.)

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 http://www.marybold.com/

Adobe, gearing up for late Fall applications

2009-09-11T23:03:00.000-05:00

Adobe's familiar logos include this one from Adobe's corporate headquarters. The software company offers internships to BS/MS/PhD students. The areas are programming, business, and a specialized MBA area, too.

The Adobe Summer Internship web page is part of the company's web site on University Recruiting. For summer internships, the application season begins in late Fall. Positions range from the technical (programming) to the non-engineering (customer service, marketing, etc.). Like many corporate intern sites, Adobe pays a salary to student workers as well as "employment-like" features such as holiday pay and recreation activity.

Apply early to this company and consider the timeline as a hint about when you should start looking into other corporate possibilities.

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

Are you playing Vortex?

2009-09-05T00:01:00.004-05:00

It's amazing what can fit on an iPhone. Music and movies and games, and that doesn't even begin to touch the communication power of talking and texting and emailing. So, what does Vortex (or thousands of other iPhone apps) have to do with a college internship?

The question is simple: Is your internship site the appropriate place to play a game on your phone or your laptop or the company's desktop?

The answer is even simpler: No, games are not appropriate.

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

Are you listening?

2009-08-29T00:01:00.004-05:00

One of the best side effects of the iPod (whether you have one or not) is the acceptance of ear buds in your ears. In fact, it's such a common sight nowadays that maybe no one notices.

Or... your internship supervisor might. Not everyone has tuned in to the use of personal devices for private listening. Observe! If no one else is using ear buds on the job, don't assume you should start a trend. And even if someone is, consider that you still may need to restrain!

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. © 2008 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

02: New Language Challenge

2009-08-22T00:05:00.003-05:00

02: it's time for lunch! W8 for me... or WYCM?

Text and IM (instant messaging) are generating a whole new language, one that may not be understood by everyone. Before you IM the work group at your internship, consider the readership. In the first place, they may not be able to translate your meaning. In the second place, they may be irritated with the non-formal language being part of office communications.

Translation:
My two cents' worth: it's time for lunch! Wait for me... or will you call me?

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

Banking Hours: College Intern Strategy

2009-08-15T00:01:00.003-05:00

Banking hours at the internship site is a lot like banking pennies: they add up quickly.

Why bank hours? It's a technique to put in your required hours of work in a compressed time period, and then be released from work early at the end of the week. Some people consistently "bank" hours in order to take off Friday afternoons, for example.

Can anyone do it? Nope.

Who can do it? Interns who have permission. Any adjustment to the work schedule should be pre-approved by your supervisor or mentor.

Will the request be granted? Maybe. Or sometimes only occasionally. The wise course of action is to ask early!

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. © 2008 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

Got Ink?

2009-08-08T00:01:00.003-05:00

Time to vote: should a person with a tattoo cover it before an interview? On the first day at the internship? On every day of the internship?

An internship at a creative center may be a great place to show ink. Well, unless the facility has clients, who may not be as open-minded as the creative folks there.

How about the typical office, with people dressing up all week but then dressing down on Fridays. Does a tattoo qualify for Casual Friday?

Is covering a tattoo with clothing an example of selling out? Or being smart?

Strategy for people who are thinking about getting a tattoo: try a temporary tattoo for the roughly 2 weeks that the good ones hold. If it still feels like a novelty after 2 weeks, have it re-applied (still on a temporary basis). If you still like wearing ink after 4 weeks, you've probably given the decoration a fair test. You will have been in many different public settings and you'll have an idea about how other people react—and how you react to their reacting. You may be ready to conclude that you want the permanent decoration.

But you still may want to investigate what type of tattoo is easiest to remove later. Just in case.

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

Service Learning: Starting Point

2009-08-01T00:01:00.007-05:00

CNCS isn't a household word, and maybe AmeriCorp isn't, either. But they make a great starting point for researching "service learning." For many college students, the service learning route is preferred to internships, practicums, and co-ops. You may have called it "volunteer work" up to now, but with a little digging around the CNCS web site, you'll find that service learning is an extensive network of activities and stakeholders. You may find your calling through CNCS and its "family" of programs.

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

Golly, I have no idea.

2009-07-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Research suggests that gossip plays an important and even positive role in human communication. That's just great. But for interns, gossip has no up-side.

The smart intern eschews gossip. That means not participating.

A sure-fire way to avoid being pulled in is to answer the question, "What do you think of that?!?" with, "Golly, I have no idea."

With that answer, you haven't fueled the gossip with an opinion. And you haven't given any lectures about gossiping. And since you have no new information to offer, the gossipers will start leaving you out of the conversation.

And that's the safe place for an intern to be.

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

Asking Questions & Saving Answers

2009-07-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

When you have a question, it is important to ask for help. Before asking though, think about who you will ask.

Is your supervisor the best person to ask for help with the fax machine? Maybe so, but if that supervisor is busy, you might want to ask an administrative assistant or another intern.

It may be possible to search on the internet to find the answer you need, such as a phone number for another organization or even the date of an event hosted by your organization (if they have an up-to-date web page about the event).

In a fast paced environment, you may be expected to ask avquestion only once. Writing down the answer you get will help you remember, so you do not need to ask for help again (at least on that question).

Real story from an internship:

"I never could remember our phone number, fax number, and address, so I wrote them all down on a sticky note and attached it to my computer monitor. Whenever other people asked me for the fax number, I told them and showed them my sticky note. Then other people started doing the same thing."

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

Expectations of College Interns' Work Hours

2009-07-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

Here's a real story from a real intern:

"At a residential internship I was provided with "free" housing and food. I was also provided a small stipend that was like an allowance for small purchases. I asked the top boss what hours we were expected to work. The boss laughed and said that he thinks about work all the time."

Of course, at a residential internship, the "job" may really be on your mind most of the time. But no internship coordinator or mentor would actually expect an intern to think about work "all the time."

