Student Internship Handbook

STUDENT

INTERNSHIP

HANDBOOK

STUDENT

INTERNSHIP

HANDBOOK

100 Pomerantz Center, Suite C310

Iowa City, IA 52242-7700

(319) 335-1023 • careers.uiowa.edu

POMERANTZ

CAREER CENTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Preparations

1 Understanding the Stages of an Internship

BEFORE YOUR INTERNSHIP

2 Be Professional

2 Network

3 Be a Team Player

4 Identify & Manage Workplace Challenges

5 Safety at Your Internship

6 Time to Get Serious: Ethics

7 Virtual Internships

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

8 Leave a Good Impression

ENDING YOUR INTERNSHIP

SPECIFIC

Visit with your Career Advisor or

an Internship Course Instructor

to discuses

Reasonable goals for what you will

accomplish and learn

· Internship course registration

directions if needed

· How to use an internship to

explore a career

Things to Know Before You Begin

· What time & day do you start?

· What is your schedule?

· What are your job duties?

· Who is your supervisor?

· Where is the oce?

· What is the dress code?

· Where should you park, exit the

bus, or walk to?

Become Familiar with the

Organization

· Use their website to look at:

· Mission

· Products, Services, or Programs

· Divisions and/or departments

· Awards, Employee Programs, and

Focuses for Company Culture (ex.

sustainability)

PREPARATIONS

Set SMART Goals

Consider…

What you want to learn · What you will do to learn · How you will know if you’ve

achieve it

MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIME-BOUND

Excitement

& anxiety; worries

about preparation

or tting in.

Excitement wears off;

disappointment about

reality of professional world;

discovery that world of work

is very different from school.

Face disillusionment;

re-examine goals &

expectations; compare job

duties with learning goals to

help with reality check and

discuss interpersonal issues

with supervisor and mentors.

Morale, professionalism,

and productivity increase;

interns can ask for higher

level tasks & feel a part

of the organization.

Pride in accomplishments

and potential sadness at end

of experience; potential guilt

with wanting to accomplish

more or that project may not

continue without them;

discuss feelings

with supervisor.

1 2 3 4 5

ANTICIPATION

CONFRONTATION

CULMINATION

DISILLUSIONMENT COMPETENCE

UNDERSTANDING THE STAGES OF AN INTERNSHIP

*Stages adapted from H. Federick Sweitzer & Mary A. King’s “The Successful Internship” (2014)

BEFORE YOUR INTERNSHIP 1

Bring your “A” game

· Do your best to contribute to your company’s

mission every day

· Have a “Can Do” attitude and be positive

even if there is a little grunt work

· Ask questions, take initiative, and write

notes!

· Record your daily activities in a log

You are on the Clock

· Be on time in the morning and to scheduled

meetings

· Don’t leave before the end of your work day

· Don’t take long lunches or breaks

· Don’t post to social media sites during work

hours

· Reserve personal calls, texts, or emails for

lunch breaks

Dress the Part

· Unable to nd the dress code? Dress as if

you were interviewing on the rst day

· Learn the dress code and adapt your attire

for the second day

· If all else fails, take cues from your

supervisor’s clothing

Mind your Manners

· Check out the many websites devoted to

personal and workplace etiquette

· Learn how to properly address people

· Use “please” and “thank you”

· Be courteous and friendly

Be Positive

Strive to be friendly, polite, respectful,

humble, exible, and kind

· Avoid negativity, complaints, rudeness,

disrespect, arrogance, and stubbornness

· Don’t gossip. It effects people’s opinion of

you

Paid or unpaid, remember an internship is a JOB that may start you on the path to a great career.

