How an Internship Can Pave the Way to Your Career

Summary:
Internships provide an opportunity to further your knowledge of a chosen field, gain contacts in the corporate sector and build a credible track record as an employee.

Well Begun Is Half Done

What Internships Provide the Career Seeker

What Internships Provide the Organization

Helpers

Well Begun Is Half Done (Part II)

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Well Begun Is Half Done

Eric Patterson is an intelligent and articulate young blind man who has used internships to set him on a solid path to a successful career. I met him through the University of Washington DO-IT Careers program. DO-IT stands for Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology. Sara Lopez, Project Coordinator for DO-IT Careers, says Patterson's career management journey is a model success story. Not only has Patterson taken advantage of the opportunities presented to him, she points out, but he's also done it very well.

When Patterson began college, he was unsure about what career he wanted to pursue. While working with adaptive computer technology, he earned a degree in Computer Applications at Mt. Hood Community College. Patterson proactively sought opportunities to explore the subject (and judge his aptitude for it) through a number of supportive programs with mixed success.

At first he tried to get experience in broadcast technology but found that there was little opportunity to add to his knowledge in the two positions he obtained. Although one of these jobs had a great deal of responsibility and challenge, various circumstances made them no more than a cautionary experience. Patterson was learning what to avoid.

When Patterson shifted to internships that directly supported his chosen career, there was a marked change. An internship at the Oregon Commission for the Blind, where he taught other blind students how to use and qualitatively evaluate adaptive technology products, led to a strong recommendation from the commission.

That helped him get his second productive internship at a public library. He found the internship at the library on his own via the Internet. His role at the library was considerable because he was central to the organization's research into the application of adaptive computer and other technologies as it strove to become accessible to all library users. And the library gave Patterson a second recommendation letter -- this one from an employer with the added credibility of not being allied with an organization for the blind.

Patterson says both of these recommendations were essential in getting his current job, where he does technical support for DSL (digital subscriber line) customers through Stream International. And, to his credit, Patterson did not fall into the trap of regarding his education as finished when he obtained this position. He admits he felt overwhelmed at first, just as any new employee does, but he did not shrug the feeling off. He improved his performance.

In our conversation, he never once appeared to regard himself as entitled to anything but an even break. And he knows he "earned" his success because this is precisely the word he uses when he talks about his growing marketability as an employee.

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What Internships Provide the Career Seeker

Most college graduates face a daunting task when their education is finally over and it is time to get out and start using it. A large number wind up in essence starting over with entry level positions or, worse, have a hard time finding work in their chosen field. While once a college education was a great advantage to a job seeker, it no longer "gilds a resume," so to speak. A Bachelor's degree is just too common.

However, what the nondisabled graduate has in her favor (besides not presenting a potential employer with real or imagined obstacles) is that she probably had a chance during college to gain some pattern of work experience in summer or part-time jobs. Whether related to her field or not, this experience provides the company considering her for a position with something to assess beyond her academic record. An employer generally wants to see evidence that the individual is reliable, hardworking and disciplined.

If the graduate has had a chance to get further training and experience through an internship, then so much the better. It gives her applicable experience and the opportunity to hit the ground running. The gap between academia and "real world work" is much narrower.

But for a disabled person the gap is more like a chasm. She may have less time and opportunity to get work experience while in college. Schoolwork alone may hog her available time. Part-time employers may be reluctant to hire her for service-type jobs. Even with an ample work record in those types of jobs, she may face an uphill climb after graduation.

An internship, on the other hand, gives her concrete evidence of solid, verifiable work and training in a particular field. It's more difficult to conclude that she cannot or may not be able to do a job if she already has been doing the work, provides the potential employer with internship references or is even that employer's intern.

Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines intern as "an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field (as medicine or teaching) gaining supervised practical experience (as in a hospital or classroom)"

An internship not only levels the way where the employer is concerned. It can offer the career seeker with a chance to see what work in a field is like. It gives her a chance to build knowledge and skill so it's easier for her to excel in the "real job." In many ways, an internship is a time to practice just having a career: It gives one a place and circumstance within which to practice the discipline and interpersonal relationships that are, in many ways, the larger challenge in work life than simply being able to perform the tasks.

Eric Patterson is very clear about what he believes his internships did to help him find his career path. First, he says, "They gave me a good idea of the kind of work I wanted to do." Through the sum of his experience, positive and negative, he was able to rule out work in broadcasting and embrace, with more confidence, helping others make decisions about Internet technology.

Plus internships gave him a passport into the field. "The internships helped me earn two recommendations, which helped me get my job," he points out. "When I earned my recommendation from the commission, I used it to apply for my job at the library, where I got a chance to apply what I learned at the commission. I got my second recommendation when I completed my internship at the library, and I think that both recommendations helped me get my current job."

