Tips to Protect Yourself as an Intern: A Cautionary Tale

2012-07-31 12:14:57

Melissa Reyes' internship was a bust. After graduating from Marist College with a degree in fashion merchandising, Reyes was excited to learn she had been selected for an internship position at the Diane von Furstenberg fashion house in Manhattan. She had every reason to believe that the position would provide her with professional skills, which, in turn would help further her career. Instead, Reyes became expert in the arts of fetching lunch and running errands. Far from reviewing the season's fashions, she was sent to clean out her manager's closets. Moreover, Reyes never anticipated that she would be expected to work twelve hour days--9am to 9pm--five days a week. She kept reminding herself that she had landed an enviable internship that would certainly stand out on her resume. It didn't help.

Horror stories like Reyes' are (sadly) fairly common and should remind us to be cautious when considering an internship position. In this blog entry, I will first suggest strategies for students to track down meaningful work. Following this, I will provide tips for turning a disappointing internship into a meaningful experience and discuss whether it's appropriate for interns to quit a bad post.

What is an internship and how is it different from paid work or volunteering?

The distinction between interns, paid workers and volunteers is, in fact, not arbitrary. Whereas volunteers and paid workers commit time and skills to serve an organization or cause, interns work to better themselves. In other words, an internship—much like going to school—serves to further the intern’s job readiness and personal growth. Making this distinction reminds us that a legitimate internship will amount to more than a resume entry--it provides challenging and meaningful work in an area where a student has real interest.

Federal law requires unpaid internships to meet six criteria. Two of these criteria reinforce what has been stated above: An internship’s primary purpose is to train students to perform tasks associated with a certain career. Another of these criteria maintains that unpaid interns cannot displace paid employees. Unpaid interns, that is, cannot perform operations essential to a business. They are necessarily redundant so they can focus on learning.

Of course, most internship programs don’t fully meet these criteria—and that’s OK. Interns should expect to do some unskilled work that benefits the company more than themselves. Such work, however, should complement rather than replace the training and projects that foster professional growth.

So, a true internship provides professional training. How, then, do I ensure my internship experience will be a valuable one?

1.) Before you start looking for your internship, define what you want to get out of the experience.

Finding an internship to further your growth will be nearly impossible if you haven’t first defined your goals. Before you even begin looking and applying for internships, take some time to consider the experiences you wish to gain.

Vague goals like “I wish to gain experience working at an art gallery” must be refined. If your expectations are unclear, research the tasks professionals in your field of interest typically perform. An internship should refine—not found—your understanding of what it’s like to work in a particular field.

2.) Talk to students who have interned in your field of interest.

Your friends are a goldmine for internship information! Asking your friends about their internship experiences will help you identify qualities to look for in a program. Good questions include:

• Was the internship what they expected? Why or why not?


• What was their favorite/least favorite part of the internship?


• What aspects of the internship caused them to grow most?


• What professional skills did the internship help them develop? What projects or assignments contributed most to these skills?


• After completing the internship, do they still feel excited about a career in the field?

 

3.) Interview your Interviewer!

You’ve done your research, defined your goals, and you’ve just received a call asking you to interview for a position you’re really psyched about! Hooray!

The interview is an important time for you to not just impress a potential employer, but also discover if the internship is indeed a good fit. Be sure to ask your interviewer about the specific tasks and duties you’ll be expected to perform and make it clear that you are excited to contribute

Other questions to ask:

• Will you please describe a typical day for interns at your company?


• Are interns at your company paired with a mentor? How much opportunity do interns have to interact with supervisors and paid staff?


• What skills do interns develop by working at your company?


• Are interns permitted to attend meetings? If so, how frequently?

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask about opportunities to gain experience doing tasks or assignments that you’re especially interested in. By asking about this, you will not only determine whether this internship will help you meet your goals, but you will also demonstrate motivation, initiative and eagerness to learn.

4.) Keep in mind: A paid internship is not necessarily better than an unpaid one.

Unpaid internships are not always un-serious. Many companies, especially in the non-profit sector, offer amazing unpaid internships that will provide experience, training, and insight into the field.

What happens if your internship turns out to be less than expected?

Don’t lose hope or motivation if you find yourself working a disappointing internship. As Kayla Riley for Her Campus explains, it’s not uncommon for interns to have a lot of downtime. “Think of your next internship as an extended job interview,” she writes, “and prove that bullet point on your resume that says you’re ‘self-motivated.” If you find yourself with a lot of downtime between tasks, make it your own mission to come up with projects and activities that will be of use to the company and advance your skills. Someone will notice!

