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I agree totally with this, having worked two internships during my
undergrad days that were complete wastes of time. In both places I
worked (a recording studio and a State film production board), there was
never a good sense of what I was doing there or my responsibilities, and
instead of providing me with learning and growth opportunities, they
turned into time sinks. In retrospect, since I was working both of these
internships as a means of exploring career options, I wish someone had
taken a more active role in actually providing mentorship and education,
not just about the industries and areas in which I was working, but in
the actual world of work.
Phil
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+pgochenour=loansoft -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+pgochenour=loansoft -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Beth Agnew
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 2:24 PM
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: managing interns
The best first step is to make out a training plan or work plan that
details the tasks they will be involved with during their internship.
State their roles and responsibilities, and some measure for evaluation,
including periodic progress meetings. Include how they will be
supervised, assigned to tasks, and provided with feedback. What learning
objectives will they have during their period of work? What are the
manager's and company's expectations about their behavior, work habits,
and so on. Maybe not all of this gets put into a plan, but these things
should be thought through. How do you see them growing during their work
term?
I find the plan is useful for helping everyone involved know what will
be going on with the interns while they're there. It is also a useful
document for presenting to them and gaining their understanding of what
is expected of them. You may want to finalize it after you have
discussed the plan with the interns themselves, so that you can
incorporate whatever learning goals they might have that you can
accommodate but didn't think of.
I also like to assign my interns a "buddy" -- someone who is not related
to them in the org chart but who can help them integrate into the
corporate culture, and answer general questions.
A good internship opportunity is rewarding for both the company and the
interns. Kudos to your company for offering this valuable learning
opportunity.
--Beth
Julia Cemer wrote:
> Does anyone have any good resources (articles, books, etc) or ideas
> about managing interns? I've been told my company will be hiring two
> interns for my documentation team this summer. I'm currently a team of
> one and will be going on maternity leave in June. I feel like I need
to
> start organizing a program so things don't turn too chaotic while I'm
> gone, but I don't know where to start.
>
> I'd appreciate any suggestions.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Julia
--
Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133 http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u
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