The Quest: Finding the Right Internship Site

E4 Internships

Our goal is to establish internship sites quickly and to get students out to their sites by Tuesday, January 15th

Internships may be the most crucial part of your high school education. It is a chance to learn about a career you are interested in first-hand, as well as gain contacts and skills related to that particular career.

Your work on this assignment will be crucial towards uour success in getting an internship placement. Think about where you want to be and what you want to do.

First, a Little Brainstorm

  1. Complete the Career Wise Cluster List from Wisconsin Technical Colleges. Please note, the survey and and survey results are geared toward the state of Wisconsin, but a lot of the information you'll find will still be valuable.
    • The survey helps to identify which clusters (career areas) might be the best fit for you. Based on activities you enjoy, your personal qualities and school subjects you like, the questionnaire ranks the career clusters you may find most fulfilling. Is it 100% accurate? That's for you to decide.
    • You will get to the Top Matching Career Cluster List – the career clusters with the highest score may best suit your personality and interests.
    • Click on the Career Cluster Title to see a refined list of specific pathways or career options. Note the degree associated with each pathway
    • Click on the title of a specific pathway or program to read more about what it entails.
  2. Identify three Career Clusters that interest you.
  3. For each Career Cluster, identify 1-2 pathways that capture your attention
  4. Click on the links of these pathways to read more about them

I Have My Top 3 Career Clusters, Now What?

First, take time to reflect on the person that means the most in this equation: you.

In a new Word doc, answer the following:

  1. Did you seem more interested in careers involving people or things? Give an example of something you like to do to support this.
  2. Does the first listed Career Cluster match what you envision for yourself as a career? Why or why no?
  3. Were you surprised by any of the higher ranked (top 5) Career Clusters? Explain.
  4. What are your hobbies and interests?
  5. What work experience do you have already?
  6. What are your favorite classes in school? Why?
  7. What subjects are you best at in school? Explain why you think this is.
  8. Do your plans for school (post high school) support your career interest? By this we mean, are you taking classes that support your plans for when you graduate? Explain how.

Time to research your options for a potential internship site. In the same Word doc, copy > paste the table below:

Name of Career Cluster #1 Name Career Cluster #2 Name Career Cluster #3
Name of Business or Organization in the Rogue Valley
Phone Number
Address
Hours of Operation
About the Business or Organization
  • Service or Product
  • Mission Statement or Core Values
  • Size of business, i.e., number of employees
Career Opportunities
  • Is the business/organization hiring?
  • What job positions are available?
  • Who do you contact about a job opening?
Community Involvement
  • How is the business/organization actively involved in the community?
Do you have an inside contact at this business/organization? Who?

 

Upload your Word doc to the Synergy Dropbox