Some questions are best directed to the person who supervises interns. This person serves as a mentor and keeps the intern's perspective in mind when answering questions such as workplace expectations.

Can you ask another intern for guidance on hours and expectations of the supervisors? Of course, you can. But don't assume you will always receive an accurate answer. The best person to ask about expectations is the person who actually has the expectations!

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

Answer Interview Questions with STAR

2009-07-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Here are a few ideas for preparing for an internship interview. Actually they work for any interview: job-hunting, applying for graduate school, and internships. The model is called S-T-A-R and it is a simple way to direct your attention to "getting ready" to achieve a goal. But first, orient yourself to the purpose of your interview.

* Learn about the organization by browsing their website or talking to someone you know there.
* Think about why you want the position and why you are qualified.
* Think about what you will bring to the program (e.g., lots of energy for working with young kids at an after school program).
* Practice interviewing with a friend.

When answering an interview question, try to hit these four points:
Situation
Task
Action
Results

Using STAR as your guide for answering questions has several benefits:
* Answers are focused.
* Answers are relatively short (no rambling!).
* It gets you started.

Not sure how to tell a story from you last job? Start by describing where you worked and what you did. Just tell a simple story and then respond to questions.

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 http://www.marybold.com/

Letter of recommendation from the internship

2009-06-27T03:00:00.003-05:00

Hopefully, you have a rewarding internship this summer and will use the skills and experiences in your next endeavor. Hopefully, your supervisor appreciates your contributions and recognizes your hard work!

Before you leave to go back to college classes, ask your supervisor if he or she can serve as a reference for you.

When you are ready to ask for the reference, send a letter to your supervisor with this information:
* dates of your internship
* title at internship
* your education information (child dev major at XYZ University, graduating 2010)
* key accomplishments while at internship (maintained volunteer database)
* info about the job you are applying for, such as name and location of the company as well as what they want out of a candidate (e.g., someone with experience managing a volunteer database)

All these details help your supervisor remember the great work you did and write a more complete letter.

If you are asking for a letter of reference, provide an addressed and stamped envelope so that your supervisor can send the letter directly. And good luck!

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

3 things you need to apply for an internship

2009-06-20T03:00:00.002-05:00

To apply for an internship, you need three things:

* a resume
* a cover letter
* references

The office of Career Services on your campus can help with each of these. Your academic Department may also offer support services for making your application. Older students can also offer tips because they may have already gone through the process of applying for an internship.

Your resume is the place to list all of your accomplishments and skills. As long as everything you write is true, do not hold back or be shy about your accomplishments!
http://internships.about.com/od/resumetipssamples/a/ResumeTemplate.htm
http://www.princeton.edu/career/undergrads/resumes/resumes/

A cover letter is how you introduce yourself to your potential boss. Include the reasons why you want the position and why you are qualified.
http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm

References provide another perspective on you and your work. Pick references who know your academic or professional work and can say that you did a good job.

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

Selecting AmeriCorps

2009-06-13T03:00:00.002-05:00

When selecting a site for an internship, there are several places to look: local organizations (possibly affiliated with your college or university), state-wide organizations that may have opportunities near your home town, or national organizations that may have opportunities on the other side of the country.

AmeriCorps is a national organization that offers 75,000 positions at nonprofit groups around the country. Full time, part time, and summer positions are available.

Full-time AmeriCorp members receive a modest stipend and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. Part-time participants receive a partial stipend.

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. © 2008 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

College Intern: Ethics and the Internsihp

2009-06-06T03:00:00.003-05:00

Reporting ethical dilemmas:

First choice - your academic mentor/professor
Second choice - your mentor at the internship
Third choice - the HR Department at the internship

College interns rarely find a need to report an ethical dilemma. But if the need arises, the first contact should be with the academic mentor or professor, assuming your internship is part of your college career. In addition to helping you on a personal basis, your campus contact will be able to manage the internship from the institutional point of view.

If you do not have an academic mentor (because you are not in a credit course for the internship), take your concern to the internship coordinator or mentor at the site. If that person is not available, consult with the Human Resources (HR) Department at the internship. The HR Department is part of the organization or business and represents the organization's interests. But HR professionals are also versed in legal and ethical practices that protect employees (and interns).

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

College Interns: Receiving Gifts

2009-05-30T03:00:00.005-05:00

Are you gifted? Meaning, do people give you gifts? Chances are, you accept them with pleasure.

Now, imagine you are "on the job" in an internship. A gift is offered. Is it OK to accept?

The easy situations:
Good-bye gift at end of term: OK
One of many given to all interns: OK
Token gift from your site mentor: OK

Not so easy: a gift of considerable value offered by another individual at the workplace. In most cases, there will not be a problem. But a gift worth hundreds of dollars deserves a discussion with your campus instructor! (You may still be told it's OK to accept the gift, but at least you will have checked with your ethics guide for the 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

Dress Code: How Casual is Casual?

2009-05-23T03:00:00.003-05:00

College interns didn't invent Casual Friday (a common workplace convention) but they probably have the best wardrobe for all the Friday's of a summer internship!

The problem is, no one has a sure-fire definition of what "casual attire" means. It's a relative term: casual simply means less formal than the usual dress code. It's also a subjective term: what's casual for you is probably different from what's casual for your boss, or your co-worker, or even your fellow intern.

Would you wear jeans with holes to your internship? Tank top? Sandals? Answer with the setting! Of course, there are settings where very casual attire is OK. But there are more settings where casual means khaki pants (not jeans), shoulders covered, and only the most protective of sandals.

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

Dress Code: Business Casual versus Casual

2009-05-16T03:00:00.003-05:00

Beginning an internship "sight unseen" (or, excuse the pun: site unseen) can be nerve-wracking, especially in terms of dressing for the first day. Without benefit of an on-site interview or tour, you won't have a mental image of how people dress at the site.

If you ask the intern coordinator or a mentor about what to wear (smart!), you might hear the phrase business casual, not to be confused with casual.

