The Value of Professional Internships William H. Hoyt, Ph D, CPG-7015
Chair, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Northern Colorado
Michael J. Urban, Ph D, MEM-1910 Chair, Dept. of Professional Education, Bemidji State University (Minnesota)
Why Internships?
Reflecting on the careers of many students we have seen over several decades, it has become clear to us that many (if not most) of our highly success- ful students completed a professional internship with some outside agency, field camp, company, school, or organiza- tion. In fact, it could be argued that our own positions as Department Chairs had their roots in undergraduate and gradu- ate internship experiences of various types. Informal surveys of colleagues in mid-to-late career stages reveal that almost all count internship experiences as foundational to their success and professional development.
Though some programs of study require internships (for example, field geology camps or student teaching), many degree programs do not require them. However, as time goes on and the competition for good jobs intensi- fies, the need for undergraduate and graduate students to undertake intern- ships is increasing. There is even a new kind of master’s degree (Professional Science Masters-PSM) that the Council of Graduate Schools started several years ago that requires a profession- al internship as an integral part of the graduate degree. The University of Northern Colorado plans to offer an Environmental Sciences PSM starting in 2015-16. Our interest in starting such a degree was spurred by some of our geol- ogy graduates coming back and telling us that it took as long as 25 years to become CEO of their companies simply because they lacked the professional skills and habits of mind that they needed to get there quicker.
The first internship I (WHH) sent a student to in 1984 was the Sea Education Association (SEA), and it completely changed that student’s career trajectory.
I tell you Fred’s story (not his real name) in hopes that you will see some of your- self in it; we certainly see aspects of our own professional development in parts of this story. Academically, Fred was average—he had not exactly “clothed himself in glory,” as one of my mentors put it! Fred’s work suggested he might not even graduate. A certain restlessness characterized his academic career, but underlying it was a passion and a spark for authentic learning. Fred returned a completely changed person from his six weeks of shore training and six weeks at sea. He graduated with a strong record, but what earned him the job as a marine mammal trainer was his SEA training and the confidence it gave him.
Student teaching and other in-school practicum field experiences are types of professional internships with specific titles and many rules. There is truly an art to good teaching; some future teach- ers who are sitting in college classrooms across the country may not appear to be the most academically astute or outgoing individuals. However, a funny thing hap- pens to many when they get up in front of a group of kids; they transform into perfectly eloquent speakers who engage and nurture. And for many of them, being connected with the right mentor- ing teacher makes all the difference.
At times, I (MJU) know it can be diffi- cult for students to see the end-goal when sitting in class studying and writing; internships, and in this case, practical field experiences, immerse students in the realm they wish to reside in, and the experience shapes them the rest of the way – into becoming true professionals. One particular student, who I will call Mary, was not a very ambitious student in class; she seemed disengaged and disinterested in coursework. I had night- mares thinking about how she might
interact with her students in class once she became a teacher. I half-expected her cooperating (or mentoring) teacher to report Mary as having difficulty relating to students. When I went to her school to observe her student teaching, she was in complete control of the classroom, and she had let her personality show through, by using play-on-words, puns, and humor to engage her students. One could probably just as easily argue that the experience enabled the student teacher to flourish, as the experience molded the student teacher. Either way, the professional “student teaching” internship is a positive experience for future educators.
Tangible Benefits You can Bank on
Is there something about student internship experiences that universally benefits students in their career develop- ment and greatly increases their promise of career success? We contend that there is, and that ALL undergraduate stu- dents should actively seek internships. A variety of stakeholders have recently weighed in on the importance and value of internships (Smith, 2014 in Forbes Magazine; McGuire, 2014; Big Future- College Board, 2014; College Parents of America, 2014; and
About.com, 2014). Among the valuable outcomes of getting an internship that are documented by these studies are:
Learning how to apply for a job and representing yourself in an interview (writing a cover letter, making a resume, networking, expressing what kinds of work you are good at, clari- fying and expressing your personal values);
Getting on-the-job experience (many jobs REQUIRE that you have prior experience, and a successful intern-
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