· Learn people’s names—it’s a great way to show you care

· Attend the organization’s trainings, meet & greets, or team social events

· Request short informational meetings with colleagues out of your

department

· Get out from behind your desk—invite colleagues and other interns to join

you for lunch

· Ask your supervisor if there is time for a meeting to discuss your career

goals or resume

· Discuss the potential for an introduction by your supervisor if there is someone you want

to meet

· Inquire about company mentorship programs or if an individual would be willing to remain in contact for career

questions

· Inquire about recommendations for conferences and professional organizations in the eld

· Be friendly and use phone or face to face contact sometimes instead of just email

· Follow up with short emails of thanks, any needed information, or questions when you connect with someone

new at meetings, trainings, or events

· Be prepared to introduce yourself with condence, listen closely, and then ask follow up questions to your

supervisor if shadowing a meeting

· Update your LinkedIn prole and then connect with team members

Set yourself up to understand the organization & cultivate connections for future job search success!

BE PROFESSIONAL

NETWORK

2 DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

Get to Know your Team Members

Get to know everyone’s name, position, and something about them

· Invite people to lunch or coffee (if coffee breaks are a part of the workplace culture)

Understand Organizational Structure and Work Style

Read all you can about your team’s mission

· Find out who is in charge of the team and in charge of the department

· Model your participation to t the work style of the team

· Identify if you have tasks specic to you or if work is accomplished totally within the group

· Ask questions of individuals, rather than take group meeting time to get up to speed

Communication is Key

Request a regular check-in meeting with your supervisor

· Be open and honest

· Discuss problems within your team

· Bring forth as many solutions as you do problems

· Ask questions, you are there to learn

Contribute

· Don’t just sit there! Get involved in the project and do your part well

· Ask for more tasks if you do not have enough work

Be Open to Praise and Criticism

· Praise and criticism are opportunities for growth

· Assume a negative comment comes from a person who wants to help you

· Ask questions for clarication

· Use those comments to become a better employee

Be a Person your Team can Count On

· Meet your deadlines

· Keep everyone informed of your progress or needs

· Step up to help other team members –you succeed together

Very few people work completely independently. Employers are looking for people who can

function in a team.

BE A TEAM PLAYER

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP 3

I do not have enough work to do!

· Take initiative. Ask if you can propose solutions to team or organization challenges

· Be honest with your teammates and ask how you can help them

· Tell your supervisor and…

· Reiterate your excitement to be there

· Ask for more projects or to help another team one or two days a week

· Learn a technical skill that will help with future projects/tasks (UI Students have access to LinkedIn Learning

for free through the UI Libraries)

· Ask to shadow meetings or people on other teams in order to

learn more

My supervisor is giving me too much work!

Identify the problem—is it you, your supervisor, or the work culture?

· Are you managing your time appropriately?

· Are you inecient because you lack a specic skill?

· Do you need training in project-management techniques?

· Is it normal for people in the oce to work late or on the

weekends?

· Communicate with this formula

· Reiterate your excitement to be there

· Articulate the challenges you are experiencing

· Propose solutions or ask for help in adapting or skill-building

· Still too much? Contact an advisor at the Pomerantz Career Center

for coaching!

How do I get along with a difficult coworker?

Treat the person politely and kindly

· Do not gossip behind their back

· Consider what makes the relationship dicult:

· Do you have different communication styles?

· Did they have different expectations for a task or project?

· Ask for feedback if you sense that they think you have made a mistake

· When possible, set boundaries if they are treating you poorly

· Does it feel extreme? Track the negative behavior to discuss with the

· Pomerantz Career Center, your supervisor, or a human resources manager

How can I get more guidance from my supervisor?

Supervisors won’t know your needs unless you speak up

· Politely, assertively request a short weekly or bi-weekly meeting for questions, progress, reports, and feedback

· Ensure you know the timeline, tasks, methods, and expected outcomes for projects

· Ask clarifying questions when given expectations

· Ask when is the best time of the day for questions

· Is there another colleague you should ask if you have small technical questions?

· Make sure to participate in evaluations to discuss strengths, weaknesses, and your career goals

IDENTIFY & MANAGE WORKPLACE CHALLENGES

4 DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

Your internship course instructor: Not sure if something

is serious or not? Your instructor can help you navigate

who to talk to at your internship site or on campus, and/

or provide coaching on what to say. Please note this

may not be a condential resource –if your concerns

involve sexual harassment or assault, we may be

required to connect you with the Oce of the Sexual

Misconduct Response Coordinator to ensure your

concerns are addressed.