Business casual means not quite as formal as "business" but definitely not just plain casual.

Business: wear a suit.
Business casual: wear the trousers and a shirt.

Business: wear a tie.
Business casual: typically, no tie.

Business: wear a long skirt.
Business casual: skirt of any length (but no micro skirts).

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. © 2008 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

No Internship? No Job? Create a Perfect Volunteer Experience

2009-05-09T03:00:00.003-05:00

Volunteer Work, the alternative.
When there's no internship in sight (paid or not, credit or not), and even part-time jobs elude you, there's always volunteer work.

How can a volunteer post work for you? Look for a community service (like Parks & Recreation) where you can volunteer 10 hours a week and claim skill building in...

... helping the public utilize government-funded services,
... learning historical context for public lands,
... collaborative teamwork in the Department,
... responsibility meeting a schedule and being on-time,
... and maintaining a safe and clean environment for the public.

These descriptions of skills can be adapted to other volunteer settings. You'll also think of more skills that suit your experience.

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

No Internship? Need a Job?

2009-05-02T03:00:00.003-05:00

Hourly employment, the alternative.
It's a tough year for internships. And for finding good-paying jobs, too. But the summer can still be productive and resume-worthy. Take a look at SnagAJob.com to get some ideas. Tip: scroll down the page to see options by geography.

How can a minimum-wage hourly job work for you? Work for a movie theater part-time and you can claim skill-building in...

... customer service,
... efficiency in food service,
... collaborative teamwork,
... responsibility in handling money,
... and maintaining a safe and clean environment for the public.

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

Proofreading can make the difference

2009-04-25T03:00:00.003-05:00

True story! In a recent review of applicants for a research internship, the finalists were narrowed to two. The review committee said the two students were equally qualified for the internship. There was only one distinguishing characteristic in their applications. One student's application and resume were perfect. The other student had a typo. You know which one got the 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

When not to shake

2009-04-18T03:00:00.003-05:00

How do you know when a handshake is the wrong greeting?

1 - When your mentor advises you to hold back and allow the client to initiate the conversation.

2 - When you observe that other people in the room are not shaking hands.

3 - When you pause before extending your hand and notice that the other person is not raising a hand.

In many settings, you have learned to be assertive and extend your hand first for a handshake. But your internship may be in a different type of setting. Do not assume that greetings will be the same!

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

College Intern: Handshake Advice

2009-04-11T03:00:00.004-05:00

Sometimes a handshake is not the right greeting. But when it is, you will want to know this before you shake!

Research tells us that there is no correlation between strength of handshake and strength of character. So, a weak handshake does not mean that a person is weak, physically or mentally or morally.

But—and it's an important but—the same research confirms that most people think that a weak handshake represents a weak person.

What should an intern do? Practice a strong handshake! It creates an impression of your character.

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

College Interns Don't Always Get to Wear Sandals

2009-04-04T03:00:00.001-05:00

Spring and summer invite sandals—but not all internship sites do.

Footware and clothing rules have changed a lot in the past decade. But many intern locations impose rules about what you can wear on the job, sometimes based on style and sometimes based on safety.

Not all sandals are equal, of course. From leather to plastic, from buckled to flip-flop, the range is important. The most shoe-like sandal may be accepted. The beach style flip-flip may be rejected.

Ask before you wear... OR pack an alternative in a book bag. If you must wear dress shoes on the job, packing an extra pair is very smart to protect the dress shoes from outdoor wear. (Just in case you have to make them last a long time.)

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

Language at the Internship: Yes, m'am

2009-03-28T03:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, m'am. Yes, sir. No, m'am. No, sir.

Do those phrases pop out of your mouth when you speak with professors on campus? The language of campus and classroom is often formal and respectful. Will it be the same at your internship site? Not necessarily.

You may be accustomed to using formal conventions with your elders but in many workplaces that is not the custom. You may be asked to call everyone by first name, and you may not hear a ma'am uttered.

To understand the language customs of a new internship site, you can either ask or observe. Of course, you can comfortably start out with a formal tone, using titles such as Ms. and Mr. If staff members then ask that you use their first names, immediately do so. (They wouldn't suggest it unless they meant it.)

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

Email Best Practices for College Internship Applications

2009-03-21T03:00:00.002-05:00

Adopt some email best practices before you start sending out applications for internships or jobs!

Save, Don't Send
Get into the habit of saving drafts as you compose emails.

From:
Use your school or other "official" email address that makes clear that you are an adult. (Skip the moniker you use with friends and Facebook.)

To:
Leave the To line blank until you have written, spell-checked, and proof-read your message. Think about it—no more accidental sends.

Cc and Bcc
Avoid using the copy function as much as possible. Emailing to multiple people can set up a good friend for awkward problems later if someone is unwise or rude in a Reply All. Emailing blind copies gets more people into trouble than it ever helps anyone. Resist the urge.

Subject:
Get your emails read immediately with strategic wording on the Subject line. (Great for applications!) Good strategies: use key words that clearly state your purpose, include your surname, spell-check. Terrible strategies: using the word help, using the word me, using the word please.

Attach a file
When you must attach a file (great for applications!), follow these basic rules: keep the file size down, send a universal file type like RTF or PDF, create a meaningful filename that includes your surname. Be forewarned: not everyone has the same software that you do and they won't buy it just to be able to open your file. (Common problems: Microsoft Works files and newer versions of Word and Excel that have "x" on the end, like .docx)

Add Event Invitation
Unless you know the recipient wants your invitations to meetings and Facebook and other events, don't use the power of email address books to invite the masses.

Formatting tools
Keep your message simple. Use few colors and typefaces. If you are emailing to an older person (that might describe someone old enough to be hiring you or approving your internship application), select a font of 12 points.

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

Planning the Internship Calendar

2009-03-14T03:00:00.002-05:00

Take a calendar to your internship interview.

1 - Know in advance your best starting date.
2 - Know what days/weeks you can/cannot work.
3 - Estimate when school will have to come first.

