BUS 500: Business Internship
Instructor: Dr. Phil Malone
Introduction
To successfully complete the Internship in Business course, you need to provide the following no later than August 31 (for summer semester):
a. a one-page summary of your internship activities;
b. a project analyzing your employer and your activities.
The Internship Project
While the faculty and staff may help you with student placement, you are the one person who can make the internship a complete success. Ask your job supervisor to provide you with a varied experience. Be proactive - ask for special projects, meetings to attend, and any other tasks that will broaden your understanding of your employing firm and the industry. Not only will your project for this course be better, but you will gain valuable experience that will be recognized when you enter the job market.
Requirements
Project. You must successfully complete written assignments consisting of (1) a diary of your weekly internship work and (2) a paper analyzing your employer and your primary internship activities. The paper is the most important part of your assignment and will be scrutinized most closely by the instructor.
The Daily Diary
Form. You should keep a daily written record of your on-the-job activities. Although this diary primarily is to help you in preparing your paper, you must submit it to the instructor, as stated previously. The diary may be hand-written or typed. You may submit it in a bound notebook or on loose-leaf paper, but be sure the dates of entry are kept in progressive order.
Daily Entries. Entries in your diary should focus on your major activities. Please do not record every minor detail of your job activities. On days when you're performing routine activities - e.g., answering phones, filing, or typing - you may enter only a sentence or two. Entries should be more detailed for days when you are performing special projects, such as preparing a proposal, analyzing a project, or calling on a client.
The Paper
Form of the Paper. You are to write a paper based upon your work experience. The paper should be typed or computer printed and should not exceed 20 pages, excluding appendices. The font should be large (10-point or larger).
Structure of the Paper. As with any paper, you should write a good story. Tell me about the employing firm, including its corporate structure, its strategic plan and prospects for the future, and your assessment of the firm's future growth prospects. Describe your internship experience, especially emphasizing important experiences, such as special projects you handled. What were your responsibilities and how did they vary from what you expected? What contributions were you able to make to the firm during your internship? How might the internship be improved in the future? Would you recommend that future students be placed with this firm as interns? Tell about career opportunities at the firm, e.g., which positions may fit you the best, and why. Be honest and critical.