Internships: Reality vs. Expectations

A BusinessWeek.com writer, Julie Gordon, pens about how internships have changed over the years and it's largely due to the interns' expectations and demands. She also discusses about how the success of the internship depends largely on the role of the supervisor, challenging tasks, and the connection to a role model. Read the full article here.

Some companies and supervisors are still "old school" and expect the intern to run errands, make coffee & copies until they're blue in the face, and of course don't forget data entry. These are all tasks that should NOT make up the majority of work for an intern. Interns are there to learn and perform relevant tasks to aid in future professional employment. Meaning that whatever the students' career goals are and/or major is there should be tasks assigned that will prepare him/her to attain these goals and/or connect the major content knowledge to tangible work.

If you're an employer reading this: Re-evaluate your internship program with a local college Career Counselor and/or the academic department(s) you work with to determine if the tasks you offer are relevant for students. Why, you ask? If you design a relevant/career-related internship it will be more appealing to students and you'll have more "top applicants."

If you're a student reading this: Be careful and read the internship job description fully. Ask questions about the specific tasks the employer will be assigning you BEFORE accepting the position. ALWAYS connect with an internship coordinator on your campus so you can have an internship advocate that will assist with looking out for your best interests. This way if you do find yourself in a bad position there will be a professional backing you up and ensuring that a positive experience is had by all.