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CSTW Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing

College of Humanities

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Tips for a Good Internship

  • Work on your résumé to make sure it conforms to standards of résumé writing and represents you well.

  • Make sure your portfolio contains the writing samples that represent you best. Check these samples for correctness. Employers tend to have little tolerance for grammatical, mechanical, and other writing errors. Some employers even give writing or editing tests to prospective interns.

  • Be prepared to accept a variety of hiring processes. Some employers will want to conduct their own interviews and portfolio reviews, even after the internship coordinator has approved you. Each site has its own rules, too. You may be required to wear a badge while you visit the site to interview, or even undergo drug testing before being hired. Please take all these processes very seriously.

  • Observe the workplace culture you are entering. If employees there are formally dressed and conservatively groomed, be prepared to give up your multicolored hair, your nose ring, and your favorite rock-star t-shirt, at least while you are onsite. Find some business attire and make your appearance conservative for the duration of the job.

  • Begin the job during the first week of the quarter. You will have job-related readings and discussion topics in HUM COL 589 beginning early in the academic term, and being present on the job site is important to your preparation for class.

  • Plan to put in about the same number of hours each week. Don't wait until late in the quarter to give attention to work projects, and don't try to finish all your job projects early in the quarter.

  • Complete the internship contract with your supervisor during the first week and submit the contract to your internship coordinator. Make the contract as clear and accurate as possible, but don't worry if things change. Fill out and submit a revised internship contract during Week 5 of the internship.

  • Practice good work habits, coming to work on time, working all your allotted hours, following instructions carefully, and showing initiative wherever appropriate.

  • Be passionate about your work and interested in your organization. Be friendly to co-workers, and learn as much as you can during your internship. Enthusiasm and a positive attitude are important.

  • Begin keeping a journal on the first day of the internship, or even before. You'll be asked to submit this journal to your HUM COL 589 teacher at the end of the quarter, and, even more important, it will provide the basis for your reflective paper about your work experience. The journal should contain a record of the hours you work, the assignments you receive, your thoughts as you complete those assignments, and your reactions to everything.

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