It can be any kind of calendar!

1 - A cell phone calendar will work.
2 - A school calendar will work.
3 - A time diary or journal will work.

College internship mentors know that interns have other responsibilities besides coming to the site on the agreed-upon schedule. Your mentor will respect your forward thinking in setting a tentative calendar for the 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

College Interns: Strategizing in the Economic Downturn

2009-03-07T03:00:00.004-06:00

Do lay-offs translate into more internships or fewer?

If a business is laying-off regular employees, it is more likely to restrict or eliminate intern spots.

Non-profit and government agencies are more likely to keep their intern slots.

Be prepared for more competition in all settings. New college graduates who are unable to find employment may go after the same internships that students seek.

Strategies to begin in spring months, well before the summer internship season:

1 - Broaden your search beyond paid internships. Expect to apply for "volunteer" intern spots, too.

2 - Indicate your willingness to take a part-time internship. Even 5- or 10-hour per week slots will provide you with experience. If you are flexible for night or weekend assignments, you will be more likely to edge ahead of the competition.

3 - Don't overlook volunteer internships that provide free meals and lodging. Does this include summer camps? Yes!

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

Storm Warning for the College Internship

2009-02-28T03:00:00.005-06:00

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

How to Sample College Internships

2009-02-21T03:00:00.004-06:00

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

Photographing Your Internship

2009-02-14T03:00:00.002-06:00

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

Not So Visible Internships

2009-02-07T03:00:00.002-06:00

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

Waitlisted for an Internship?

2009-01-31T03:00:00.002-06:00

Competitive internships may form a waiting list (or "waitlist") of those applicants who were "almost selected." And popular internships may do the same for applicants who were simply "too late."

If you are waitlisted, should you count on inching your way up the list? Probably not. Imagine yourself on the accepted list: would you very, very likely hang onto that internship? Yep. So, don't count on the people who got in to give up their slots.

Recommendation #1: Contact the internship and ask how long the waitlist is. It's also OK to ask what your chances are of being contacted later for an opening.

Recommendation #2: Search for another internship! Return to your original search notes and re-investigate the opportunities similar to the one you lost out on. Don't stop there—this is the time to broaden your category of internship, too.

The fact that your first choice is already filled may indicate that many other people had the same idea you did. Broadening the search is the smart thing to do, now.

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

Know Before You Go

2009-01-24T03:00:00.003-06:00

Got an interview? Or a phone interview? Know the basics about the internship before you reach the interview.

#1 Strategy: Read deep, meaning explore the web site of the agency thoroughly. Follow all links to learn the full story of the agency.

#2 Strategy: Read about the agency on other web sites. Run a search.

#3 Strategy: Read wide, meaning explore the general field. If your site is FEMA, there's a whole lot of information on the web about emergency preparedness. Become an expert!

If the Internet doesn't produce enough information for you, talk to a reference librarian. Just because college internship credits may not involve a lot of library time doesn't mean you cannot turn to the library for help!

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

Summer Internships -- Start Now!

2009-01-17T03:00:00.002-06:00

What do all summer internships have in common?
Application deadlines!

February 1.
March 1.
April 1.
You get the idea.
Don't expect to do this on May 20....

Reality check on what kind of resume gets shredded by the folks who hire interns: Joel on Software's story about how he sorts resumes.

As Joel says, his advice is not so different from every book on resumes you pick up at Barnes & Noble. But most books don't say it with Joel's flair.

Plan your "human" hook now! And watch your commas. These tips will make sense as soon as you read Joel's web page.

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

On Winter Break

2008-12-20T03:00:00.002-06:00

The College Intern Blog is on winter break
(along with the interns).
The blog will return on January 17, 2009.

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. © 2008 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

Acknowledging Multiple Places of Worship

2008-12-13T03:00:00.005-06:00

Holiday seasons bring attention to religion but the following tip is good for year-round references to places of worship.

If you have a place of worship, that may influence your language in referring to locations for faith practice. Even if you do not have a place or worship, you may be influenced by the common language in your community. But, of course, "common language" does not always represent all the options for worship locations.

So, any time you are tempted to name a place of worship, consciously name several. For example, your new phrases might be:

"...when people go to church or synagogue or temple..."

"...when people go to church or temple or mosque..."

You get the idea! Don't worry about listing every possible place of worship. And switch the words around in any order you like. By mentioning more than one location, you acknowledge that many religions co-exist in your community. Someone in your audience will appreciate your effort.

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. © 2008 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

Interns' Responses to Holiday Greetings

2008-12-06T03:00:00.004-06:00

If a client or colleague offers a holiday greeting that doesn't match your own experience (for example, "Merry Christmas" has nothing to do with your Hanukkah celebration), just smile and say, "Thank you for thinking of me."

If a client or colleague asks about your holiday, you can feel free talk about it! A good strategy is the Teaspoon Talk Tip. Offer one teaspoon of information. Let your client or colleague ask for more. In the workplace, there is an unwritten rule that people should not "push" their beliefs onto others. This almost always relates to religious belief, although political affiliation and other strong beliefs fall into the same category.

You can be assured of not offending anyone if you adopt the Teaspoon technique and use it only as a response to questions. Of course, just as you can expect cordial reception of your "teaspoons" of information, you will want to adopt the same gracious attitude when other people tell you about their beliefs.

In conversation with clients, you may find it necessary to only listen, and not share your own belief. Often, your work with clients (or customers or the public, depending on the setting of your internship) will involve one-way communication. The most cordial exchange may not be an exchange at all! Nevertheless, it will be an appropriate client-centered conversation.

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. © 2008 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

Pumpkin Pi(e) & Other Holiday Sweets

2008-11-29T03:00:00.003-06:00

Interns are often included in holiday celebrations at their internship sites. Some common features of workplace celebrations: gift exchanges, holiday meals, dessert tables, and office parties. Navigating these events can be worrisome, especially if you are concerned about spending money. Your mentor at the site can help you determine your role.

