Entry by Pat Patterson
Intern site visits are a great idea for career services professionals who are interested in the work of their summer interns or who would like to build a better relationship with an employer(s).
A visit does not need to be formal – all you need are a few questions prepared in advance to ask your student and the employer about their experience. You may also choose to take a few photos to include in a story about a student’s experience to highlight in marketing material, your career services’ website, or your school’s blog.
Here are examples of some questions you may ask:
SITE VISIT QUESTIONS
Intern:
Tell us about the work youâve been doing during your internship experience.
What will you take away from this internship experience?
How has this internship experience influenced future career goals?
What has been the best/most challenging part of the internship experience?
Company/Organization:
How has this internship experience impacted your organization?
What type of professional growth have you observed from your intern?
What has been the best/most challenging part of the internship experience?
This summer, I have been conducting site visits for several high school students I have interning through a program managed by the Indianapolis Chamber. It is a rewarding experience to see students enjoying their internships and gaining insight into their potential career paths. Employers are also excited to showcase the work their interns are doing.
Here is a photo of a site visit I conducted recently where a student was able to learn more about a career as a veterinarian:
The student had been determining whether she wanted to be a zoologist or a veterinarian, and because of her internship, she was able to narrow down her choice. The employer was also happy with the intern’s work and glad that I visitied – it was their first year participating in the program and they even decided to take another intern for next year! If you do not conduct site visits, I would highly recommend starting.
As a side note, if you have not registered your career services department with Indiana INTERNnet, you can do so by contacting me at ppatterson@indianachamber.com or 317-264-6863. With an Indiana INTERNnet account, you will be able to monitor where your students are applying and interning. In addition, if you have a blog for your career services center, I would be glad to exchange blog links with you – just send me a link to your blog and will include it on our blog in exchange for a link to our blog from yours.
