Internships Open Doors to Your Future Career
Our recent survey of Hispanic students who have gone on to careers in engineering, technology, or science reveals widespread agreement on at least one point: A successful internship can open the door to future employment and a successful career. But what makes a good internship? More important, what skills do you need to get one?
We asked major companies and government agencies to tell us what they think about internships, what they look for in interns, and what an internship can mean to employers and students alike.
What makes a great internship?
Organizations that get the most out of their internship programs agree that this requires careful planning, effective communications within the organization, management support, and "real-life" work assignments that benefit both the organization and the student.
According to America Online, "a few key elements" that make a great internship include clear and frequent communication between the interns and their managers; assignments that allow the interns to stretch their skills while adding value to the team; and a program structure that provides opportunities to interact with other interns and staff.
Lloyd Howell, vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, believes, "It is important to give the intern meaningful work, where what they do makes a real contribution to the success of a project."
Paulette Boggs, director of Corporate Staffing and Diversity for Consumers Energy, says that a great internship results in part from "a specific set of goals and objectives for the intern and a supervisor who is patient and willing to teach, provide guidance and constructive criticism, and is open to new ideas and approaches."
Marenda Caldwell, Industrial Engineering Work Measurement manager at United Parcel Service, says, "Internships can be win-win situations for both the company and employee, when assignments have meaning, are challenging, and relationships are fostered. The interns' level of confidence in their managers' knowledge, leadership skills, and career development skills is critical to having a great internship."
What makes a great intern?
It takes a combination of professional skills and personal attributes to be a successful intern, employers say.
At Cox Enterprises, according to Manager of Diversity Rosalynne Price, the best interns are curious, respectful, possess integrity, and are willing to take risks. Cox wants an intern who is "a bright, interested person who is willing to learn, to share his/her perspective, to take on any tasks asked, to initiate and complete necessary helpful work that might have gone undone had they not been there, and to provide feedback to the organization."
Kevin P. McAllister, engineer/recruiter at E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, in Orange, Texas, seeks interns who are "technically and socially competent, willing to learn and be exposed to different paradigms of thinking." He believes that "interns should be comfortable working on teams, giving presentations...and have sound analytical and oral skills."
Natausha Gaudin, staffing recruiter, and Sarah Yeager, college relations consultant, at Entergy Corporation agree that while technical skills are essential, personal qualities are also important. Entergy seeks interns who are team players, "personable, hardworking, self-starter(s), creative thinkers...(who) possess a strong work ethic (and) integrity."
Ted Childs Jr., vice president of Global Workforce Diversity at IBM Corporation, emphasizes the importance of being flexible and adaptable "to adjust to the ever-changing business cycles and environment." At IBM, he says, "We look for demonstrated leadership, good communication skills, both oral and written, self-initiative, and desire to make a difference...."
Melissa R. Carlson is a college recruiting/intern program coordinator for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). She says, "Great interns are energetic, enthusiastic...and are willing to work hard." SAIC seeks interns who "are interested in discovering what is available to them...and are interested in becoming a part of the team and interacting with their coworkers."
Internship as Job Interview
Internships are a dress rehearsal for life, a chance for students to gain real-world experience in their field. Internships also give employers a chance to recruit and evaluate future employees.
Corning Incorporated has hired about one in 10 of its interns over the past years, according to Chris Parsnip, human resource manager.
IBM's Ted Childs says, "Our program is considered a major channel to our university hires. Every year, hundreds of former co-ops and interns are hired into regular IBM positions upon graduation."
At Lockheed Martin Corporation, says Campus Recruiting Representative Margaret V. Ledesma Walker, "Consideration is given to former interns for full-time positions because they have gained corporate knowledge, have previous program experience, and a willingness to work at Lockheed Martin."
What About the $$$?
Can you expect to get paid during your internship? Maybe. Maybe not. Some employers do pay interns a salary, while others will help pay for at least a portion of living expenses. So be sure to ask.
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Employers Talk about Internships
America Online, Inc.
"At America Online we hire interns in just about every area of our business, including Marketing, Corporate Communications, Technology Development, Network Operations, Brand Promotions, Global Access Networks, Internal Computing, and Member Services, to name just a few."
Avon Products, Inc.
Taylor Lewis, SPHR
Human Resources Generalist
"At the branch level, we offer internships in our operations departments, to include engineering, materials management, order fulfillment, MIS, and logistics."
Booz Allen Hamilton
Lloyd Howell
Vice President
"At Booz Allen, interns work in areas from software development and testing to economic and business analysis -- from information security to telecommunications projects. While most of our internships are technical, we source all universities, consider different degree fields to provide internships in our U.S.-based offices."
Consumers Energy
Paulette Boggs
Director of Corporate Staffing and Diversity
"We offer summer internships to college students in the areas of engineering, accounting, human resources, information services and technology, finance, and related fields. The process of hiring interns begins each January."
Corning Incorporated
Chris Parsnip
Human Resource Manager
"(Corning is offering) varied experiences within technical, manufacturing, engineering, and business support functions."
Cox Enterprises
Rosalynne Price
Manager of Diversity
"(Our) newspapers routinely have internships. (Our) other business locations have interns as needs and opportunities dictate."
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
"Our Internship Program offers an opportunity for highly motivated, intercultural, open-minded, and inspired college students who are willing to gain experiences in an international company and willing to be assigned to the Asia/Pacific region."
Dell Inc.
Pamela Everett Dickie
Senior World Wide Staffing Manager
"Dell is committed to building a pipeline of talented, diverse individuals to meet current and future staffing needs."
E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company
Kevin P. McAllister
Engineer/Recruiter
"DuPont has internships for engineering, computer science, and business majors in multiple plant operations and offices."
Entergy Corporation
Natausha Gaudin, Staffing Recruiter
Sarah Yeager, College Relations Consultant
"For engineers, we have opportunities in our Nuclear & Fossil generation plants, as well as our Transmission and Distribution groups. These opportunities are located throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Texas."
Frito-Lay, Inc.
Michael Embry
Human Resources Staffing Manager
"(We are looking for) interns with engineering degrees, technical knowledge, (and) leadership experience."
IBM Corporation
Ted Childs Jr.
Vice President, Global Workforce Diversity
"IBM's Employment Program for Interns and Co-ops (EPIC) is a year-round student employment program which utilizes both students seeking internships and cooperative education work experience. In the United States, IBM employs approximately 2,000 students annually. These positions match students in the fields of engineering, computer science, and various business disciplines...."
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Margaret V. Ledesma Walker
Campus Recruiting Representative
"Lockheed Martin offers internships at its businesses nationwide. The corporation generally employs about 1,300 interns each year.... LM also offers a limited number of co-op positions for students on this track."
Science Applications International Corporation
Melissa R. Carlson
College Recruiting/Intern Program Coordinator
"SAIC offers challenging technical and business-related internships throughout our company. Positions are typically available for computer science, engineering, political science, environmental science, and finance majors."
Telcordia Technologies
"Internships [are available] as software developers, software testers, and researchers."
United Parcel Service
Marenda Caldwell
Industrial Engineering Work Measurement Manager
"We participate in a number of programs such as INROADS, GIFT, and local college's senior design internships, as well as direct hire of interns."
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Cheryl Y. Johnson
Assistant Director for Media Relations
"(We have a) Management Trainee Program which we consider far (better) than an internship."
