You've Hired a Student Intern: Now What?
- If you haven’t already, develop an internship job description and goals that constitute an educational experience for the student intern.
- Provide a safe and professional work environment for the student intern.
- Complete internship agreement and student learning objectives forms with the student and COM instructor to:
- Understand the student’s goals and learning objectives in participating in the internship program;
- Be clear about internship responsibilities with the student before the internship begins.
- Provide the student an orientation to the organization (see attached checklist).
- Provide day to day supervision of the student intern or assign a point of contact person for them who can do the following:
- Communicate clear expectations for student behavior;
- Reiterate the importance of non-disclosure/confidentiality as it applies to your specific department;
- Reiterate the importance of conduct rules and reasons for immediate termination of internship;
- Review safety rules and emergency procedures;
- Be clear with students regarding specific department procedures.
- Meet with the student intern each week to review work assignments and provide feedback and coaching.
- Be clear with students regarding changes in internship responsibilities;
- Be clear with students if supervisors or managers change.
- When he/she makes supervisory visits;
- Written Intern Evaluation assessing the student’s performance at the end of the internship experience;
- Provide assessment and feedback to the COM Internship Coordinator, as requested, including:
- When work performance is unsatisfactory or there are any problems with the placement.
- Complete a brief feedback form on the COM Internship Program to support continuous improvement.
- Write a letter of recommendation for the student.
Tips to Promote Learning
The workplace offers a unique environment for students to learn skills that they may not be able to learn in the classroom — skills that will be critical to their long-term success. Here are some tips for fostering the development of these skills in the students you are supervising.
- Connecting college and work. Encourage students to relate their internship experiences back to their classwork, asking questions such as:
- What kinds of reading, writing, and math do you do at school and at work—and how are they similar or different to this role?
- What skills do you need at work that you can also work on at school?
- What kinds of things are you good at, or do you like, that you can explore further in school?
- What could you learn in college that would enable you to pursue a well-paying career in our organization or another organization like ours?
- Applying math skills. Encourage students to use math skills related to their career interest.
- Applying reading and writing skills. Encourage students to read manuals and write memos; do not hesitate to require students to complete work to the expected standards.
- Learning about careers. Provide opportunities for the student to be exposed to various departments and functions, including technical departments, marketing, human resources, finance/accounting, etc. by encouraging them to visit, conduct interviews, and/or shadow staff throughout the organization.
- Learning about the workplace, understanding teamwork, and building relationships. Provide opportunities for students to participate in staff meetings, project meetings, and other formal and informal exchanges among staff; introduce students to staff and encourage staff to welcome students to join them at lunch and breaks. Informal exchanges are often the best way to learn about an organization’s culture.
- Fostering initiative, critical thinking, and creativity. If possible, allow students to solve problems on their own, tackle small organizational issues, or take on tasks requiring novel solutions, in addition to carrying out everyday responsibilities; these will help students develop and demonstrate initiative, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity — skills that they will need in future careers that are difficult to learn in school.
- Encouraging productivity, accountability, and collaboration. If possible, provide a project to the student—one that would enable the student to plan their time, organize tasks, and work with others, in addition to performing basic workplace tasks.
- Practicing communication. If possible, ask the student to present the project to their teammates and supervisor, to practice oral communication and presentation skills.
- Providing feedback to teachers as well as students. Provide input to the COM instructor or Internship Coordinator during supervisory visits to the worksite; provide specific suggestions regarding the student’s knowledge and skills that could benefit both the intern and other students.