Tanya,
You bring up a great point. Sometimes students find a niche in a related field, or they want to expand their skills. Internships are a great way for them to help determine future directions.
Dr. James Willis III
I teach in an allied-health career college and I find that among other benefits, internships expose students to various aspects or specialities of their chosen career field. This provides an opportunity for a student to move from the "general" knowledge acquired in class to "specific" skills, possibly helping determine their future "speciality" within their field.
Dr Diana,
You bring up a good point with the terms of value. It serves the employer and possible employee quite well, especially in terms of getting on the job training.
Dr. James Willis III
Yolanda,
You make a great point about the comfort zone; the 'real world' is full of situations that are out of our 'comfort zones,' so the internship provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn how to cope in a safer environment.
Dr. James Willis III
Yes of course externship gives the students a growing experience and prepares them for the real world. externship is a great value to the student and the employer, they are able to see a student for a long period of time excel and possible hire.
As aninstructor I see an internship as the opportunity that our students have to practice the skills previously adquired, as well as to learn new skills and see the real-life working environment. Once they leave the classroom they are away from "their comfort zone". It is the time to show that place where the intership is occuring that you can be a good match for them.
Mignonne,
You bring up a great point. Often what we teach students is the 'theory' behind the knowledge, whereas working in the 'real world' is always a different story. Great point!
Dr. James Willis III
When students are placed at a site for externship, it is a real eye opener for most of them. They learn to interact with a complex variety of personalities and situations and therefore obtain a more realistic knowledge than what they learnt in class.
Khalid,
Excellent point! The assurance of quality is necessary on both parts in order to give students a good experience. Great point!
Dr. James Willis III
The internship would be beneficial if handled well at the internship site. If they just use the intern as cheap (or free) labor, then it may be detrimental to the student. Both the internship coordinator and on-site supervisor should ensure student time is well spent during the internship.
Tara,
That is very true; the internship is a lengthy interview. You are very right that it's important to prepare students for the reality of this; lessons of professionalism, sound judgment and attentiveness are all too important for this long-term interview.
Dr. James Willis III
It helps students network for potential job openeings when they graduate. We always tell our students how important it is to do a great job at clinical sites because it is really a job interview.
Kassy,
I think you're very right when it comes to 'interpersonal skills.' This is not learned through a textbook, it's learned on-the-job. More importantly, it's often learned most acutely when one encounters someone of a very different (even contrarian) point-of-view in the workplace. Excellent point!
Dr. James Willis III
These cannot be emphasized enough. Not only do students gain real-world experience, they also should gain interpersonal and professional skills that are not normally part of a curriculum.
Vickie,
Those mentorship opportunities are invaluable for students; with positive role models, they can learn professionalism, on-the-job ethics, and skills that otherwise wouldn't be available in a textbook. Then, hopefully, they will one day be mentors for the next generation...
Dr. James Willis III
Internships can often expose students to other career options or help establish a career path for students. Operating inside a professional organization helps with the understanding of the necessary steps for a chosen career path or career goal. The internship provides an opportunity to build a mentor relationship that goes beyond the length of the internship.
Internships are great resume enhancements. Employers looking for experienced individuals would prefer a student who completed an internship rather than a student who only completed coursework. Coursework is standard and repeats itself. It is planned by the instructor with an identifiable result. Internships allow students to grow by introducing them to real life experiences and unexpected circumstances that may arise.
Internship allows students to build the confidence of being able to apply their academic experience to real life scenarios. This gives them a sense of accomplishment in finally applying their learning experience in a professional setting. This will provide feedback for personal growth for the student and give them a chance to be evaluated by individuals that are working in the actual field. Students need to learn how to accept constructive criticism from individuals in the professional world and at the same time develop networking skills.
Joyce,
You're right that it does really depend on learning the facets of a particular occupation; internships are excellent for determining if an occupation is for the long-term or if more education is needed to make a change. Great point!
Dr. James Willis III
This is an excellent opportunity for the student to determine if he wants to continue this line of occupation. I think that is probably one of the most valuable things about having this experience.
