Characteristics of a World Class Internship
by Dr John Sullivan - Professor and Head of HR Mgmt at
SF State Univ.
Not all internships are "perfect". Most Internship Supervisors have preconceived
ideas about interns. Some have a plan and high expectations while a few are really
just looking for "cheap" help. To ensure that you get the most out of your internship discuss this list with your supervisor in order to see how many of these
are possible goals for your internship. The number that you accomplish will impact
your grade. If you are searching for an internship use this list to help evaluate it's
potential.
Has as its primary goal to get you the PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE and competencies necessary for you to get your first professional job. To determine
the "gap" between your current experience and the level required by the "market"
compare your current resume with the want ad/job description for your dream job. A World Class internship will help you close that "gap".
A WORLD CLASS INTERNSHIP starts with a written internship PLAN which is
upgraded monthly to ensure its goals are met. The plan should include a list of internship goals including:
skills to be developed, contacts, timetables, roles and responsibilities, training,
evaluation points, outputs and a program budget.
an internship MENTOR (Supervisor) who assumes the responsibly to develop and guide the intern toward their goals. The mentor not only guides the work of the
intern as a "supervisor" but "guarantees" that the intern reaches each of their goals.
A mentor continues the relationship even after the intern leaves this assignment.
predetermined OUTPUTS that the intern can show to future employers as evidence of their work and accomplishments. These might include handbooks, reports,
presentations to management, benchmarking studies, problem identification and analysis studies, process reengineering studies, HR programs developed etc.
open and honest COMMUNICATIONS with the intern. In a world class relationship there is constructive confrontation on issues and problems between the intern and
the company. Intern satisfaction and progress are assessed monthly.
interns are provided with significant TRAINING AND LEARNING experiences. Interns
should have a development and assessment plan, be encouraged to attend training courses and professional meetings, be allowed to sit in on management meetings,
and be encouraged to read professional and company publications.
Additional SKILLS and COMPETENCIES that are often developed during a World Class internships include:
INFLUENCE SKILLS
PRESENTATION SKILLS
TEAM SKILLS
BUSINESS PROBLEM SOLVING
GENERALIST EXPERIENCE
MANAGING UP
PRIORITY SETTING
REPORT WRITING
TQM / ISO 9000
Additional EXPERIENCES that often indicate a World Class internship might include:
PROCESS REENGINEERING
HRIS / WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT
ANALYZING HR SYSTEMS
DEVELOPING TRAINING MANUALS
MEASURING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
GLOBALIZING SYSTEMS
PAY AT RISK COMPENSATION SYSTEMS
COLLEGE RECRUITING/JOB FAIRS
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS INVESTIGATIONS
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION/SOLUTIONS
IDENTIFYING EMERGING ISSUES IN HR
OTHER characteristics
Pay $12+ per hour
Provides a good reference
12 - 20 hours. per week
Ends in job referrals
Includes interviews with management.
Has a flexible schedule (2-3 days week)
Includes continuous learning
Intern is sponsored at professional meetings
It is fun
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Dr John Sullivan
Professor and Head of Human Resource Management at San Francisco State
University (JohnS@sfsu.edu)
Numerous articles by Dr Sullivan can be found at http://go.ourworld.nu/gately/sullivan.htm
Articles exclusively on recruiting can be found at http://www.erexchange.com/ere3/search.asp?SearchID=ARTCL&USERID=429912132
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