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

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

(7 reviews)

Christopher J. Mruk, Bowling Green State University

John C. Moor, Bowling Green State University

Copyright Year: 2020

Publisher: Bowling Green State University Libraries

Language: English

Formats Available

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CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews

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

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. read more

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

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

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

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... read more

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

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... read more

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

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

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

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,... read more

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

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... read more

Table of Contents

  • Chapter 1: What This Book is About and How to Use It
  • Chapter 2: Finding and Preparing for a Suitable Internship Site
  • Chapter 3: Getting Started at the Site
  • Chapter 4: Using Supervision Effectively
  • Chapter 5: The Importance of Ethics
  • Chapter 6: Appreciating Cultural Diversity (Multiculturalism)
  • Chapter 7: Learning to Be Competent
  • Chapter 8: Completing the Internship

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About the Book

There are several textbooks for students whose majors include internships in human services, broadly defi­­­ned, such as case management, counseling, criminal justice, and social work. Most of these books are written in an academic format. Typically, it involves an introduction to a theoretical orientation that concerns working with others followed by a series of chapters devoted to learning professional skills associated with a given discipline. This approach is fine, as far as it goes, but also has two drawbacks. One is that the texts are usually sold by main stream publishers, which means they are expensive. Another is that they seldom address what might be described as the experiential dimension of the internship that most beginners face on their own. This new book addresses both concerns. The fact that it is offered as a free text addresses the first issue, of course, but the second one requires a new approach. It began with asking students to talk about what they experienced when going through their first internship and what they would tell others about how to make it a successful one. That work led to a structured narrative about basic practical topics, such as finding an internship, getting started there, making effective use of supervision, understanding ethics, appreciating cultural diversity, becoming competent, and completing the internship. The text includes descriptions, suggestions, and exercises. It may be used as either a primary course text or, due to its relative brevity, a supplemental one. Although the lead editor is an experienced clinician and professor who has supervised internships for a variety of human services majors over many years, the book was written with and for students to make it more readable and more useful.

About the Contributors

Editors

Chris Mruk is a professor of psychology at Bowling Green State University and has offered internships for undergraduate human services majors as well as doctoral students in psychology for some 30 years. He also had a “real job,” as his wife is fond of saying, before coming to academia when he worked as a clinical psychologist. That experience includes employment in an inpatient psychiatric unit, supervising a heroin addiction program in Detroit, working as a crisis intervention expert in one of the nation’s first two 24-hour full-service emergencies psychiatric services, being a therapist in a community mental health center, directing a college counseling service at St. Francis University (Pennsylvania), and consulting for the Firelands Regional Medical System in Sandusky, Ohio. He has written a number of clinically-oriented books, one of which is in its 4th edition, as well as some 30 chapters and articles. Chris is the recipient of a number of teaching awards, including an appointment as a Professor of Teaching Excellence at Bowling Green State University. Details concerning his background can be found at www.cmruk.org. His primary duties in writing the book concerned its content and structure.

John Moor is a Teaching Professor in the Humanities Department at Bowling Green State University, Firelands. He has been teaching composition classes at the college since 1988. Before that, he taught high school English for 6 ½ years. He received his B.A. in English at Bowling Green State University in 1977 and his M.A. in Mass Communications from the same institution in 1988. He has written for several local weekly and monthly newspapers over the years. When he’s not grading student essays, he enjoys projects such as this—revising and editing manuscripts. (Really!)

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