FEATURE ARTICLE
Investing in Interns
Internship programs that yield high returns—for agencies and students—apply academic knowledge to real life know-how
BY CYNTHIA J. WACHTER
Providing a meaningful educational experience for interns requires a match between the goals of the student and the strengths of the agency.
Students eager to graduate from college and enter the job market consider "The Internship" an investment in their future careers as recreation and leisure service providers. Students are critical of the quality of the learning experience agencies can provide and, consequently, seek out those agencies promising the highest return on their educational investment.
Park districts and departments can provide an excellent learning and training environment for recreation professionals regardless of a student's future career intentions. The significance of the internship lies in the opportunity to apply academic knowledge to hands-on professional skills and experiences using the agency's operations to further students' professional competence.
Providing a meaningful educational experience for interns requires a match between the goals of the student and the strengths of the agency. While agencies provide and students seek a variety of learning experiences, there are characteristics common among all agencies that provide optimal internship experiences. The combination of these characteristics describes those park districts considered most desirable and those most competitively sought after. "Ideal" internships demonstrate the following characteristics.
Offer well-defined learning experiences
Students searching for an internship benefit from programs that have determined in advance the learning experiences students can expect during their Internship. Ideally, internship programs are developed with learning outcomes in mind, in which students are informed of the specific knowledge and skills they will gain from the internship. It is important, however, for programs to retain some flexibility in their internship program to accommodate seasonal, program, staff, and student strengths and weaknesses.
Recognize the value of the internship for professional preparation
Occasionally, students hear of agencies that view the internship as an inexpensive way to boost staff numbers or a way to staff programs or take care of tasks that paid staff prefer not to do. Wary of selecting an agency that plans to take advantage of their educational requirement, students are encouraged by agencies communicating a strong commitment to the learning and development nature of the internship. This can be demonstrated by allowing students a gradual increase in responsibility over time and providing challenges that may be just beyond their professional competence in an effort to enhance their growth. It is also helpful to communicate the purpose of the internship and the goal of supervision to other personnel involved in the internship program.
Understand the role of the agency supervisor
The agency supervisor plays an enormous role in the effectiveness of the internship experience. The role of an evaluator who strictly expects the highest level of performance from an employee is not entirely appropriate for enhancing the professional competence of an
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intern. A more appropriate approach is that of an educator/coach who demonstrates professional skills and uses teaching methods to improve the student's professional performance. Allowing students a degree of freedom to exercise their newly developed skills may result in enhanced confidence and overall performance.
Provide an internship manual
Providing a written document describing the agency and specifics about the internship program assists students in their search and evaluation of potential internship agencies. The more specific the manual is the more comfortable students feel in knowing what they are getting themselves into. Minimally, the internship manual should contain a description of the tasks, responsibilities, and learning experiences the student can expect. Additional information which students find helpful in an internship manual Include things like professional attire expectations, hours of work, availability of a desk and computer, name and position of supervisor, evaluation criteria, frequency and extent of supervision, and description of the application process.
A thorough and discriminating intern selection process
Internships represent an opportunity for the vast majority of students to compete in the leisure services job market for the first time. They prepare a resume and cover letter with as much attention as they would for their first job. They prepare for interviews feeling their career is dependent on their successful ability to interview. It is important that agencies give students an opportunity to practice their application and interview skills in an effort to challenge and improve their ability to articulate their professional commitment and the knowledge and skills they can bring to a job. Students have expressed disappointment in agencies that have not given them a thorough interview and seem too eager to accept them.
Devoting as much attention to the interview process for interns as that given for employees also ensures both agencies and students have enough information to evaluate the appropriateness of the internship placement. Agency supervisors should expect students to come prepared with written internship and career goals. Spending adequate time interviewing intern candidates will
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also help determine whether there is a match between the staff member's supervisory style and the students needs. A good rapport between the supervisor and student is needed to effectively provide constructive criticism.
It would be naive to assume that students only select internships based on how well the agency's learning experiences meet their future career goals. Practical matters also play a part in students' selection of an internship agency. Of primary concern is the opportunity to receive some kind of remuneration (stipend, hourly/ weekly wage, housing, mileage reimbursement, or food allowance). Most universities prohibit or strongly discourage part-time jobs as they detract from the effort applied to the internship. Many park districts and departments are willing to offset student educational expenses by offering an hourly wage, or stipend. Twentythree of the 27 park departments listed in the 1997 IPRA Internship Directory offer students a stipend or wage ranging from $50/week to $200/week.
Another financial consideration for students is the location of the agency relative to their housing arrangements, whether they plan to live with parents, friends, spouse, or a significant other. The selection of an agency may be based on the agency best able to meet their goals within driving distance of their residence. Perhaps of even greater significance in a student's intern selection process is the opportunity for employment following the internship. Students often select agencies based on the knowledge that a position will be open close to the time of their graduation. Agencies that have staff who are well-respected and well-known are also sought by students as a way to enhance their networking and ultimate hiring potential.
When developing an internship program, or re-evaluating the effectiveness of an already established program, it may be helpful to discuss your program ideas with several different university recreation faculty. A working relationship between park departments and university programs creates an ideal situation for university faculty to keep abreast of what agencies have to offer students and for agencies to keep abreast of the base of knowledge students receive from universities. The responsibility for the preparation of future professionals lies not only with universities but also with agencies willing to devote the resources necessary to prepare the next generation of recreation and leisure professionals.
DR. CYNTHIA J. WACHTER
is a professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Illinois State
University,
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Illinois State University's (ISU) Recreation and Park Administration Department emphasizes the student's responsibility for selecting an internship that will best meet their career goals and their ongoing responsibility to communicate their needs and desires to the agency supervisor. ISU provides students with internship directories, Internet addresses, files of agency information, and computerized database agency information to assist with their internship search.
ISU provides guidance with the internship selection process through
a course that includes the following preparation assignments:
Students receive a letter grade for their 12-credit hour internship which motivates them to work harder than a pass/fail grade would require. Students are required to write biweekly reports, conduct a project, create a resource file, and participate in a midterm and final evaluation. University faculty visit in-state interns and their superviors once during the 12 weeks to discuss progress. At the conclusion of the internship, students share their experiences with future interns in an on-campus seminar as well as in a written evaluation. - Cynthia J. Wachter |
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