Succeeding at Your Internship: A Handbook Written for and with Students

Reviewed by Sara Schulz, Assistant Professor, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on 4/18/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I feel is does a complete yet simple explanation to help guide students to the experience. I also like that there is an attempt to understand the student's perspective of going into each portion of the experience.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I think it is accurate and mostly unbiased. I think student with real unique internship experiences may have to "read between the lines" to make connections. I do feel there was a good effort and there is no way to possible cove revery type of internship a student may need.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I am not an experience internship advisor. This is my first semester in overseeing and being the instructor of this type of program. While reading the book, all of the experiences and ideas shared were very much what I have been sorting out. It was confirmation for me and also will help ease some of the students' questions and concerns, even if it is just to know what they are feeling is normal and here's what you can do.

Clarity rating: 5

I think the preface to the book cleared much of the terminologies intended use.

Consistency rating: 4

I do feel it was consistent.

Modularity rating: 4

Perhaps the format, as far as being a true guide could be developed for easier viewing or locating specific suggestions under each chapter. Quick reference guide idea.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Flow was natural and order was logical.

Interface rating: 5

I like the given "case studies" or examples.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar was and I found no errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Felt culturally it was very appropriate.

Comments

I was excited to see this book. It will make a good guide for our department. Our students have recently been required to complete an internship piece to our program. Students are a little lost and slow in securing an internship. This will be a huge help, in understanding and completing all the required steps.
In addition, I was impressed that the authors addressed appropriate behavior, dress, and emphasizing also that the students are representing the college.
I felt it is a good guide that understand and show compassion for all the feelings students may be experiencing.
I plan to use attach this to our first summer internship module for constant reference while students are completing their experience.

Reviewed by Gwenda Hawk, Associate Professor and Chair, Legal Studies, Johnson County Community College on 5/12/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text provides a broad overview of various challenges and learning opportunities an internship might present.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The text approaches the difficult task of addressing various viewpoints about controversial topics, but remains focused on the important point that internships involve dealing with people and every person the intern encounters should receive individual respect and attention, professionally. It also points out situations that could turn dangerous or involve inappropriate behavior, with advice for how to handle those.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Some of the terminology and implications could be updated, but so much of it is changing quickly, especially gender- and sex-related terminology.

Clarity rating: 5

The text provides definitions for important (and potentially unfamiliar) terms at the beginning of each chapter and a glossary for reference at the end. Sentence structure throughout is not overly complicated and communicates clearly.

Consistency rating: 4

Text uses terminology somewhat consistency, with a disclaimer at the beginning for times it does not. However, my personal preference would be to be consistent throughout, after providing a disclaimer at the beginning that the use of one term includes several. (Example: use "college" throughout after describing at the beginning that the term includes universities and colleges; use "internship" throughout after describing at the beginning that the term applies to practicums as well, etc.)

Modularity rating: 5

Text is appropriately organized.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Text is organized appropriately.

Interface rating: 4

Because this is an electronically available document, I would like to see more interactive text, such as hyperlinks from the table of contents to each chapter.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Setting aside the personal gender identification of individuals, please use unambiguous pronouns by identifying an "intern" or "client" in your examples by the person's gender and then use the appropriate pronoun to refer to the person afterward. Example: don't use "they" for the "intern"--unless the "intern" in the example has been identified as using plural pronouns. Some college programs are teaching writing courses and training students on grammar and students still use pronouns incorrectly -- students use "they" when referring to an individual who identifies as female with "she"--students need to know to use "she" or how to rewrite sentences appropriately for unknown gender identification. Using "they" for unknown situations becomes blurred with the times students use "they" even though the gender is known to be one sex or the other. Unambiguously written text would help us continue to do our job teaching correct grammar to students, or at least teaching grammar as it evolves or does not (as some fields treat grammar rules differently).

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The text attempts to be sensitive, but "sensitivity" is a moving target. Text does a decent job of balancing differing viewpoints and remaining focused on the job: training interns for their internships. Some terminology and references could be updated.

Reviewed by Myke Selha, Assistant Professor, Grand View University on 12/22/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

When it comes to field experiences, i.e., internships and practicums, in human service-related fields, each college and university has its own procedures and expectations. Even within a particular school each discipline (social work, human services, criminal justice, etc.) has different requirements. Given its attempt to serve as a resource for any permutation of the above, this text does a good job of covering most of the important topics and concepts needed to be successful in an internship. At the same time, there is plenty of room for adapting the book to varied situations.

The glossary and index are effective and efficient.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content presented appears to be accurate and no information is misrepresented or biased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The information shared in this text will be useful for a significant amount of time. In the areas that might have changes, ethics for example, the text is general enough to still be useful. One major absence from the text, however, is an in-depth discussion on technology and its use in internships. However, including this topic might have an impact on the text’s longevity.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in a clear manner. Because much of it is based on previous students’ experiences, it uses an accessible level of language. When jargon is used, it is quickly defined.

Consistency rating: 5

Each chapter consists of an introduction, followed by “key words” with their definitions. Each chapter ends with two or more activities to reinforce chapter themes.

