| Syllabus | Email Contact | Internship Sites | Internship Forms |
For many Interns, the Internship is a time to get valuable experiencein their field. Many organizations and companies are hesitant to hire someone without experience. In addition, in these days of expensive benefits andlawsuits, many companies prefer to hire someone they know will fit in withtheir other employees and can do the job. In short, for many students,an Internship is a kind of probationary period with a future employer.Not all Interns get fulltime jobs at their Internship Site. Some may makecontacts through their Internship work which lead to the job they wantafter graduation.
Some students, after doing an Internship in their selected area, realize that this is not what they want to do for the rest of their lives! This,too, is valuable experience. Better to find out before graduation thanafter you have gone through the hiring process.
With the guidance of the Instructor, the student is responsible forlocating the site. This process is similar to finding a job, although somewhateasier because the University is sponsoring you! There are a number ofplaces to look, and the opportunities are endless! You can begin with thelist of Internship Sites where other Texas Wesleyan students have worked. Local Internships Sites. There are some other possible Internships sites posted on the Job Center Page on the Sociology Homepage. You can also look in the localpaper, or in the library. Also look on the bulletin boards around campusor elsewhere in the area - someone may just be looking for someone likeyou! Churches and local organizations may also be a source of Internshipopportunities or information. And don't forget newsletters and employmentservices.
The previous two lists are all local organizations or companies. Youmay want to check the following national lists for further ideas.
NationalInternships
Washington Centerfor
Internships
RisingStar
Internships
YahooInternship
Sites
http://www.internship4america.com
http://www.wetfeet.internshipprograms.com
Once you have selected a potential site, you will need to set up anappointment with the relevant person. Often that is the Personnel Office,but sometimes Internships are handled through someone else in the organization.Find out who that person is and set up an interview. Be sure to ask whatyou need to bring to your interview. You will want to take the Texas WesleyanInternship Forms with you.
Some placement sites will want a resume or other personal documents.You may want to revise your resume to suit the position for which you areapplying. . If you need help doing this, or if you don't have a resume,your Instructor can help you prepare one.
Before going to the Interview, you may want to jot down your thoughts - name, date, address, when you can start work,how likely this site will be the one, things that the person told you overthe phone, any other relevant information.
The purpose of the interview is twofold. The Internship Site needs tosee if you are someone they can integrate into their daily activity. Itis also a time for you to see if what they have to offer is what you want.Observe how people dress, how they act, what they seem to be doing. Imaginewhat they would expect from you. Is it something that suits you or is itsomething that would make you uncomfortable? Be sure to discuss the jobsthat you would be doing as an Intern. Some organizations have several departmentsin which you can work. Ask what work is done in each department so youwill know which one most suits your interests.
Once you have settled on one position, ask specifically what work youwill be doing. The Texas Wesleyan requirement is that you be assigned threedifferent jobs on an Internship so that you have a chance to experiencedifferent aspects of the organization and/or the position. You may alsowant to ask about the Supervisor - what is his/her background and experience?How busy is he/she? If the Supervisor is someone different from the personinterviewing you, be sure to meet him/her.
The Internship Site, meanwhile, will be assessing you. Some of the things they will be deciding as they talk with you are: Is this person reliable? Will this person be able to carry out instructions accurately without alot of hassle? Will this person keep information confidential? Will I beable to work with this person? Is this person a good student? A good worker?The best Internship is one where both the Intern and the Internship Sitegain.
There are numerous writers who have given suggestions for interviews.Here are some of their suggestions: Plan to arrive slightly before yourscheduled interview so you have time to compose yourself, and to give youtime in case you get lost. Listen carefully and answer all questions clearly.Be positive. Smile. Look the interviewer in the eye. Offer a strong handshake.Be professional but also be yourself. Bring paper and pen.
Toward the end of the interview, if you think there is a possibilitythat this Internship position will work, give the Supervisor the internshipform (Internship Sponsor Agreement, Learning Guide and Application forIntern Placement) to complete. If you both agree on this Internship,you can begin working as soon as the Instructor receives the completedInternship Form.
A. Reflection is the beginning point of learning. Record the various incidents you experience - who said what and why. What were the results? Why were things done in a particular way? Were the actions efficient, or did they cause problems elsewhere? Your reflection may also include the things you wanted to say but didn't. Record the mistakes you made and how you felt about them; the successes you had and what they meant; interesting tidbits about the Internship site. Are there persons in the organization that you particularly admire and learn from? Are there persons whose work or relationships you don't want to emulate? Are there goals you have set for yourself during your work? Were they accomplished? You may also want to reflect on a particular incident. Describe it, describe the people involved, analyze the events and the effectiveness of each persons actions, including your own. What did the incident mean to you? If people had acted differently what differences woul! d there have been in the results? How will you handle a similar situation in the future? By reflecting on your activities in this way, the time spent at your Internship site can be a learning experience that greatly adds to your ability to function in the professional world in the future.
