Workplace Challenges

Fall 2012 Internships:

Seminar 2 Make-up Assignment

During our second seminar, each student was asked to introduce himself/herself and tell us their internship employer location. Then, we explored unexpected challenges students have faced this semester and participated in case study discussions.

The first few comments answered situation 1, which I've left at the end of this post. For upcoming responses, let's explore another potential workplace issue.

Please introduce yourself and your employer location, then share your thoughts on ways you think an employee might handle the following challenging situation:




SITUATION 1 - NEW COMMENTS NOT NEEDED ON THIS ONE - Great job everyone!
Marsha is excited about her first week in her new internship with Allen Inc., CPA firm. She is getting the opportunity to have hands-on work with preparation of client reports and learning a lot about client-firm privacy regulations. One challenge, though, has been that she has no idea when she is supposed to take a lunch break. She never sees a group going out to lunch or notices the office closing for lunch. She wonders if they all bring lunch or eat when out on calls to clients. A couple of the office staff do take a break, but not her direct supervisor or the other professional staff. She doesn't know whether to ask her supervisor, one of the clerical staff, or simply start taking a short break each day. For three straight days, she has skipped lunch entirely...after all, nobody else seems to take a set break, and they work from morning until evening. She thinks perhaps she isn't entitled to a break since her hours are only from 10:30-4:30 three days a week.

Is it realistic for Marsha to expect a break during her six-hour day as an intern? What can she do to resolve this question?  Whom should she ask?

Summer internships are beginning to wind down and I would like to give you the opportunity to comment on positive observations related to another intern's experience (or ask questions about another intern's experience).  I realize this may be the toughest topic we've addressed, so who is up to comment first?

You have had some great comments about problem-solving, and I hope those whose internships are continuing through Summer Session 2 will add to these!

For those who are finishing their internship experience, it is time to reflect on the experience as a whole and think about ways which you can present what you learned on a resume, job application, or graduate school application.

Most definitely, you will want to ask someone who knows you well to serve as a reference for the time you have spent in your internship. You will also want to include your internship as work experience (or shadowing experience) on your resume. These sections of a resume generally include organization name, your title or role, dates of the experience, and several bullet points describing your accomplishments.

In your comments below, share two or three accomplishments you believe would be useful to include on a resume. Then come back to see what others have shared to get ideas about other possible details to include.

Finally, I encourage you to email me photos of yourself at work (maintaining any confidentiality required in your workplace), and I will post these on the blog so that your peers and future interns can get a picture of what being an intern "looks like."

One of the skills each of you is evaluating during your experience this summer is that of problem-solving. Different organizations approach problem-solving using different methods. Some prefer a team approach, while others assign individuals to evaluate a problem. In fact, there are probably as many methods of solving problems as there are problems to solve.

In your comments, please share an example of one method of problem-solving you have seen used in your current internship. While maintaining confidentiality and a positive frame of mind, what have you learned about effective problem-solving through your work or observations?

Welcome to Summer Internship Conversation with the Office of Career Programs and Student Development at Presbyterian College! We're excited to begin another term of hands-on learning, with a diverse group of students completing internships in some exciting places. I invite each of you to introduce yourself and tell everyone where you'll be interning this summer. Let us know what your greatest hope for the summer experience is. Then, read the comments from other interns to see what else is out there. You will be invited to comment on a series of blogs this summer, but there are a few guidelines I'll try to remind you of each time:

1. This is a public forum. Faculty members, employers, and the general public will read what you say. This is not a place to air dirty laundry or to report problems. The proper way to communicate about such issues is directly with me in private conversation.

2. This is a public forum. The questions are asked so that you can share and compare a variety of settings - give informative details which will help other interns (current and future) learn about the variety of workplaces which are represented. Share, share, share relevant details which give insight into working in a particular type of setting.

3. This is a public forum. Privacy matters. Remember confidentiality issues related to your internship.

4. Most importantly, this is a public forum. You are representing yourself and Presbyterian College to future employers and the world. Do yourself proud.

Now - GO BLUE HOSE! Do your best and have a great summer!

Spring 2012 Seminar 3 - Finishing STRONG!

Each semester we use the final seminar to pull all the details together from the entire semester, particularly to share the most valuable lesson or skill you will take with you from this internship.

In the comments section below, please share some of the most important lessons you've learned - particularly about time management, work ethic, networking, and overcoming obstacles. Then, write a sentence or two about your plans and dreams following this semester and a shout-out to students you believe should explore a similar internship in the future. Finally, what is the most important thing you learned from your experience?

Spring 2012 Seminar 2

Those of you who missed our Internship Seminar last week missed an opportunity to practice your interview skills. We explored the common questions you can anticipate in graduate school or job interviews, and ways to highlight your internship experience during these.

For your make-up assignment, write a comment which shares your answer to one of these potential interview questions:
1. For students who anticipate seeking a job after graduation -  "What skills have you used during your internship which you believe will help make you a stronger asset to your future employer?"
2. For students who anticipate applying to graduate/professional school after graduation - "How has your internship helped you get more out of your classroom experience?"
3. For students who need a back-up question - "Tell me the most important thing you have learned about working with others."

I look forward to your comments!

Spring 2012 INTERNS Galore!

The Spring 2012 semester promises to be an exciting one for internships at Presbyterian College. Not only are there more students completing internships in the spring than the fall, but also, many of these internships are for longer hours.

Students who are completing an internship this semester are invited to introduce themselves in the comments to this post, and to tell a little about your internship and what excites you about the opportunity.  Faculty intern advisors and employers are also invited to read along, comment in our discussions, and contribute to the internship community-wide discussion.

Please keep in mind that this is a public forum, using discretion when discussing any challenges, particularly maintaining confidentiality with workplace-related specifics. Contact me directly by phone or email if you have an internship-related problem which needs to be addressed.