What to expect and your responsibilities as an intern
The internship should be a beneficial experience for both the student and the AHP member. It is important that both parties understand what to expect from each other and their responsibilities. Please review the following guidelines carefully.
Intern’s Expectations
- to learn as much as possible about real-life publishing in the horse industry.
- to have an opportunity to be included in a variety of tasks, especially in the area of your specialization.
- to leave the internship with a wide variety of work experiences, including several clips or samples of the material you produced or contributed to, which will assist you in gaining further employment in the field.
- to be treated with the same respect and consideration due any staff member.
- to realize that publishing is a team effort and interns will be expected to pitch in wherever and whenever needed.
- to have an opportunity to make professional contacts.
- to see the payoff in terms of experience gained, not amount paid.
The majority of internship opportunities are unpaid, so if you look only at internships that offer money, you will be limiting yourself significantly. Fortunately, there are other opportunities available, and there can be advantages to being an unpaid intern. First of all, because you are untested and inexperienced in the field, AHP members may be reluctant to invest money in you when they will have you for only a short period of time. Offering yourself at no cost will open many more doors. Another perk for unpaid interns is that AHP members are more likely to be understanding and flexible about other commitments, like school or work. Although, you don’t earn money, the experience that you get at an unpaid internship can be more challenging and valuable than at many paid internships.
How to Survive While Doing an Unpaid Internship
- Intern part-time and hold down a paid job on the side.
- Live at home.
- Save enough money to do an internship that lasts for about a month.
- Find an internship with other perks like free housing, meals, travel, and more.
- Investigate financial aid.
Intern’s Responsibilities
- to exhibit initiative, creativity and resourcefulness.
- to strive to make important contributions.
- to treat all staff members and employees with respect and consideration.
- to regard the internship in a professional manner.Students may face dismissal for one or more of the following unprofessional behaviors:
- Calling in sick when you are not.
- Repeated tardiness for appointments or work.
- Failure to complete assignments on deadline
- Disregard for dress code or any other personnel policies.
- Irresponsibility regarding any assignment.
- to take responsibility for having a good overall experience by communicating your interests and goals. If you feel the internship is not going well, you should understand that the intern bears the responsibility for discussing the situation with your supervisor.
- to keep in mind that internships are a long-term strategy for a successful career and good income. The real payoff of an internship is in the knowledge and experience you gain. You will come away with a competitive edge that can bring you more opportunities sooner and higher starting pay.
- Although not required, students may want to create a “Learning Contract” for both you and the AHP member to sign. This contract will not be a legally binding document, but will help to assure that the internship stays on track and that everyone understands your role. Individual learning contracts will differ a great deal depending on your needs and how formal you and the AHP member want to be. A contract will help to clarify for everyone how you fit into the organization and what you are there to learn. Learning contracts contain the following kinds of information:
- department(s) where you will intern.
- learning goals.
- duration, starting date, time you will spend each week.
- who will be your supervisor.
- information pertaining to any paperwork necessary for you to obtain college credit.
- how your performance will be evaluated.