Modularity rating: 5

Because there is a such a variance in the ways schools and programs operate their field experiences, it is very important that any text in this area be adaptable and able to be utilized as needed. This text does a better job at this than most. Some of the chapters are more useful before a student starts their internship, while others are more relevant once the internship has started.

Each of the chapters can stand on their own. Changing the order or, or even excluding, chapters will not have an impact of the remaining ones. Headings are readily used to help identify sections that could be skipped or rearranged.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Because of the individual level difference in internship experiences, it is challenging for an internship text to accurately predict in what order all students will experience different concepts. Most textbooks on this topic try to fit in a semester-long format. Unfortunately, this means students might experience in week 4 what is discussed in chapter 14. This text, however, avoids this problem by having fewer chapters. While the first half is chronological for the typical internship, chapters 4-7 highlight the specific content that will help ensure a successful experience.

Interface rating: 3

The text is only available via a pdf format. This can make it more challenging to highlight specific passages. It also means a student will need to have internet available to store the document on the cloud or have enough memory to download the document, which can create an accessibility issue.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text contains no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text has an entire chapter on helping students increase their cultural competence and to appreciate cultural diversity. This chapter is presented in a manner that reduces the likelihood of defensiveness by the reader.

Comments

It might be nice to add some graphics to help increase engagement with the book. It would also help, since it is a pdf format, to have the capacity to download a chapter at a time.

Reviewed by Christine Kefford, Lecturer, Hawaii Community College on 11/3/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

SCORE: 5
This book was very thorough in its discussions of all aspects of internship, from initial feelings and thoughts a student may have, through developing practice at the site, and termination. Concepts such as ethics, cultural awareness and competence, and self-care are explored in depth.

Having this text would demystify the practicum experience. Although an instructor will cover as much as they can in class process, having this text as a supplementary tool could ensure that all aspects of internship would be addressed. The exercises in particular would assist with class process. These exercises will also prepare the student for future work in agencies.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

SCORE: 5
I found this text to be accurate, error-free and unbiased. It was written by students, drawing from their own scholastic and practicum experiences.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

SCORE: 5
This textbook arose from a relationship the author had with a student who was already working in the human services field, and who wanted to become an author. They developed a foundation, which was built upon by subsequent practicum cohorts. The chapters are based on student experiences, with real-life information and exercises to underscore learnings. Student feedback informed the editing of the book to ensure it was relevant and useful.
Because the content is written by and for students, it will not become obsolete. The text discusses the process of internship from a practical viewpoint, and also from feelings that may arise with the student. Acknowledgment of this aspect makes this book very relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

SCORE: 5
The text was easy to read and user-friendly. Although the tone was more informal than some textbooks, it was still appropriate for a scholastic setting, and written in a way that students would find more approachable and interesting.

Consistency rating: 5

SCORE: 5
Each chapter explores topics thoroughly; the flow of the chapters themselves make sense, and the order in which the information is presented makes sense. Terminology was introduced in a “Key Words” format, explicated in the text, and included in the glossary.

Modularity rating: 5

SCORE: 5
There was a bit of overlap in some chapters, which in my mind is good. This lends itself to reinforcement of previous concepts introduced, and to using chapters in a stand-alone lesson as needed. Concepts “overlapped” into subsequent chapters were explained in greater detail. One reviewer remarked that this book would be best used in its entirety, and I would agree with that.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

SCORE: 5
This text is very thorough. The chapters are ordered well and thoughtfully. There are activities and quizzes at the end of chapters which could be used in the classroom setting to process textbook findings, and experiences at the practicum site.

Interface rating: 4

SCORE: 4
The text is a pdf; there are no navigational issues. There were no pictures provided. The Times New Roman font may not be readily accessible to sight-impaired students using a reader program.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

SCORE: 5
There were no grammatical errors to my knowledge.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

SCORE: 5 Cultural concerns were briefly brought up in the context of ethical practice in Chapter 5, The Importance of Ethics. Chapter 6, Appreciating Cultural Diversity (Multiculturalism) is a stand-alone chapter on cultural sensitivity, awareness, and competence. I particularly appreciated the acknowledgment and discussions of cultural differences within various age groups.

Comments

This book will be a great addition to the practicum classes I currently teach, offering structure to a class that is mainly process-oriented.

Reviewed by Kathleen Berry, Adjunct Professor, Massasoit Community College on 6/16/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book covers all facets of internship from selecting, interviewing, and experiencing the internship.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the book to be very accurate, and would also be beneficial for job seeking.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is very relevant, especially for a generation of students who may not have been exposed to soft skills.

Clarity rating: 5

The publication is clearly written for any degree program. I did not feel overwhelmed by jargon, and appreciated the key definitions at the beginning of each chapter.

Consistency rating: 5

I did not find any inconsistencies. The chapters flowed well, and terminology was consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

Because an internship is a process, I believe the book should be followed as written. It is possible to divide some chapters into 2 or more class sessions, but I would not rearrange the way I would teach the material.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book was well organized from the consideration to, through completion of, an internship.