Often, interns are treated as guests and not expected to contribute. If this is the case, accept the guest role graciously. Do not try to set a new precedent because that will not be a favor for the next intern.

One of the most common (and most economical) means of sharing the holiday is to bring a dessert or other sweet food item to the site. Whether you are the receiver or the giver of holiday sweets, keep these thoughts in mind:

It's the thought that counts. So, even if the treat is something you cannot abide, just say "Thank you."
If a colleague does not dive into your chocolate mousse, don't take offense. Maybe they have special dietary restrictions...or maybe they just don't like chocolate. Whatever the case may be, you don't need to ask. They probably said "Thank you." (Yep, it's the flip side of item #1.)

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. © 2008 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

Hot Potatoes for Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T03:00:00.003-06:00

As your intern site prepares for the holidays, you may see tension build among the staff at the workplace or among clients visiting the agency. There may be two reasons: the pragmatic issue of closing for a holiday (or keeping staffing up during a holiday), and the emotional issue of going to family gatherings.

Holidays are often a source of stress. Even in the happiest of gatherings (when the stress may be called eustress, with "eu" meaning "good"), anxiety may rule the day.

Anxiety is hard to define. First, it expresses itself differently for different people. Second, we humans tend to react to it rather than analyze it. Here's a good description that most people can relate to: holding onto anxiety is like handling hot potatoes in your hands. You want to get rid of the hot potatoes as quickly as possible, and that's a lot like anxiety—people tend to toss it off as quickly as possible, and that's how anxiety moves from one person to the next.

Just by being aware that anxiety travels from person to person, you can help to slow the process. You can also find a little humor at Thanksgiving dinner when someone asks you to "pass the potatoes."

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. © 2008 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

Brass and Glass Ceilings

2008-11-15T03:00:00.005-06:00

When Gen. Ann Dunwoody was named a 4-star general in 2008, she headlined most news reports. That is because she was the first woman to reach this level in the U.S. Army. Her promotion is commonly referred to as "breaking the brass ceiling."

The phrase is derived from the more familiar "glass ceiling," which describes an expectation of the top position a woman can reach in an organization or an industry. Students in internships may not be familiar with all of these phrases but their mentors in the workplace will almost surely know them:

Glass ceiling
Brass ceiling
Glass cliff
Sticky ladder
Reverse glass ceiling

College Intern Application Forms

2008-11-08T03:00:00.003-06:00

Whether applying for the internship or filling out forms during orientation, follow these tips:

1. Read over the entire form before you start entering information. Often, you will find related items that you can answer more efficiently when you know what's ahead.

2. Reading first also allows you to gather all the documents you need for accurate entries.

3. Follow instructions to the letter. A form may allow for editing in a PDF file—or may specify that you must enter block letters in black ink. Use the method indicated in the instructions!

4. Make only truthful entries. Most written forms include a statement about truthful answers, and the rest of them imply it. Even a "harmless" misstatement or omission can cause big problems. A standard in the workplace is that a lie on an application results in a firing.

5. Similarly, gather information carefully so that you avoid entering inaccurate information on the form. It is better to answer with "I do not recall" or "Don't know" than to make up information.

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. © 2008 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

College Intern: Professional Communication ... Everywhere!

2008-11-01T03:00:00.004-05:00

Professional communication is the goal in all settings. Public restrooms, as well as more private staff restrooms, are not good places to exchange opinions, personal information, or gossip. They are also not good places to make cell phone calls. Internship sites are a bit like theatre: you are always "on stage" and in the public eye.

Maintain your professional persona in the neighborhood of the internship site, too. Lunch spots, nearby shopping outlets, coffee shops—all are locations that coworkers or clients may frequent. You may not immediately recognize these people out of the context of the internship, so be alert to people who do recognize you.

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. © 2008 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

College Intern Evaluation

2008-10-25T01:03:00.006-05:00

Evaluation at the internship site may include a formal evaluation by the site supervisor. This process may be very different from grading in class.

Issues you can control: your performance, your attendance, your attitude.

Issue you cannot control: the supervisor's philosophy about evaluations.

Some site supervisors routinely give high marks to student interns. A common reason: "I want to help the student get a good grade."

Other supervisors work hard to make an objective but supportive evaluation. A common rationale: "I hope to communicate to interns the standards of professionalism in the workplace without punishing them for being inexperienced."

And some supervisors apply the rigor of a professional evaluation. A statement might be: "I never give the highest rating to an intern because there's no way a pre-professional can perform at that level yet."

Campus instructors who assign the grade at semester's end understand the variability of scoring from one practicum site to another. The best way to understand how the site evaluation will align to your course grade is to ask your instructor!

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. © 2008 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

Don't Pilfer at the Internship

2008-10-18T03:00:00.002-05:00

Pilfering is stealing...
in small amounts.

The classic example is "pilfering paper clips" from the workplace because that makes the point that the item being stolen is of small value, of and in itself.

But it's still stealing.

Ethics on the job, which includes ethics on the internship even if the work is unpaid, demands that you consciously avoid misuse and misappropriation of any part of the workplace.

Parts of the workplace:

Paper clips and other office supplies
Equipment of any kind (even overnight borrowing)
Phone lines
Internet access
And everything else!

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. © 2008 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

College Intern's Email Handle

2008-10-11T03:00:00.002-05:00

Email handle AKA

email name
email username
email account

Comfortable with yours?

very
guess so
don't think about it

Maybe you are very comfortable with your email name because you think it reflects your great personality. The problem is: PrettyPerky@chickmail.com may not be the image your internship has in mind.

Maybe you guess it is OK because you've assumed that everyone who needs to know who you are can figure it out. The problem is: most internship supervisors don't know that MikeOn16@campus.edu refers to the Mike who lived on the 16th floor of his first-year dormitory.

Maybe you don't think about it because your email handle is invisible to you. You haven't noticed it since you matured beyond the humor that made pukinggoodtime@myschool.com a good idea (at the time). And you literally may not see it anymore if your email program hides details. (Out of sight, out of mind.)