Pomerantz Career Center (319-335-1023): Ask

to speak to the Associate Director of Experiential

Education. Similar to your instructor they can help you

navigate who to talk to at your internship site or on

campus, and/or provide coaching on what to say. Please

note this is not a condential resource –if your concerns

involve sexual harassment or assault, they are required

to share information and connect you with the Oce of

the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator to ensure

you have the resources and information you need.

Student Legal Services (319-335-3276): Student Legal

Services has two licensed attorneys who provide free

legal advice on a variety of issues including workplace

harassment and discrimination. They can also review

and advise students on employment contracts including

condentiality and non-compete agreements. Services

are condential.

Oce of Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator

(319-335-6200): The Oce of the Sexual Misconduct

Response Coordinator (OSMRC) provides a central place

to report incidents, works with victims or complainants

to ensure their wishes are understood and inform the

process, helps them connect with condential resources

and victim advocates, and can facilitate academic

accommodations.

For more resources for situations involving sexual

misconduct, see the University of Iowa’s

Resource

and Referral Guide for Sexual Misconduct, Dating/

Domestic Violence, and Stalking.

The Campus Inclusion Team (319-335-1162): The

Campus Inclusion Team is staffed by members in

the Oce of the Dean of Students. You can submit a

concern online and a representative will contact you

to help connect you with the appropriate resources for

incidents related to bias and discrimination based upon

age, ability, gender, sexuality, economic background,

national origin, race/ethnicity, religion, political

associations, and veteran status. Reports can also

be made anonymously, but these reports will not be

addressed with support.

The Oce of the Ombudsperson (319-335-3608):

The Oce of the Ombudsperson is a safe place to talk

about any concerns, including but not limited to sexual

harassment or misconduct, discrimination, violation of

policies, and unethical behavior. This is a condential

resource unless you disclose plans to hurt yourself or

others. This resource is especially useful if the situation

involves other campus parties including faculty, staff,

fellow students or UI interns.

Law Enforcement: Local or University police

(319-335-5022) If you are in immediate danger in the

United States, call 911. If you are in immediate danger

outside the United States, you will want to know the local

equivalent for 911 emergency services in your location.

This information and additional guidance can be found

in the Safety & Security section of the US Department of

State country page for your location:

travel.state.gov/

content/travel/en/international-travel/International-

Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html

Need immediate help with a situation involving sexual

misconduct?

RAINN: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

provides a 24 hr hotline

rainn.org/about-national-

sexual-assault-telephone-hotline

SAFETY AT YOUR INTERNSHIP

Some companies and organizations will have trainings or provide guidance during your orientation that covers their

anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and ethics policies. Others may not. If the behavior or language of your co-

workers, supervisors, clients, or fellow interns makes you uncomfortable or is blatantly unacceptable, the typical

rst step is to discuss it with your supervisor or with the human resources representative at your organization.

If the problem is with your supervisor, your organization does not have a human resources person, or you do not

feel comfortable talking with either of them about the situation, do not hesitate to contact campus resources for

guidance. Although we cannot completely control the internship experience, some behaviors are unacceptable.

Discrimination, harassment, aggression and illegal behavior do not belong in the workplace, and there are resources

to help you navigate tough situations if you feel that your safety or emotional wellbeing are at risk.

Resources for Guidance

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP 5

Well-founded standards of right and

wrong that prescribe what humans

ought to do.

The study and development of

one’s own ethical standards. You

may have already found yourself

in situations where you had to

decide what is right and wrong

or where you felt pressure to

behave in a certain way that you

believed was contrary to your

personal standards.

Ethical issues in the workplace

usually involve money,

condentiality, honesty,

or relationships.

POSSIBLE

ETHICAL DILEMMAS:

According to the Markkula Center

for Applied Ethics, ethics involve:

*Interns can always contact the Pomerantz Career

Center for help.

