Potential Questions for Students Evaluating an Internship Site

Written by Stephanie Walker

1. Name five objectives you hoped to achieve during your internship.

2. Did you achieve these objectives?

• If you did achieve all or some of these objectives, which were they? How did the internship help you reach them?
• If some of your objectives remained unachieved, which were they? How could the internship have helped you reach them?

3. At the beginning of your internship, did your on-site advisor work with you to make sure that the internship would help you to meet your goals?

• Did he or she meet with you regularly to discuss your progress?
• Did he or she make helpful suggestions?
• Did he or she seem prepared to host an intern?

4. Did your on-site advisor work to make the site a comfortable and welcoming environment? Did he or she provide a helpful orientation to the site?

• If so, how did he or she do this?
• Did you have your own work area? Were other staff aware of your presence?
• Were you shown how to use key systems such as catalogs and computer programs?
• Were you given a tour of the building? Were you familiarized with site policies and procedures?
• If not, how could the environment have been improved?

5. Were you given meaningful tasks?

• Do you feel that you gained valuable experience from these tasks? Why or why not?
• Did these tasks help to move you toward your objectives? Why or why not?

6. Were you exposed to all aspects of work at your site? Was there anything that you wished to observe that you were unable to?

• What did you learn the most from?
• What would you have liked to learn more about?
• Were you included in day-to-day activities as much as possible?
• Which activity did you find most beneficial?

7. If you completed a project as part of your internship, did it provide valuable experience? Why or why not?

• Did your project assist in your achievement of your objectives?
• Did your on-site advisor provide valuable assistance and input?

8. All in all, do you feel that your experience was educational? Will it help to fulfill your career goals? Why or why not?