Here's the better question for the college intern: is your internship supervisor comfortable with your email handle?

Tips:

Before you even apply to an internship, create a professional email handle, either as an alias or by opening a new email account. (If you create a new account, remember to check it often or forward it.)
If your internship site creates an email handle for you in their system, use it. Besides establishing your intern persona in the site's environment, maintaining that account will help you keep your internship boundaries!
Start thinking of all aspects of email as professional communication.

Holidays at the Internship Site

2008-10-04T03:00:00.002-05:00

Interns are sometimes surprised at how holidays are handled at their practicum sites. Whether celebrated or ignored, a holiday reflects a conscious choice by the site and it may not match your opinion or choice.

If you have strong convictions about how holidays are acknowledged, consult your campus instructor about how comfortable you can be in certain settings. Your own self-knowledge is the most important input for deciding about your participation in those settings.

Sometimes interns are reluctant to raise questions about holiday matters with their site supervisors, which is why the campus instructor is the best place to begin the discussion. Some phrases to get the conversation going:

My personal convictions about Halloween conflict with my site's plans for a party. How can I handle this situation?
I don't understand my mentor's reluctance for Halloween decorations. Should I ask about it?
I don't celebrate Christmas but I'm surrounded at the site by people who expect participation in their holiday. What should I say?
My faith includes observances that are not on the typical workplace calendar. How do I approach my site supervisor about my need to be away from the internship?
Some of my site's clients talk about church, and some of them talk about temple, and some of them don't talk about their faith at all. Should I tell them about mine?

Your campus instructor can help sort out options with you especially if you plan ahead. If your semester of internship will include typical holidays on the calendar, address sensitive issues at the start—even before you apply to a site. If you are already in an internship and now recognize a conflict of values as the fall holidays approach, act quickly to begin a conversation that honors everyone involved.

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. © 2008 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

Using Titles at the Internship Site

2008-09-27T03:00:00.004-05:00

Stuck on titles? Some workplaces value the formal (Mr. Smith is our accountant) while others promote familiarity (Bob is our accountant). The local culture may be just this obvious and you will be able to adapt to the customs of the workplace.

Or... the culture may appear obvious for the regular employees but not at all for the interns. You may feel reluctant to address staff members by their first names even when everyone around you is doing it. Your reluctance is actually a good safety net!

Recommendation: ask your mentor at the site how you should address staff members. Here are sample questions:

"How shall I address you and the other staff members?"
"Should I call people by first name or last name?"
"I am accustomed to using titles at school, such as Dr. Smith. Should I continue that practice here?"
"A lot of the clients are much older; should I use titles like Mr. and Ms.?"

As a rule of thumb, assume the more formal route until you are directed otherwise. Use Mr. and Ms. as the routine titles. If you see that a person's name is followed by initials of M.D., Ph.D., or Ed.D., then the appropriate title is Dr.

You may be invited to call a staff member by first name, such as "Paul" instead of "Mr. Smith." But you will have one more setting to test: what will you call Paul in a meeting with external visitors or with agency clients? To be on the safe side, revert to "Mr. Smith" until you are certain that "Paul" is acceptable in all settings.

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. © 2008 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

Internship Attire: The Three P's

2008-09-20T03:00:00.003-05:00

The Three P's

Pumps (meaning shoes, like the ones in the photo)
Pearls, and
Pantyhose

Old-fashioned rule. The 3 P's rule is very old. But it's still cited today, expecting the modern college intern to translate it to current fashion. The meaning remains the same: be conservative.

Pumps. Your shoes may not have to be the 1" to 2" pump (but if your internship includes trips to courtrooms and boardrooms, be alert to the need for a conservative pair of pumps your grandmother might have worn) but they should follow the same purpose. Pumps were/are comfortable and you can't fall from them (whereas very high heels do carry that risk).

Pearls. Conservative and elegant, pearls had a certain reputation: the woman who wore them had taste. Modern women have many more choices for jewelry and young women at the internship are not expected to wear fine jewelry. In fact, in many settings, preferred ornaments are costume jewelry (not the real jewels) and... no jewelry. Rely on this P simply as a reminder to yourself that the internship is not the place to wear dramatic jewelry. Understated decoration is preferred.

Pantyhose. Again, the modern intern must make the current day translation. Pantyhose back in the olden days represented good grooming and attention to detail. Today, women make the same statement with appropriate clothing style and clean fingernails. Yep. It's that basic.

Invent your own 3 P's for your attire for your internship site.

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. © 2008 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

HIPPO: Highest Paid Person in the Organization

2008-09-13T03:00:00.003-05:00

As an intern you may have a view of a HIPPO at your site. Yes, every workplace has one! There are actually two types of HIPPOs you need to know about and you will not find them in any practicum manual. HIPPO is an acronym that is used in business, primarily.

HIPPO #1 - Highest Paid Person in the Organization

This informal description is basically... the boss. As you might guess, no one actually uses the term "HIPPO" on the job. It represents a concept that is unwritten, though: even if you cannot see the work that the HIPPO does, that's the person who is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs at the workplace.

HIPPO #2 - Highest Paid Person's Opinion

Again, the term is never used on the job! In this usage, HIPPO refers to the decision-making that often happens at the top level, with or without input from workers. (So, sometimes the decision is one person's opinion.)

As an intern, you can observe the HIPPO principles with some objectivity. How do the bosses at your site handle their power? What makes a HIPPO a great person to work alongside?

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. © 2008 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

Dress Code for Interns: Earrings

2008-09-06T03:00:00.004-05:00

Earrings can be...

personal expression,
a thing of beauty,
or a big distraction.

Most people consider jewelry a personal fashion choice. Most people, that is, until they become responsible for the workforce of an organization. If you were in that position, would you establish a "jewelry rule" (like a dress code) for your employees?