TIME TO GET SERIOUS: ETHICS

6 DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

Example #2- Financials

An intern working at a nancial services company is feeling pressure from her supervisor to reach sales goal. She

also knows she must fully inform clients about the risks of particular investments. If she prepares a graph for her

supervisor that shows impressive long-term returns for a specic investment, it will help convince the client to place

a great amount of money under the group’s management. Providing the client with information showing short-term

losses will probably convince the client to allow a competing institution to manage his money. How can she meet

her supervisor’s expectations and be honest with the clients?

Response

If the intern feels comfortable, she could discuss her concerns with her supervisor and present graphs for both

a short-term and long-term returns. If the intern does not feel comfortable addressing her concerns with her

supervisor and is continuing to feel pressure to withhold or alter information, she could seek guidance from the

human resources ocial who helped in the hiring. There may be an organizational ombudsperson who the intern

could talk with. All organizations should have a written ethics policy which should be provided to new employees

during orientation. The policy should guide interactions with clients and require fairness, honesty and accurate

information.

Example #2- Labor Law

An intern works at a for-prot organization and accepted a position without pay because he was told by his

prospective supervisor that the position met all of the requirements of a legal internship which exempted the

company from paying interns. After two weeks, the intern realizes that he was chosen to replace a full-time

employee and the rm should provide compensation. The intern needs the experience and a good recommendation

from his supervisor, but knows he’s being used. How can the intern resolve the situation?

Response

The intern’s options include:

a) doing nothing, remaining in the internship to gain experience and hopefully a positive recommendation

b) advocating for himself with the supervisor or human resources

c) bringing legal action against the employer.

During a scheduled meeting with his supervisor, the intern could indicate that he feels he’s performing similar duties

as regular employees and ask for clarication about compensation. The intern could also contact the Pomerantz

Career Center and ask an advisor to check with the human resources oce to discuss the issue.

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP 7

8 DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP

TIPS FOR YOUR VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP

A virtual internship is a great way for you to gain experience without leaving your home. Virtual internships allow for

unique opportunities to engage with employers while gaining experience in your eld of choice. While you will not

be leaving your home, virtual internships require increased planning by both the intern and the supervisor, be sure

to take the time to make sure you will be prepared. The tips below are a great place to start when embarking on a

virtual internship.

Create a plan with your supervisor that lays out your

work responsibilities and, if necessary, ask for assis-

tance with setting up the technology needed to work

virtually.

Maintain a regular work schedule and nd a

comfortable location free of distractions.

Schedule regular virtual meetings with you

supervisor, and don’t be afraid of over-communicating.

Take the initiative and communicate with

colleagues to learn about their roles.

Request more feedback than you typically would if

working face-to-face.

Keep track of your accomplishments no matter how

small.

Spend time reecting on the skills you’re using and

learning.

Start every day by making a to-do list and

schedule in breaks every few hours.

Build in time for exercise and creative pursuits.

#10

Ask your supervisor about being a positive

reference at the conclusion of your nal meeting.

Leave on a High Note

Set Teammates up for Success

Provide a status update on any unnished projects

· Tell them where to nd all documents or materials

Ask for Feedback

Set up a review meeting with your supervisor

· Share a report of your accomplishments, projects, & learning

· Discuss any evaluations for the company or for an internship course

· Ask directly what they think you should work on for future internships

After Internship

Share your Gratitude

· Write a letter of thanks including a salutation, body, and closing

· Include what you learned about the profession

· Include what you learned about yourself as a professional

Update your Search Materials

Add your internship to your resume

· Put any high quality projects or documents in a portfolio of work samples

· Update your LinkedIn prole with the experience

· Did you do really well? Ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn

· Get feedback on your updates—ask your supervisor and the Career Center to review your resume!

Continue to Network

Connect with colleagues on LinkedIn and follow the company

· Give the organization some love on social media—like them on Facebook or Twitter

· Share about the experience in your student groups—is there any opportunity to present or be on a panel?

· Loved your internship? Email your boss 6 months later with an update & reiterate your interest in hearing about

full-time opportunities with the organization

· Didn’t like it? Meet with an advisor at the Pomerantz Career Center to talk about next steps

LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION

ENDING YOUR INTERNSHIP 9