Along similar lines, don’t be discouraged if you’re asked to do some tedious work. Happily tending to menial tasks is a good way to demonstrate your flexibility, humility, and ability to work as a member of a team. Talk to your supervisor, however, if unskilled labor is the main thing you’re being asked to do. Politely explain that you can better serve the company by completing assignments that peak your interest and utilize your education and skills. Additionally, show your initiative by proposing a few projects or duties that you would like to take on.

No matter how bad the situation, do NOT act out or behave in a passive-aggressive manner. This is HIGHLY immature and unprofessional and it’s better to quit than to behave badly. If your manager is unsympathetic to a request for more challenging tasks, try and think of ways to make the best of your situation. Just being inside the office brings access to invaluable resources. Jump at any and every opportunity to speak to coworkers about their work. Also, spend downtime observing coworkers or researching the industry—rather than checking Facebook.

Finally, toughing out a bad situation not only builds character, but you will also appreciate it more when you land a better job.

Should I stay or should I go…?

Internships rarely last longer than a few months, so you should strive to survive even the most disappointing program and get a good review. Under some circumstances, however, you should absolutely quit. These include:

• If your duties compel you to violate your values or moral beliefs.


• If you are being sexually harassed or physically or verbally abused


• If you are required to do something illegal


• If you are manipulated or coerced into doing something that makes you uncomfortable

 

Resources for finding good internship programs:

The following websites provide excellent resources and advice for hunting down—and landing—the perfect internship.

• Summer Internships: 6 Best Ways to Get One


• Ten Ways to Land an Internship


• Finding an internship – How to Find an Internship

 

Glossary
These Key SAT Words are Expertly Identified by Sentia Tutors

Arbitrary: random; meaningless; haphazard
Coerce: to compel by force, intimidation, or authority

Everything You Need to Know about SAT Subject Tests!

2012-08-02 12:00:02

SAT Subject Tests—AKA SAT IIs—are slightly cuter versions of the SAT. Each Subject Test (there are over 20!) is one hour long and corresponds to material taught in high school-level academic courses. If you’re thinking about taking an SAT Subject Test, read on to find out everything you need to know!

1.) Who should take SAT Subject Tests?

You should take SAT Subject Tests if the schools you’re applying to require, recommend, or officially consider them. If you’re not sure where your top choice colleges stand, here is a comprehensive list of all schools that use SAT Subject Tests for admissions decisions.

Keep in mind that colleges vary in the amount of emphasis they place on SAT Subject Tests. Schools that “require” SAT Subject Tests, for example, will not even review an application that comes without them. Other schools, like Stanford and the University of Virginia, do not officially require Subject Tests, but applicants who don’t submit them will be at a sharp disadvantage. If you are applying to any school that “recommends” SAT IIs, you should absolutely take them unless your scores will mar your application.

Still more schools neither require nor recommend SAT IIs, but will consider them if submitted. Such schools treat Subject Tests as supplementary information and use them to form a more complete image of a student. Some schools, like the University of Notre Dame, only consider Subject Tests that enhance an application. Contact admissions representatives at your top-choice schools to find out where they stand.

2.) What Subject Tests can I take?

SAT Subject Tests come in a plethora of shapes and sizes! The College Board offers the following SAT Subject Tests:

--- English Literature
--- U.S. History
--- World History
--- Math Level 1
--- Math Level 2
--- Biology – Ecological
--- Biology – Molecular
--- Chemistry
--- Physics
--- French (with or without Listening)
--- German (with or without Listening)
--- Spanish (with or without Listening)
--- Modern Hebrew
--- Italian
--- Latin
--- Chinese with Listening
--- Japanese with Listening
--- Korean with Listening

3.) Are Subject Tests harder than the SAT? What about AP exams?

The SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests assess entirely different things. Neither is harder than the other. SAT Subject Tests are designed to measure how much a student knows about a subject. By contrast, the SAT presents basic content in new ways in order to evaluate students’ reasoning skills. In other words, the SAT tests your ability to figure out the best approach to a puzzling question about an elementary topic.

AP exams are much harder than SAT Subject Tests because they test college-level knowledge, whereas SAT IIs measure principles taught in high school-level classes.

4.) When should students take SAT Subject Tests?

In general, students should take Subject Tests immediately after completing coursework in the subject they wish to test in. For many students, this means testing at the end of freshman or sophomore year! Language and Literature Subject Tests should be taken either during the spring of junior year or fall of senior year, as multiple years of coursework in these subjects will benefit exam performance. If you are taking and doing well in an AP course, you should take the same subject’s SAT II as close as possible to the actual AP exam.

Keep in mind that not all Subject Tests are offered for every test date! Language Subject Tests with Listening, for example, are only offered during the November administration. Make sure to review the Subject Test calendar so you don’t miss your opportunity to test!

5.) Which Subject Tests should I take?

