Internships are valuable opportunities for organizations, managers, and of course interns. Each part of an internship has a unique role and set of expectations which are covered in detail through these questions and answers.
- While there will be differences in background and work experiences among the students, there will be some common abilities and motivations. These include good analytical and research skills, being motivated by challenging work, wanting to make a difference, eagerness to learn about “real" organizations, and offering different perspectives.
- For the internship to be fully productive, organizations need to provide well-structured projects and a supervisor who has significant organizational experience and a practical understanding of how an intern will be effective in their role.
- Interns will want to get involved in as many projects as possible but may not have time to see a whole project from start to finish.
- Many interns will have had no exposure to the actual application of I-O, so solutions to problems may be very academic and not work in applied context.
- Interns will be looking to develop written and oral communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.
- Help introduce the intern to other employees of the company doing a range of work to get exposure to a variety of tasks. Do not have the intern do only menial chores (copying materials, creating binders, etc.).
- Organizations benefit from and thus need to develop relationships with graduate programs.
- Upon successful completion of an internship, interns may ask for access to data for future projects. Have a conversation about this issue early on if confidentiality or other issues will preclude such access.
- The intern may need to schedule around class schedules.
While there are many different types of internship opportunities, there should be some common expectations. Below is a brief list of what an intern should expect from their engagement:
- Roles on projects may be initially limited until experience is developed. While these roles may not appear substantive, their largest value is in being able to see and experience aspects of projects.
- It is unlikely to see a project through from start to finish, so ask questions to get an understanding of the entirety of the project.
- Participation in project work may be limited to one project in one area. Talk to people on other projects to explore other interests.
- There is more than one way to do almost everything in I-O. Learn from as many perspectives as possible.
- Seek out advice from non-I-Os in external consulting organizations. Many organizations work collaboratively across functions in the management of human capital consulting, so it can help to learn how different backgrounds conduct consulting work.
- Across all types of internships, expect to develop skills such as written and oral communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.
- Display professionalism at all times and behave with a high degree of personal integrity.
- Not all I-Os are good mentors. Talk with the internship manager to find a better fit if one person is not providing the best experience.
- It is helpful to know statistical analysis software, and standard business software for word processing, databases, and presentations.
- In advance of the internship, try to learn the sponsoring organization’s niche – for example, does the external consulting organization work with private sector or public sector clients? If the internship is internal to an organization’s HR department, what are the primary services that the department is responsible for? What is the mission of the government agency?
According to SIOP’s 2016 guidelines for education and training, “dual emphasis on theory and practice is needed regardless of a student’s intended career path.” The guidelines recommend that a specific competency, “professional skills,” in communications, business/research proposal development, consulting, and project management should be included. A 2011 survey of graduate students, faculty, and employers of I-O psychologists by SIOP’s Education and Training Committee highlights differences in perception and expectations about consulting and business skills.
The survey indicates that faculty perceive that they provide more opportunities and students perceive they receive fewer opportunities. Communication, influence and persuasion skills, and working in teams account for the biggest shortfalls in perceived opportunities.
Employer expectations were higher than what was delivered for all the consulting and business skills with the biggest gaps in four areas:
- Communication: 70% of employers expect moderate or greater communication skill levels but only 14% experienced new graduates‘ skills at that level
- The individual in the team: 77% of employers expect to see this skill to a great extent in new graduates but only 24% experienced new graduate skills at that level.
- Practical problem solving: 56% of employers expect to see this skill evident to a great extent in new graduates but only 12% report actually seeing it at that level.
- Integrating and utilizing information: 76% of employers expect this skill to a great extent but only 33% report that new I/O graduates possess the skill to that extent.
Graduate programs may fall short of fully preparing students in consulting and business skills. Internships can prepare graduates to meet the expectations of their employers as well as help graduate programs fulfill the expectations of their students.
Final Reminders
Take full advantage of the opportunity. Although a typical internship may not end in full-time employment, be sure to add value to the organization.
To search for internship openings in the SIOP Career Center. Type "internship" in the Keyword search box and click Search. Scroll down to see if there are any internships listed.