Interestingly, most dress codes do not mention jewelry unless the workplace presents a safety issue because of jewelry. Example: Factories routinely disallow any jewelry that could get caught in machinery.

When safety is not an issue, workers—and interns—make their own decisions about what to wear in the workplace. If you regularly wear earrings, you will want to make your own "jewelry rule" for your days on the job. Note: this message is for female and male interns.

1 - Are earrings accepted in my workplace? You may have to make your own observations about (unwritten) dress code. But you can also ask your campus instructor or your mentor at the site!

2 - Will my earrings be distracting? You may see earrings as enhancing your appearance but they can also be a big distraction (especially if they are big). Scale back on size.

3 - Do my earrings make a statement that I don't intend? Consider the professionals and clients you will interact with at your site. Would they call your earrings...pretty, flashy, expensive, show-off, tasteful, attractive, tacky? Don't think about how you describe your earrings. When you create your jewelry rule for yourself, you are creating it in consideration for the people around you!

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. © 2008 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

When Internships Are Boring

2008-08-30T03:00:00.001-05:00

What to Tolerate

Temporary spells of boredom
Assignments that everyone rotates through
Occasional menial tasks

When to Speak Up

You've been waiting for more than 1 day for tasks
A boring assignment extends past a week
Other interns are escaping boredom

Who to Speak Up To

Your internship/practicum campus instructor
If your site has one, the Intern Coordinator
Your mentor at the site

A realistic expectation for any internship is that boredom can occur. The most common reason is in timing: an intern arrives at the site before tasks are fully developed or the on-site mentor is called away just as the intern is arriving. The result is often that the intern is put "on hold."

The wise intern's best reaction is to have patience. Be certain that your supervisors know that you are in waiting mode, and then settle in for the wait. You may be offered a manual or two to read, or you can use the time on your own to fully explore the organization's web site.

Keep a good humor about the situation! Say "I'm eager to begin my tasks," instead of "I'm bored." Everyone at the site will appreciate your attitude.

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. © 2008 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

Planning for the Exotic Internship

2008-08-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

Exotic internships—like archaeological digs—are certainly possible for college students. As a movie this summer demonstrated, archaeology does have requirements, though! In the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, the character Bridget went to Turkey for her internship. She planned far in advance, which is typical for an internship involving international travel. Her experience was well documented as demanding patience, attention, and a humble attitude. The other internship in this movie was the character Carmen's lucky, last-minute acceptance at a theatre festival in Vermont. Last minute? Lucky? The movie accurately portrayed this college student as not applying in a timely manner. She relied on an insider to get her into the program. That's a feature of dramatic license—real college students rarely enjoy that level of coincidence and luck!

The movie's treatment of internships was entertaining and at least hinted at the pragmatic steps you must take to land an exotic assignment.

1 - Start early. For an international internship, a year's advance planning may be needed.
2 - Educate yourself on requirements. Not just application requirements, although those are important, too. But also ask yourself the hard questions about how you will fit in. Do you have the patience for the very slow work of archaeology? Are you prepared to be at the lowest rank and therefore assigned the most boring tasks? Not all digs are large in scope; are you prepared for the small job, possibly the one that doesn't even involve digging?
3 - Understand the sacrifices that will be involved. International or remote locations may mean living without cell phones, or even electricity! What creature comforts can you give up for several months?

Even if it's not a dig you are seeking, use the style of questions here to examine your suitability to the internship you dream of. Research the details so that your expectations will be realistic ones.

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. © 2008 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

Which Clients Care About Your Cosmetics

2008-08-16T03:00:00.006-05:00

When is make-up a problem?

When it's the only thing a client notices about you.

When is that a plus?

When your client is a teen or pre-teen girl.

Female college interns are often warned to wear minimal cosmetic make-up on the job. Sometimes make-up can be a distraction or give the wrong message. But there's one circumstance when an intern's choice of make-up can have powerful positive effect: when the intern is working with young girls.

The opportunity to model good grooming. If you are working with an "impressionable" group, that means you will be the one making the impression. In American culture, appearance continues to be a primary concern for teen and pre-teen girls. Rather than fight what some critics call a materialistic or superficial mindset, you can use it to advantage. Think about what messages your clothing, hair, jewelry, and make-up convey to young people. Your appearance and your comments about your appearance will make a lasting impression.

Appropriateness. Don't give a lecture about appropriateness. Demonstrate it and casually refer to it. "In the day time, I don't wear much make-up. I save the eyeliner for when I go to parties."

Cost. Along the same vein, don't lecture about spending. Instead, give tips. "When I was your age, I thought I needed a dozen skin care products. When I limited that to two, I had more money for shoes!"

Tip for clothing. Don't surprised if your young clientele tracks what you wear. You may need to keep track of your outfits and rotate them accordingly!

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. © 2008 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

Should Interns Bring Donuts?

2008-08-09T09:35:00.002-05:00

Donuts in the break room

Do people still bring donuts to work?
They do!
An open box on a table means, "Help yourself."

The Who behind the donuts

Should interns bring in donuts?
Not required!
Only bring in treats if you can afford to.

Alternatives to donuts

Does it have to be donuts?
Healthier treats are welcomed if they are non-perishable.
Finger foods are preferred over items requiring utensils and plates.

Shared treats in the break room are almost always welcomed. When are they not? When they go uneaten. Then, the employee group feels bad about wasted food, and the cleaning staff comes to resent messy and smelly left-overs.

College interns at the site should not feel obligated to bring in treats. If you feel compelled to contribute, keep it simple: cookies or cupcakes will do. To make sure that your treat is used, ask your mentor or the intern coordinator when you can bring a provision. "I want to share my famous gingerbread cookies—what day or meeting would be a good time for that?"

Ingredient warnings. Even for the simplest food provision, always include an index card on the platter that mentions the ingredients. Even a peanut butter cookie that "looks" like peanut butter deserves a label in order to warn people with allergies to that famous ingredient. Other labels might be, jalapeno pepper cornbread, hot sauce on the side, walnuts inside.