Students should take Subject Tests that reflect their academic strengths and interests. It is also a good idea to test in subjects related to one’s prospective major. An applicant to a prestigious nursing school who submits Biology and Chemistry scores would certainly look better than one who submits SAT IIs in Literature and French! Also, keep in mind that some programs and university departments require specific Subject Tests.

6.) How can I get out of taking SAT Subject Tests?

Believe it or not, several schools will waive their Subject Test requirement if a student has taken the ACT with Writing. This is because such schools see the ACT Science and Writing sections as comparable to SAT Subject Tests.

Beware, however, of this foggy path! Most students accepted to the institutions mentioned above do submit SAT Subject Tests. Furthermore, many colleges (including Harvard, Princeton and Columbia) require Subject Tests in addition to the ACT. Also, most colleges that “recommend” or “consider” subject tests want to see them—even if an applicant has taken the ACT.

7.) How should I prepare for SAT Subject Tests?

Sentia Education offers top of the line tutoring for all Subject Tests, but if you’d rather self-study, the following resources will help you get started.

• SparkNotes: SAT Subject Tests – Provides free online review material and practice tests for the Biology, Chemistry, U.S. History, Math Level 1, Math Level 2, and Physics exams.


• Practice Questions from the College Board – Here you will find a bank of practice questions for all 20 Subject Tests.

 

Glossary
These Key SAT Words are Expertly Identified by Sentia Tutors

Plethora: a surplus

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-01 09:00:45

On a test consisting of 80 questions, Paula answered 85% of the the first 60 questions correctly. What percent of the remaining 20 questions did she need to answer correctly for her to get 90% of all questions correct?

(A) 85%
(B) 95%
(C) 98%
(D) 100%
(E) It is not possible for Paula to get 90% of questions correct.

The correct answer is E

Explanation: To get a 90% on the entire test, Paula would need to get 72 questions correct (since 90% of 80 is 72). So far, she has answered 85% of 60 correctly. 85% of 60 is 51 questions. There are only 20 remaining questions, so the maximum score Paula could get is 71/80, or 88.75%. Thus, choice E is correct.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-03 09:00:30

Neither Emily nor Eveline are going to be in class today,

              (A)        (B)

since both girls are going on the physics field trip to the

(C)                 (D)

amusement park. No error

                  (E)

The correct answer is B

Explanation: The error in this sentence occurs at choice B where the plural verb "are" does not agree in number with its singular subject "Eveline." In noun clauses involving the words "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the second noun, which in this case is the singular Eveline.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-06 09:00:22

Five integers are placed in a set and have a median, mode, and average of x. Which of the following could NOT be the five integers?

(A) -3, 0, 0, 1, 2
(B) 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
(C) -8, 1, 1, 1, 10
(D) -9, -9, -6, -6, -6
(E) 2, 4, 12, 12, 30

The correct answer is D

Explanation: If the sets are supposed to have medians, modes, and averages of x, then that means that the set is supposed to have the same value for its median, mode, and average. All choices but D present a set that has the same value for its median, mode, and average:

(A): The mode of this set is 0, since 0 occurs more frequently than does any other number. Its median is 0, since the middle number of the set is 0. And its average is 0, since -3 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 2 = 0, and 0/5 = 0.

(B): The mode of this set is 0, since 0 occurs more frequently than does any other number. Its median is 0, since the middle number of the set is 0. And its average is 0, since 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 0, and 0/5 = 0.

(C): The mode of this set is 1, since 1 occurs more frequently than does any other number. Its median is 1, since the middle number of the set is 1. And its average is 1, since -8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 10 = 5, and 5/5 = 1.

(E): The mode of this set is 12, since 12 occurs more frequently than does any other number. Its median is 12, since the middle number of the set is 12. And its average is 12, since 2 + 4 + 12 + 12 + 30 = 60, and 60/5 = 12.

(D), however, does not have the same average as its mode and median. Its mode is -6, as its median. However, its average is -7.2, not -6 (since -9 + -9 + -6 + -6 + -6 = -36, and -36/5 = -7.2).

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-08 09:00:58

As a writer, William Faulkner has a style that is ______: one can open one of his books and, without knowing ahead of time who wrote it, instantly identify Faulkner as the author.

(A) erratic
(B) discreet
(C) heretical
(D) idiosyncratic
(E) derivative

The correct answer is D

Explanation: To figure out the missing word, use clues in the sentence to predict its meaning. This prompt's best clue is the colon. Colons are used to separate examples or explanatory information from the rest of a sentence. Thus, everything after the colon here explains why the missing word is being used. Since Faulkner's writing style alerts the reader instantly to Faulkner's authorship, he must have a very distinct style. Therefore, the missing word must likewise mean "distinct." Since "idiosyncratic" means "peculiar, distinct, or characteristic of an individual, " choice D is correct.