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What Internships Provide the Organization

Those employers who include interns in their workforces and who actively make these positions inclusive of disabled people are largely enthusiastic about them, and that's encouraging. Perhaps this is because they knew the benefits for the company from the outset. Or perhaps it is a case of, "Whew! This was easier than we thought it would be."

In either case, there appears to be no downside to having disabled people in internships as far as an employer is concerned. The fact that these employers realize that and share their realization with other organizations within business leadership programs is a major step toward increased opportunities for disabled career seekers.

Mylene Padolina, a diversity consultant at Microsoft, says having disabled interns as well as regular employees who are disabled is essential for its success. She points out that it's important to have a workforce which mirrors a company's market. "What we're finding is that our employees with disabilities provide us with a great perspective," she explains, "as we work to ensure our products are usable by everyone." And, I might add -- purchased by everyone.

Padolina goes on to describe how internship programs in general benefit high-tech corporations. "An academic degree alone just is not enough," she maintains. "In a fast moving industry like computer technology, things change too fast for colleges to keep up." By taking a promising candidate in as an intern, a company such as Microsoft is able to provide practical experience in a work environment and exposure to the latest technology that supplements her academic training.

Learning Microsoft's way of doing business also includes learning about the corporation's organizational culture and expectations. This is a plus for any company which is looking for the best job candidates. Any candidate is more or less "a pig in a poke." An internship is a reliable means of getting to see the "whole pig" before offering an individual a full-time position.

In many cases, an added benefit to the company is not having to pay an intern or paying an intern at a much more modest rate. The opportunities are either considered part of the intern's education -- in fact, students often actually pay tuition for the internship -- or the intern is supported through special programs that place them at cooperating companies. Some intern positions are really volunteer jobs. The intern's "pay" is not cash but in the form of experience and networking opportunities.

Microsoft, which is unique because it does not bat an eyelid about providing accommodations, seeks high school students as interns and actively recruits people with disabilities for regular employment. Padolina expresses her appreciation of Microsoft's partnership with DO-IT Careers: "Their efforts in providing students with exposure to technology greatly contribute to our future workforce. Also, their expertise in working with students with disabilities has helped us improve our outreach programs." Lopez adds that Microsoft offers mentor volunteers for DO-IT Careers in return.

Illuminet's Curtis Bryan also feels disabled workers add to the skill sets needed for a business to succeed. Of Randy Hammer, the young blind man he met while Hammer was an intern and later hired for his own team at a new company, Bryan says, "Randy looks at problems differently than the rest of us and often his insight is the key to solving a puzzle."

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Helpers

Colleges and universities have long been well aware of the benefit of work experience for students. They have provided that experience themselves by way of graduate student assistantships and, as they recognized and nurtured relationships with corporations and government entities, they have encouraged internships within the workforces of these partners.

Many schools are committed to inclusion and have initiated or become partners with organizations such as DO-IT Careers to include disabled students in these programs. I gained experience, for example, through a teaching assistant position at Northern Michigan University, thanks to the support of several professors who were confident in my capabilities and knew my low vision was no impediment. Where the internships have been part of a successful transition into employment for students in general, they often prove to be central or even vital to a disabled student's success.

Microsoft's Padolina recommends looking for corporate recruiters on campus. She reports that Microsoft has an entire team of recruiters on the University of Washington campus alone -- not to mention the dozens of other Microsoft teams on other campuses. They are on campus for most, if not all, of the school year. And Microsoft, in particular, goes so far as to have recruiters who focus on increasing the diversity of their candidate pool.

DO-IT's Lopez reports, "(Padolina) has been terrific in working on many of the recent events and programs Microsoft has hosted. They supported a DO-IT Summer Study field trip, coordinated a Career Day for Students with Disabilities, offered 27 students with disabilities a chance to participate in Job Shadow Day and offered technical scholarships for students with disabilities this year." Each of these opportunities to make contact with employers with intern programs has a counterpart at most other campuses, involving many corporations in many fields.

The very best supporting programs provide, as does DO-IT Careers, mentors. Mentors are the icing on the cake of an effective internship. Mentors share their experience, knowledge and contacts and act as sounding boards for ambitious students.

Off campus, similar programs exist for non-academic career advancement. For example, the National Statler Center for Careers in Hospitality Service in New York State helps blind job seekers get experience in the hospitality field. Participants gain experience in various aspects of hotel and motel management, travel services and other related industries. Programs like the one offered by the Statler Center as well as labor union apprenticeship programs extend the benefits of internships to job seekers who do not pursue post-secondary education.

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Well Begun Is Half Done (Part II)

Simply getting an internship is no guarantee, however, of success. Like any other tool, it is of little value unless it's used skillfully. If an internship is a leg up when done well, it is crippling when done poorly. A student must learn and exercise excellent work habits and perform very well to gain the advantage an internship offers. This is simply twice as true for those with disabilities. Here are some tips for making your internship successful.

1. Clearly the first step is to learn and do the job well. If you have not been a diligent student, you may not be able to perform well on any job in your field. Start right away in school, striving to be a top student with an excellent grade-point level. Take every opportunity to go beyond coursework and to be better than just "good enough."
   