Interface rating: 4

My only negative comment is the font. The author uses Times New Roman, which is a difficult font for screen readers (for visually impaired readers) to interpret. I would recommend any sans serif font like Calibri or Arial. Changing the font would adhere to universal design and ADA requirements.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I found the text to be equitable and not insensitive to any cultures.

Comments

Easy to read, not an overwhelming amount of jargon, a great tool!

Reviewed by Tia Tyree, Professor, Howard University on 2/21/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text would be a great addition to any internship and practicum course. Many faculty may not choose to select a book for this type of course, as not to overburden students who are committing so much time to their site. Yet, the book's focus, layout, index, glossary and chapter activities all make this text worthy of using in course.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Overall, the text does provide what is an accurate understanding of what it means to be an intern. More specifically, it offers a good idea of what it means to be a student in an internship course, which is different from a voluntary internship. However, it is important for instructors to read the text to provide clarity in some aspects, as some information could be problematic like instructing students to familiarize themselves with rules and regulations a "few days" into an internship. If this occurs, student could be well into violating company policies.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text was said to be developed over a 10-year period, with a release in 2020. Thus, the knowledge created could really be considered evergreen content. This can be seen as a positive for many instructors, as it covers many of the basic problems that students might encounter. The issue then becomes how do we take into account how students are looking for internships at the current time. How does technology, social media and software differ now versus 10 years ago. Most importantly, what is the culture of the workforce now? The staple information in the text is well worth using, but supplements might be needed to bring a clearer picture of today's workplace into focus. If not, authors could easily update the text.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is really written well and free of jargon. College students would likely find it easy to follow and finish. The first chapter also provides a great understanding of the goal of the book, and it really outlines what will be found. Perhaps, the best aspect of the text is that it is written in second person. By directly addressing the reader in this manner, it comes across as a very personal, friendly and conversational text.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent in its terminology, and it does use language acceptable in today's workplace.

Modularity rating: 5

The book has eight chapters, and several subsections are presented in each. There's also activity sections present in chapters. While the authors could really benefit from creating a more detailed table of contents to better showcase the many ideas present in the chapters, this doesn't take away from the organization and overall positive presentation of the text,

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The flow of the chapters makes sense. It is presented by discussing how to look for an internship, and it ends with completing the internship. What is presented between these two chapters are the ways in which students can be successful, understand the internship site and, most importantly, understand themselves as an intern.

Interface rating: 5

The text is a simple PDF. There are no distortions of images or charts, as there are none. The presentation of text within boxes present no issues to the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is error-free.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The text does work to provide an understanding of several cultural issues, including diversity and sexual orientation. Where it lacks is having a straight-forward conversation about race and sexual harassment. Today's climate requires that students be aware of what to do when they are impacted by racial and sexual harassment issues in the workplace. The book should be updated to be more mindful of helping students not only identify when they may experience harassment in the workplace, but what to do when this occurs. This not only includes placing a complete section in the book, but ensuring it is present in the glossary and index.

Comments

Mentoring is a key part of the internship process. From finding an onsite mentor to help navigate the worksite to tapping into already existing mentors to help receive advice and technical help, the text could benefit from helping students understand the benefits of obtaining a mentor or connecting with a previous one to assist with their internship experience.

Reviewed by Michael Slavkin, Assistant Professor of Psychological Services and Counseling, Marian University on 12/6/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text is thorough and does a good job illuminating key components of practicum and internship experiences. It works well with placements for human services, social work, and counseling students. The text includes a glossary and strong index that gives information effective for students to organize their experiences and learning over the course of their internship.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate and provides an unbiased content for student practica and internships. The content is detailed and gives clear information to guide the process involved in placing, orienting, engaging, and evaluating students during their placements.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text is written clearly and with easy-to-read content. The text provides information that is likely to be timely and contemporary for an extensive period of time. The text is written in such a way as to be easily adaptable for semester and year-long practicum and internships. It will be strong to implement in course management systems.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in clear and accessible text. It provides adequate content with limited jargon. Whatever technical writing is used is appropriately details and the terminology is define and explored.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. It is coherent material and has excellent cohesion that will be clear for those in the social sciences performing their internships.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is organized well into 8 chapters. It is divisible into smaller sections that could be organized into individual modules in a course management systems. It is adaptable into subheadings and subjects that guide the students' learning.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text's topics are presented in a logical and clear fashion. It is easily to examine the text and use the sub-topics that can guide assignments, activities, and learning throughout the course.

Interface rating: 5

The text is free of interface issues. The text has no navigation problems. Charts, images, and displayed features are clear. The material is not a distraction and do not confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text has no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The content of the text has material and language that addresses diverse experiences and multicultural content. The diversity of experiences is evident, although the authors' background is unclear.

Comments

I am impressed that the authors of the text include both a faculty member and a student who felt passionate about open education resources. The material is told from both faculty and intern perspectives. The material includes helpful strategies to effectively organize the internship. The material is relevant and timely, and appears easily reviewed by students and faculty alike.