Exploratory Academic Internship Journal Entries

PURPOSE

• To help facilitate the highest level of learning while on your internship experience where you can test your abilities and practical applications to theory.
• To help you begin to integrate theory learned in your classes with practical applications learned on your internship assignment.
• To help you in the career decision-making process.

You should plan on submitting a journal entry each week for the first seven weeks of your internship.

Please make sure to use your BYU email (netID@byu.edu)

Week One

Please include the following company information (This week only unless it changes):

• Company name
• Name and title of supervisor
• Salary
• Describe the organizational structure. Where does your department fit into the overall company?
• What products or services does the organization deal with?
• What type of customers does the organization have – industrial, consumers, merchants, etc.?
• What does your department do? What are your specific job duties?

Week one is usually set aside for orientation and training. Pay close attention to your job responsibilities and tasks that you are asked to do on a weekly basis in order to assess your own learning. Make an entry in your journal that addresses the issues that interest you.

Week Two

Identify a short term goal you would like to achieve while working at this firm. Have your supervisor share expectations for your performance for the semester. If possible, have your supervisor assist you in developing goals that will encourage your success.

Week Three

“Corporate Culture” comprises many different aspects of a corporate environment in which you work. Not always expressed in writing, a corporate culture can include such things as acceptable dress and appearance, preferred management style, office formalities and structure, etc. During this week, observe the corporate culture and note items in your journal. Is this an environment that matches your own job values?

List some new procedures that you are being introduced to in your position. These might include such things as office equipment and technology. If no new procedures have been introduced, discuss how you can make a larger contribution with your current knowledge and past educational background.

During your week three entry please also include a mid-point evaluation of your internship: Does the environment match your own job values? Please evaluate and describe the quality of your internship thus far. For example: are you very satisfied, satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with your internship experiences. Please evaluate in detail your reasons for being satisfied or dissatisfied with your internship.

Week Four

Have you received any formal (or informal) feedback on your performance? If so, what was discussed? What are you doing to enhance your performance? Possible enhancement ideas might include things like observing successful individuals within the company, reading company manuals, asking for advice, etc.

Week Five

Showing that you are highly motivated and can take the initiative will be a significant factor in your overall career success and add to your learning potential while on an internship. Describe how you have shown or can show initiative.

Describe an individual who exemplifies the type of professional you aspire to be. What characteristics or qualities do you most admire in this individual.

Week Six

Identify the skills you have used in this position such as administrative, clerical, computers, writing, telephone, analytical, human relations, etc. How did you use these skills? How might these skills be useful in the future?

Week Seven

If you could change any aspect of this internship experience, what would it be? Will this internship experience assist you in future career plans? Why or why not?

FINAL SUMMARY (Due the first day of finals - Please include the number of total hours worked within this internship experience)

Describe a situation or accomplishment during the experience about which you feel particularly good. How did you succeed in this circumstance? Who benefited from your efforts – the company, the customer, a co-worker, your supervisor?

List the things or circumstances during this internship experience that you feel have been the most important to your overall learning experience. How will you use this knowledge in the future direction you will take?

Final evaluation of your Internship: Does the environment match your own job values? Please evaluate and describe the quality of your internship thus far. For example: are you very satisfied, satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with your internship experiences. Please evaluate in detail your reasons for being satisfied or dissatisfied with your internship. Please record any other concluding comments you may wish to include in this journal report.