   
2. Take responsibility for yourself. I recently overheard
   a conversation where one man chalked up the failure of a mutual acquaintance to his "not taking care of business." That is -- the subject of this dialogue had not acted in his own best interests, had made poor choices and "whenever anything doesn't work out, it's always someone else's fault." Be sure you "take care of business." Rely primarily on yourself to get and use the tools and experiences you need.
   
   
3. One of those useful tools that appears to be a staple of an intern's success is a mentor. A mentor is a teacher, a cheerleader, a confidante and a resource. She can give you tips and advice with the safe haven of a no-pressure relationship. Hearing what you are doing wrong from a mentor means you may not hear it from a boss. The mentor can help you avoid detours that she has taken and found to be dead ends. And, if your mentor is a successful disabled person in your chosen field, you have an ample career "bank account" on which to draw for insight, advice and understanding.
   
   What does the mentor get in return? Besides a chance to make those dead ends useful, she is able to succeed on a whole new level of making her struggle unnecessary or easier for you. The best way to thank a mentor like this is to succeed and then become a mentor yourself. DO-IT Career's Lopez says about former DO-IT Scholar Eric Patterson, "He frequently solicits advice from mentors and shares tips with younger students on the DO-IT e-community."
   
   
4. You are not the only one who needs to be responsible and capable for an internship to succeed. Remember that employment is a two way street. The employer gets good work out of you, but you also need to get something in return. While it is arguable that being paid is the exchange in full time work, this is not the case with an internship -- or for, that matter, a volunteer project. The employer's responsibility is to give you the work and support you need to make the work meaningful. If the employer is not up to making the work an educational experience for you - one that provides you with the means to a better future -- then he should not receive the benefit of your labor.
   
   Eric Patterson recounts his internship at a community radio station, where he received make-work tasks that taught him nothing about broadcast technology, simply because the people involved were unable to give his internship the time and attention required. Yet they were reluctant to admit this, wasting everyone's time (including their own). He recommends that, before accepting an internship, you should gain a commitment that your employer will do its part. If you don't get that commitment and you find yourself doing make-work, you may be missing out, among other things, on another opportunity that could be a key stepping stone in your career.
   
   
5. Having a passion for your chosen field is a huge benefit. You will virtually always do better at something you love. Plus this enthusiasm is obvious to others. One lesson I have learned in 30 years of employment and running a business is that others trust and respect you most when you exude confidence and success in dealing with others.
   
   Learn how to job hunt. Learn how to interview well, including giving self-assured answers about how your disability will impact your performance. Take advantage of every tool at your disposal. The same skills will ensure a smoother search for an internship.
   
   
6. Don't get discouraged if, after four or more years of becoming a top-level student, you find yourself starting over in an entry-level job. I knew a young woman who blamed her entry-level job on the fact she was blind and female. She had not paid attention to the fact that pretty much everyone has to start at square one after school. The better you perform the faster you will advance. And, in the meantime, you will have had time to practice skills and gain knowledge for the greater challenge of higher-level positions.
   
   

Eric Patterson adds his own trio of recommendations:

"I have several words of advice that I would give visually impaired people:

1. "If your college has a program that allows students to do internships for credit, you should take advantage of it. You will get both work experience and college credit. You will want to make sure that the work you are doing will qualify for college credit. I found this out the hard way. The program advisors at the college didn't want to count my work at Oregon Public Broadcasting for credit because it didn't include enough computer-related activity. I tried telling him that troubleshooting the automation system was considered a computer application, since it was a computerized system. He still did not want to count my internship for credit. It is important that students check with their program advisors to make sure that they will get credit for the work they are doing.
   
   
2. "If you receive a recommendation for an internship, always keep it on hand so you can use it to apply for future jobs. You should keep a print-out of your recommendations as well as save copies to your hard drive.
   
   
3. "If you are volunteering for an organization and getting employment through an organization like the job council, make sure you know what forms need to be filled out and what you need to do to receive employment. I found this out the hard way when I didn't receive employment for my work back in 1993. If I had all my forms filled out and knew what I needed to do in order to receive employment, I would have gotten paid."
   
   

One mistake you can make is to treat the internship as less than a job. This is something nondisabled students can do just as well as those of us who are disabled. I knew a young intern, Grant, who was rather cavalier and earned no respect from his employers. He disappeared for hours, disregarded assignments, and spent time on work he decided to do on his own. His work habits and relationships were sloppy. And all this in spite of the fact he was bright, capable and extremely likeable. On top of his irresponsibility, he worked in an organization in which people not only did not make him aware that he was failing in their eyes but were themselves poor at managing all its staff. So no good at all came of Grant's experience in spite of his relative lack of hurdles.

Successful internships are, at heart, a simple equation. A good student plus a smart employer added to a responsible performance by each equals a great first step on the road to a successful internship.

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