Internship Classes (page 1 of 2)	
Internship Classes	
What is an internship class?
Internship class is a credit-earning class that can be taken by students
 
who want to do volunteer work to get work experience and to get to 
know others in a career area.  Internship class can last a few weeks, 
one quarter or semester, or during the summer.  In some internship 
classes, students are paid an hourly wage.
What types of internships are available?
The internship class teacher has a list of job openings available.  
Or, you and your teacher may decide to find a new internship in your 
city to fit your career interests.  Internship jobs can be at banks, real estate offices, social media companies, 
retail stores, radio and TV stations, medical offices, legal offices, computer repair shops, retail stores, and 
more.  Some businesses may require interns (student volunteers) to be 
18 years old to legally work around 
dangerous equipment — auto repair shops, carpentry shops, constructio
n sites, and warehouses.
What type of work will I do?
Interns (student volunteers) in legal offices will learn different job duties than interns at radio stations.  
Interns are assigned to a supervisor who will explain the job duties.  F
irst, interns learn how to do  the job 
duties of a new worker; then learn how to do more difficult job duties.  For example, job duties of a new 
worker in a computer repair shop may be to tag equipment for repair and 
call customers to pick up their 
fixed computers.  Job duties of a new worker in a real estate offices may be to prepare Open House flyers. 
What are the benefits of taking an internship class?
1.  First, you gain real work experience and skills in the career.  The work experience and skills you 
learned will help you get a better job in the future in that career or r
elated career.
2.  You learn about different jobs by "watching workers around you."   For example, while sorting 
mail for a radio station, you may watch how radio announcer handles call
s during a live radio program. 
3.  You meet "valuable people who tell you about the career,"allow you to use their names as references 
on your resume and job applications, and may help you find a job opening.  
4.  You may ask your supervisor to write a "letter of recommendation" for you.  
A letter of recommendation tells others about your work experience, work 
ethic 
(that you are a good worker), and skills.  Attach a COPY of your recommendation 
letters to your resume and job applications to prove you are a good work
er.
5.  Your resume and job applications are better because you have internship work 
experience, skills, and your supervisor’s name as a reference. Internship PROVES 
that you went beyond the normal school classes to learn skills. An internship 
SHOWS that you are a hard worker, motivated (a go-getter), and  want to learn 
new things.  These are qualities all employers want in job seekers.

Permission to use with usworkworld.com subscription.  	Internship Classes (page 2 of 2)	
QUICK CHECK:
1. a) What is an internship class?  b) Do some 
internship classes pay students an hourly wage?
2.  a) Who has the list of internship job openings?  
b) List 5 places where internship jobs can be.  
c) List 3 types of businesses that may require 
interns to be 18 years old. 
3.  What is the first benefit of an internship class?
4.  How do you learn about different jobs?
5.  Whom do you meet?
6.  a) What may you ask your supervisor to write?
  b) What 3 things does a letter of 
  recommendation tell others about?  c) What do 
you attach to your resume and job applications?
7.  a) What does an internship prove?  b) List 3 
things completing an internship shows. Auburn University Students:  
8.  List 3 things the first student learned.
9.  Second student says that an internship is a 
wake-up call to students about what?
10.  What did an internship teach the third student?
11.  What 2 things does the fourth student now have 
a good idea about?
12.  Fifth student:  a) What do people notice?  
  b) What do bosses notice?  
  c) What is good to keep out of?  
  d) What did this student's mother always say?
13.  a) If you enrolled in an internship class, what 
type of job would you want?  
  b) Give a reason for your choice.  
  c) Would it be OK with you if you were not 
paid money for this internship class?
  d) Give a reason for your answer.
6. 
Comments from Auburn University students about their internships:
1.  I learned that customer service is hard. You can not please everyone. There are people in this world that 
are simply difficult. I have learned that stressing over little things will not 
get me anywhere. I have learned to work well as a team and that without 
my 
coworkers the work would not get done.  I learned to never be afraid to 
ask 
lots of questions. By asking questions I got answers.
2.  Many times an internship is a wake-up call to students that they're in the wrong major — but it was 
the opposite for me. An internship let me know that I love the television news business, and 
want to      
continue with it for a very long time.  Not everyone will have a great e
xperience, but being an intern is 
one of the best things I've ever done!
3.  This internship has been a valuable one because I learned how to work wi
th many types of people in 
many types of situations.  It has taught me to not take things so person
ally, that business is business and 
it is not personal (something against me).
4.  Over the past few months I feel like I gained so much experience and rea
l world wisdom.  I feel that I 
now have a good idea about what it is like to run your own business — and about what it i
s 
like to work with the public on a day-to-day basis.  I am so grateful fo
r this work experience 
in a sheltered environment.  I now feel ready to conquer the world.
5.  If not for this internship, I would have not known a lot of simple thing
s like people notice  when you 
show up at work just a few minutes early or late.  The bosses notice  if you are dressed in a way 
that shows a good impression of their company.  Another thing that I learned from this wonderful 
experience is  to keep out of office politics.  Like my mother always said,  "If you can't say anything 
nice, don't say anything at all."  My mom has wonderful advice when you are trying to negotiate your 
way around a business filled with different personality types of people and relationships and issues.