By Dayna Collette

Internships are a bridge to the world of work. They result in professional connections, improved career-related skills and, most importantly, a significant increase in self-awareness. Has your son or daughter tried to get a job and can’t seem to get an interview? Are they unsure of what they want in their future? Perhaps they need to speak with a professional to find out what the “day to day” of a job is like? These are all very good reasons to steer your child towards an internship.

There are internships in nearly every career field. All your teenager needs is motivation, an interested supportive employer, a plan or set of goals to work towards, a lot of questions, a good work ethic and a positive attitude. While internships involve education, they are different from traditional classroom experiences. Internships are chosen and mostly designed by the student, and internships involve hands on, real-world work tasks. Internships can help your teenager understand what classes they should take in school that will be most useful to them in the future, and help them develop a plan for getting the most out of education and life.

There are several different avenues, organizations and people that can help your son or daughter take advantage of an internship. For example, Linking Learning to Life is a Burlington-based nonprofit that offers a statewide program called TIPS (Training Interns & Partnering for Success) that helps teens with job preparation and career awareness skills, and in setting up internship opportunities. Upper Valley Business and Education Partnership, based in Hanover, N.H., also links Vermont students and educators with community businesses.

Another path to internships is through your teenager’s teachers. If your daughter’s favorite class is accounting and she wants to pursue an internship experience, have her talk with her accounting teacher. The teacher may have a business or community connection, and might also know if students receive academic credit for work outside of the classroom.

You can also urge your son or daughter to visit a business of his or her choice to find out about internship opportunities. In all cases, they will need a professional resume and cover letter, reviewed by at least two adults.  They will also need to be somewhat knowledgeable about the specific business and the career field. Offer assistance to your child in researching aspects about the chosen career field and business. And most importantly, your teenager needs to be ready to behave professionally. To make sure the internship is a successful one, it is vital for your teenager to know these keys to achievement:

1)    show up early, dress appropriately

2)    show interest and passion for the position

3)    listen to the needs and instructions of the supervisor and take notes to show your interest in what he or she is saying

4)    ask as many questions as possible

5)    apply strengths and be willing to improve weaknesses

6)    ask for a letter of recommendation

7)    ask what skills and training are needed to be successful in this field

8)    maintain a positive attitude

9)    don’t make personal calls during work hours

Below is some feedback from students who have interned with local companies:

“I had to give my own presentation on the research I had done for Planned Parenthood in front of about 20 people in the room, as well as a few from New York. I did it though, and was happy to find that I was able to talk within the discussions and have my ideas written down on the ‘idea board’.  During the meeting it was a little scary voicing my high schooler opinion to a room of college educated professionals, but I found that they actually needed me and they helped.” — Lauren Muckstadt, Essex High School Senior, interned at Kelliher Samets Volk, 2010

“When my supervisor was talking to me I was always looking at her to show her how much I wanted to learn, so she could be happy to teach me what I wanted to know. I asked questions when I didn’t know something or saw something new that she was doing. When I left the internship, I felt like I got rid of something, I took a deep breath and told myself that I will get used to being at my internship. The good thing is that I was positive all the time and I was trying to develop my communication skills. I learned that I’m an outgoing person, but I just have to believe in myself.” – Vertu Dzingou, Burlington High School Junior, interned at Rehab Gym of Colchester, 2010

If you have further questions about internships or other community-based learning opportunities contact Dayna Collette at dcollett@bsdvt.org or visit www.LLLvt.org.

 

Dayna Collette is the Student Internship Specialist at Linking Learning to Life in Burlington.