B. Another set of things that you will want to take note of during your Internship has to do with the organization. As the first major experience in your field, you will want to note its characteristics. What is the organization's goals? What kind of structure does it have? Is it effective in accomplishing its purposes? Are there good relationships between the workers? Are there ways that you would do things differently if you were in charge. You may also use your reflection to analyze a particular situation, a particular relationship, or a particular responsibility. Just because you are an Intern doesn't mean that you can't observe strengths and weaknesses of the organization. These points will be part of your post-Internship evaluation of the Internship Site. These insights will also help you to decide if you want to work in this organization, or a similar organization, in the future. Once again, make it a point to find out the following:
1)What is the organization's Mission Statement? - Why do they see themselves as important? What are they trying to accomplish.
2)What is the culture of the organization? Is there a lingo common among the workers? Is there a common attitude? Is it positive or negative? Does it suit the mission?
3)Is the organization effective in what it does? Why or why not?
4) What is the nature of relationships between the workers? Are they professional? Are there cliques?
5) What is the structure of the organization? Is there a formal structure? Is there an informal structure? Are the two different? Why or why not? Is the structure appropriate to the organization?
6) Who benefits from his organization? Is anyone harmed by it?
C. There are some similarities between writing a reflection and doing a qualitative observation. In the latter, the researcher is careful to record detail rather than opinion ABOUT the detail. That way a situation can be reinterpreted later if it is warranted. When writing a reflection, the student should also describe a situation in enough detail to allow it to be retold vividly enough to convey meaning in your final report. The reflection will be a valuable source of information for your final report. Write about all the persons involved. Record as much of a conversation as possible. Include your sense of the emotions involved and the intentions of the actors. Describe the setting. Include the time sequence. If you do your reflecting well, the final report will be largely written.
D. Lastly, a reflection is like your personal diary, a place where you record your deepest thoughts about your personal experiences. It is not written for others to read, but is your record of growth, exploration and development. Any confidentialities should be disguised, however, because you will turn it in with your paper at the end of the course. It will be returned to you to keep, and read next year, or in several years, long after you have graduated. But while you are doing your Internship, it is the means of connecting your personal life to your professional life.
REFLECTION IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP. You may write in private (run to the bathroom to record something, or keep paper and pencil in your car to write as soon as you leave). Or you may write openly after asking if they would mind if you take notes. Be sure to use pseudonyms and other disguises so as not to compromise anyone or the organization. Please refer to the textbook pages 50-53 and 66-69 for more information about journaling.
In addition to your reflections, each Intern needs to keep a time sheet. This may be in whatever format suits you and your supervisor. But each entry must be dated and signed by your supervisor. Keeping track of the hours that you work is as important for your Internship as it would be if you were being paid as a regular employee. The time sheet will be turned in with your paper at the end of the semester.
A. Academic research is found basically in peer reviewed journals. These are journals that publish papers written by academics. They are sent to others in the field for review, so that the reader can be confident that the information in these papers is reliable and of the highest quality.
B. Because the peer review process takes a long time, and also because academic papers often focus on only one small portion of a topic, it is often helpful to make use of other sources as well. News magazines often have comprehensive, in-depth reports of particular social problems. These can be helpful to get an overall picture that would not be obvious from the academic journals. They also give details about persons in the field that are usually not included in professional papers. For these reasons, you will want to find additional sources to augment your peer reviewed papers.
C. A third valuable source of information can be the Internet, or publications of an organization. Many lobby organizations have Internet sites with pertinent and important insights on your topic. Remember that these organization may write with a particular goal in mind, so they are prone to exaggeration. Nevertheless, as a source of information, and representatives of one point of view, their information can be included in your paper. Your Internship site may have some publications that are helpful in understanding the situation - history, background, demographics.
After you research your topic, you will organize the information into a coherent write-up. To anyone unfamiliar with the situation, this will provide the pertinent background and perspective they will need to understand the significance of your work at the Internship site.
Procedures-
an explanation of the Internship forms
Sponsor
Agreement Form
Sponsor
Evaluation Form
Student
Agreement Form
Additional Form
In-House
Application Form
(required if internship is at current place of employment)