Communication and the Internship: The Roles of Program Directors and Teachers in Facilitating Change  

This panel addresses the necessity of dialogue within and about the technical communication workplace of the future as it mixes scholarship, classroom practice, and the reports of corporate technical communication managers to offer a comprehensive approach to the analysis of internship data and the productive use of internship experiences.

Fink, Bonnie L. and Alice l. Philbin. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Internships

Communication and the Internship: The Roles of Program Directors, Teachers, and Corporate Supervisors in Facilitating Change  

The quality of internships for students and for employers is highly influenced by how well the students and employers are prepared for them. In this segment, we discuss how academia can prepare students so that students and their employers get the most out of internships. We suggest a model that academia and employers can use to identify skills and knowledge students require now and in the future to ensure successful internships. We identify the need for employers to produce a quality internship environment that takes full advantage of the students’ skills and knowledge. And, we’ll discuss how academia and employers collaborate to continually enhance the quality of internship programs.

English, Kathleen A. and Barry Jereb. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Internships

Developing a Successful, Low-Maintenance Internship Program  

EDS High Tech Publications has developed a successful, low maintenance internship program. The program was designed to meet the needs of all the participants. EDS cultivates a talent pool to hire from and provides training for their own employees. Interns develop jobs skills and gain experience. The schools establish ties with local professionals.

Smimov, Lynette L.. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Internships>Education

Expanding Internships to Enhance Academic-Industry Relations: A Perspective in Stakeholder Education    

To improve technical communication education, educators and internship providers need to find ways to revise internship experiences so that educators, internship providers, and students/interns can use internship experiences in a way that benefits all three parties. This article uses a stakeholder education approach to propose two new kinds of internship processes to benefit all three groups. The first approach--colloquia--allows all three parties to interact via the same scheduled event. The second approach--student publications groups--shifts internship from a workplace to a school activity. By including such approaches into their curricula, technical communication programs can both improve their relationships with local internship providers and improve the training received by their students.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2003). Careers>Internships>Industry and Academy

Internships: Getting Your Foot in the Door

Through internships and other practical experiences outside of the traditional employment situation, both students and employers benefit. Students benefit by gaining some work experience that they can put on their resume and employers benefit from lower cost in workforce for a particular project. Most colleges and universities recognize internship experiences related to a student's chosen field of study for credit. These are structured experiences or contracted experiences monitored by a supervisor on the job site and from the school.

Gillis, Tamara. IABC (2006). Careers>Internships

Learning from Our Students: Insights from Internships  

Wise teachers know how to learn from their students. This paper draws on the work-experience journals of graduate students in Northeastern University’s Masters in Technical and Professional Writing (MTPW) program. Written from 1993 through 1996, the journals provide insights from these internships so that we, the teachers, can better prepare future students for the world of technical communication.

Krupp, Marguerite. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Internships>Education

Summer Internship @ Google, Inc.: Accessibility Experiences

This paper summarizes some of the major lessons learned about conducting usability tests with visually impaired participants while working as interns at Google, Inc. The lessons were in four major areas: (1) recruitment and scheduling, (2) preparing the usability lab for testing sessions, (3) using think-aloud protocol with screen readers, and (4) helping observers to get the most out of the test sessions.

Shaikh, A. Dawn and Philip Strain. Usability News (2007). Careers>Internships>Accessibility>Visual

What I Did for My Summer Vacation: A Case Study of a Partnership Between a Product Information Department and a Local High School   

The Unisys Mission Viejo facility and the Capistrano Valley High School, both in Mission Viejo, California, were able to achieve a mutually beneficial partnership when an English teacher (Anthony Pastizzo) with an unusual perspective on learning and a Product Information manager (David Robinson) with a strong commitment to education got together. Mr. Pastizzo's summer internship in the Unisys Product Information department led to high school student internships in many departments. Other positive results may also follow. The internships also produced some unexpected positive results within the Unisys facility.

Larsen, Marc R., Anthony Pastizzo, David Robinson and Melanie Silver. STC Proceedings (1999). Careers>Internships>Mentoring

Workplace Recommendations for Interns and New Hires  

This paper presents suggestions to help interns and new hires adjust to the workplace in business or government. They include avoiding personal use of company equipment; controlling use of cell phones and computers; observing telephone and voicemail etiquette; opening only business-related email; learning about the organization's culture; dressing appropriately; participating actively in meetings; being punctual; remembering names; behaving appropriately in social interactions with other staff; being courteous; and having a positive, constructive attitude. The suggestions are designed to enable the intern or new hire to create a good impression and increase their chances of success in the organization.

Samson, Donald C., Jr. STC Proceedings (2005). Careers>Internships>Workplace