Holiday themes. In many, many places a holiday theme for food or decoration is common. But not in all places! If your internship site does not display holiday items, don't bring in your own until you ask your mentor. Your favorite Halloween cookies may not be welcome, so ask first!

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. © 2008 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

Internship Dress Code

2008-08-02T10:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't had a dress code since middle school!

Or maybe you never did.
In the workplace, customary attire may be written into a policy, or...
It may be communicated strictly through example.

What is typical?

No shorts. No skin.
At some workplaces, no bare arms. Even in summer!
Jewelry and make-up to "fit in" with colleagues and clients.

I like to decorate myself.

Piercings are still not widely accepted by employers.
Tattoos are tolerated more but a boss may ask you to cover them.
Jewelry is easiest because you can take it off, if necessary.

Fitting in. American society puts a lot of stock in personal expression but the internship (just like the first job) may not be the best place to make a personal fashion statement. As an intern, you begin as a guest in a new environment. As you learn the culture of your site, you may be able to display your individual preferences for dress and appearance. To start, though, a better strategy is to "fit in" and appear more conventional.

Casual Friday. Even heading into a workplace that advertises a casual dress code on Fridays deserves a conservative attitude. Wait until you see the attire on the first Friday! Your idea of casual may be different from your site supersivor's. Maybe shorts are allowed, or maybe an open-toed sandal is the maximum casual allowed.

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. © 2008 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

Lunch at the Internship Site

2008-07-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Will anyone buy me lunch?

Maybe... on your first day
But don't count on it!
Have your own sack lunch in a backpack, along with a bottle of water and other survival items. Pack non-perishables that you can carry another day, in case you do get an invitation to lunch.

How will I know?

You may have to ask your mentor.
"Should I bring my lunch to the site?"
"Do the interns go out for lunch?"

What if my boss takes me out?

Use all your manners and don't order a beer.
"May I pay for my share?"
"May I leave the tip?"

Your internship supervisor or mentor will probably be sensitive to costs you will meet on the job, and that includes your meals, snacks, and even transportation. This is a good person to ask about inexpensive lunch spots!

Lunch out & separate checks... Waiters sometimes help establish the protocol by asking, "Will this be on separate checks?" All you have to say is, "Yes." If the waiter doesn't do that, just speak up when you order, "I'll have the #6, and I'll need a separate check."

Lunch in & unwritten rules... If meals are in eaten on site, either by food delivery or packed lunches, you may have to observe closely to learn the unwritten and unspoken protocol about (a) who sits where in the break room, (b) whether food is allowed in offices, (c) who cleans the refrigerator.

Bon appetit!

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. © 2008 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

Blogging About Your Internship

2008-07-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

1. Ask if there's a policy.

Sometimes it's an unwritten policy!
"Can I mention my internship on my blog?"
"Does the site have an official blog?"

2. Follow the rules.

You may have to suspend your daily postings.
"I'll be offline for the next 3 months...."
"I'll be writing only about my favorite recipes for the next 3 months...."

3. Follow the unwritten rules.

Clean up your spaces.
"I can see how my Facebook persona doesn't fit my new role."
"Just in case you google me, keep in mind that I was 15 when I created that fake website."

The business, education, and nonprofit worlds are not nearly forgiving enough—they are headed up by people whose youthful indiscretions were not recorded in an internet archive (see the Wayback Machine for a lesson in digital permanence). But those people will now be judging you what you do online. Be aware that most of them are not blogging, and they don't want you blogging about them.

Non-disclosure requirements... You have every right to blog, but you may have to do it while not employed or while not in an internship. It is common in business to have "non-disclosure" requirements whereby employees are restricted from what they say or write about the company in public forums. Interns are expected to abide by the same rules.

Be open to exploring the topic... On the other hand, your blogging expertise may be highly valued at your site, if you introduce it the right way. Explore the idea with a mentor to see how you can blog and the site can benefit.

Good luck!

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. © 2008 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

The Elevator Speech

2008-07-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

Got your Elevator Speech?

Not only for elevators!
It's your 30-second introduction.
Like an ad for yourself.
On an elevator ride.
Or in a hallway.

Talking to Whom?

Probably your new boss.
Or your internship supervisor.
Or a mentor on the job.
Or a new colleague.

Interns are sometimes reluctant to introduce themselves on the job. But your mentor will not always be around to smooth the way for you, so develop your own self-introduction and practice it in front of the mirror.

Keep it very short... As the name implies, this self-introduction should be appropriate to the length it takes to travel a few floors on an elevator. So, just 50 or 100 words is fine!

Keep it simple... "Hi, Ms. President. I'm Shelly Jones, and I'm the intern in marketing this summer. Thanks for welcoming us at the orientation. I appreciate the opportunity to writes ads for the Eco-Green campaign this summer and if you come by the 7th floor, I can show you the carbon footprint design I'm working on."

Good luck!

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. © 2008 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.

The Paid Internship

2008-07-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Is there such a thing as a paid internship?

Yes, there is, but you have to ask!
"Do you offer a paid internship?"
"I will have to take time off from work to come here. Can you pay me?"

What if they say there's no pay?

Some organizations cannot pay interns a wage. Explore some more.
"Can you give me a stipend or some other form of support?"
"Can you assist with housing or transportation?"

What if they still say no?

If it's the internship you yearn for, say OK.
"Thanks for trying. I will come anyway and live on a budget."
"I understand. I still want to work here, so I'm saying Yes."

Internships always require some form of sacrifice, either in time or lost wages, or both. You will have to decide up front whether you can afford to accept a completely volunteer internship or practicum.

Be open to possibilities... a far-away internship may actually be the one that offers the most support (such as travel expenses and housing), so don't assume that you must stay near your campus in order to economize.

Be open to a new vocabulary... you may be thinking "paid," while the internship may use terms like "stipend," and "grant."

Good luck!

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. © 2008 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.