None of the other answer choices work, either:

erratic: unpredictable or not regular in pattern (if Faulkner's writing were erratic, it would probably be difficult to determine that he wrote a novel)
discreet: careful and circumspect in speech so as to keep private or secret information private or secret (a discreet style would not necessarily be indicative of Faulkner's authorship)
heretical: holding an opinion or done in a style that goes against the standard or typical opinion or style (nothing in the prompt suggests Faulkner wrote in a controversial or heretical manner)
derivative: imitative of the work of another person (if Faulkner's style were derivative, it would be similar to another person's style, meaning it would be hard to determine who wrote a certain book that uses that style)

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-10 09:00:57

The letters m and n represent numbers satisfying m² = 36 and n² = 144. What is the absolute difference between the the smallest possible value of m - n and the largest possible value of m + n?

The correct answer is 36

Explanation: There are two possible values of m: 6 and -6. Likewise, there are two possible values of n: 12 and -12.

Thus, there are four possible values of m - n and n + m:

If m = 6 and n = 12, then m - n = 6 - 12, or -6.
If m = 6 and n = -12, then m - n = 6 - -12 or 18.
If m = -6 and n = 12, then m - n = -6 - 12, or -18
If m = -6 and n = -12, then m - n = -6 - -12, or 6.

If m = 6 and n = 12, then m + n = 6 + 12, or 18.
If m = 6 and n = -12, then m + n = 6 + -12 or -6.
If m = -6 and n = 12, then m + n = -6 + 12, or 6
If m = -6 and n = -12, then m + n = -6 + -12, or -18.

The question asks for the smallest possible value of m - n and the largest possible value of m + n. The former is -18, the latter 18 (note: a savvy tester would not find all the possible values of m - n/m + n and would note that the smallest value of m - n will be a negative subtracted by a positive, while the largest value of m + n would be the sum of two positives). The absolute (meaning positive number) difference between these is 36, as 18 - -18 is 36.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-13 09:00:37

As a result of escalating violence on the campus, the college enacted several new restrictions: students would no longer be allowed on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, be allowed to wear certain items of clothing, or students could not congregate in large groups on the mall until further notice.

(A) students would no longer be allowed on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, be allowed to wear certain items of clothing, or students could not congregate in large groups on the mall until further notice.
(B) students would no longer be allowed on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, could not wear certain items of clothing, or students could not congregate in large groups on the mall until further notice.
(C) students would no longer be allowed on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, be allowed to wear certain items of clothing, and they would not be allowed to congregate in large groups on the mall area until further notice.
(D) students could no longer be on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, be allowed to wear certain items of clothing, and could not congregate in large groups on the mall until further notice.
(E) students would no longer be allowed on campus after 9 PM or before 7 AM, be allowed to wear certain items of clothing, or be allowed to congregate in large groups on the mall area until further notice.

The correct answer is E

Explanation: As written, the sentence contains a parallelism error. Items in a series or list must be parallel in form, but "students could not congregate in large groups" is not parallel in form to the other items in the list, both of which use "be allowed to" instead of "could." Choice (E) corrects this error by changing "students could not" to "be allowed to," making three parallel items.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-08-15 09:00:36

Right triangle ABC is similar to  right triangle DEF. The hypotenuse of ∆ABC measures 26 inches and the hypotenuse of ∆DEF measures 65 inches, and the legs of ∆ABC measure 10 inches and 24 inches, respectively. How much larger is the perimeter of ∆DEF than the perimeter of ∆ABC?

(A) 39 inches
(B) 60 inches
(C) 90 inches
(D) 91 inches
(E) 150 inches
The correct answer is C

Explanation: Start by finding the proportions of ∆DEF. The hypotenuse of ∆DEF is 2.5 times the size of ∆ABC, since 65/26 = 2.5. Since its hypotenuse is 2.5 times as large as that of ∆ABC, and since the two triangles are similar, the perimeter of ∆DEF must likewise be 2.5 times as large as that of ∆ABC. ∆ABC has a perimeter of 6o inches, since 26 + 10 + 24 = 60. This means that the perimeter of ∆DEF must be 2.5 x 60, or 150 inches. The question asks for the difference in the perimeters, so subtract the two perimeters from each other: 150 - 60 = 90.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-09-21 09:00:14

In the xy-plane, the graph of y = k(x + 2)² passes through the point (3, 5). What is the value of k?

The correct answer is 1/5 or .2

Explanation: Start by plugging (3, 5) in for (x, y) in the equation: 5 = k (3 + 2)². Thus, 5 = k(5)², meaning 5 = 25k. Divide both sides by 25 to isolate k: 5/25 = k. 5/25 is equivalent to 1/5 or .2. Either gridded answer would be acceptable on test day.