Making the Most of Your Internship Experience

Internships may be excellent opportunities for personal, professional and academic development, but they can also be stressful, frustrating and disappointing. In order to ensure your experience is a good one, there are several steps you can take. A wealth of helpful information on how to do this is also available in the UO Student Internship Handbook (PDF, 281k).

Not all internships are equal, and before accepting a position, it is important the student makes a careful examination of the organization. An intern is not a source of cheap, routine labor. Regardless of what an organization may label a position, it must follow certain guidelines in order to qualify as an internship. It must be a supervised position that provides for the professional development of the intern. This includes training, feedback, and exposure to workplace environments and expectations. An internship should not consist of routine, clerical tasks, but specific projects that relate to the intern’s area(s) of professional interest.

In the examination of an internship position, the following questions may be helpful in determining its quality:

• What will be the duration of the internship?
• What precisely will be your responsibilities? How will these responsibilities contribute to your overall professional and career development? Your specific objectives?
• Who will be your supervisor? How, specifically, will this supervisor provide guidance and support?
• What will be the responsibilities of the supervisor in terms of training and feedback?
• What mechanism will be in place to ensure communication between you and the supervisor(s)?
• What precisely will be expected of in terms of your conduct and contributions?
• What will your work schedule be? What mechanisms will be in place in case you need to take time off, or are unable to complete the full term of the internship position?
• How will you be evaluated in terms of growth and performance?
• What is the organization’s policy on liability? In what ways does it cover you, and what steps will be necessary for you to insure your own protection?

One of the critical aspects of a good internship experience is the presence of on-going communication and feedback between a student and their supervisor. Ideally, the intern should meet with their supervisor on at least a weekly basis. In any case, an internship supervisor should provide interns with training, input and feedback on their performance. In this process, it is often helpful if interns pose some specific questions to both themselves and their supervisors:

• How well did I meet established responsibilities and assigned tasks?
• In what specific ways did I contribute to your organization?
• How did I develop professional skills related to my position?
• What are some areas where I need to improve?
• What are some suggestions for the future development of my skills?

One of the best ways to ensure the meeting of all goals and expectations on both sides is to negotiate and put them on paper. Writing and signing an “Internship Contract” between the student and their supervisor before the internship begins is a good way to do this. This contract should define the specifics of the internship and cover the following areas: internship duration and hours, student learning goals, student responsibilities, and supervisor/organization’s responsibilities. To assist students with drawing up such a contract, the CHC Internship Program has created an internship contract outline (PDF, 15k) with details on what areas should be covered. Aside from the terms of your internship position, you may also wish to discuss issues of liability and insurance, and if necessary, include them in your contract. For more information on the CHCIP liability policy, download this document (PDF, 17k)

Student Internship Contract (PDF, 15k)

Student Internship Handbook (PDF, 281k)

Continue on to How can I get UO credit for my internship experience?

· Admissions · Our College · Curriculum · Opportunities ·
· Forms · Our Faculty · Administration · Alumni ·
· Gifts · Events · News · New Student Orientation 2007 · A-Z Index · Site Map · Contact · Home ·
· Printer Friendly ·

Phone: (541) 346-5414 · E-mail:

Contact the webmaster: