I recently returned from NODAC in St. Louis and had another wonderful conference. This year I presented in sessions which was a great experience, and I was also a part of a panel regarding NODA Internships. As someone who has hosted NODA Interns for the past four years, I was happy to support Melanie Payne (she coordinates the internship process) and share my experiences and thoughts. Since then, I’ve seen several people on Twitter discussing their NODA Intern applications or pondering whether or not they should apply. People were looking for advice and as I sat down to send people an email with tips/thoughts/etc, I decided why not share it via my blog instead. It would share the information I want to share and also get my back into blogging (since I’ve been neglecting my blog).
So, tips about the NODA Internship, from start to finish:
1. Your application – be as detailed as possible. Fill out every part of the application! Sometimes I get applications from people that don’t share what they want to learn or their experience. If you are a school that gets a lot of applications, this is your chance to make yourself stand out among other applicants. This goes along with your resume & cover letter. Although, don’t go overboard with your cover letter (1 page is JUST fine) but I want to know why you WANT my internship. You can’t always be totally specific per school, but you can take this time to explain to me (or other host schools) why you want a NODA Internship. This is especially important if you don’t have a lot of experience with Orientation programs at this point. If I can’t come to some sort of understanding as to WHY you want an experience with Orientation, then chances are, you probably won’t get an interview from me – especially if 20 other people can explain it clearly.
2. RESEARCH – You’ll get the chance to select the schools with whom you want an internship. Don’t just click a bunch of schools. Do your research. Do you want a small school? Large school? Specific location? 2-year college? Some place that has summer orientation programs or some place that just does a welcome week? What do you want? Check out the schools BEYOND their description on the NODA Internship site.
3. The Interview – First of all – not every school is going to contact you for an interview and not every school goes at the same place. So don’t get discouraged if you hear people are getting calls and you are not. At my institution we try to set up interviews right away knowing we still have to follow NODA timelines. We just try to get it done before we get knee deep in OL interviews. Other schools might time it differently. Secondly – continue to research the schools you have interviews with! Most likely you’ll be doing phone interviews. Be prepared. Dress up – it will help you feel more prepared even if we can’t see you on the other end of the phone. And PLEASE – have questions! I know I’m not going to be able to tell you everything there is to know about the position, so there have to be some questions you’ll have. Remember names of people you talk to on the phone (Send them thank yous!). I always include my Student Directors on the interviews so be prepared for that as well. Students can be harsh critics. 🙂 If you encounter students, be sure to ask about their experiences. Get their point of view during the interview. Be yourself but don’t slack too much. But I will say many of us working in Orientation have a good sense of humor and we may ask random questions. So don’t be afraid to mention that you’re obsessed with Wii Bowling or a reality TV junkie. We won’t judge. At least not too much. 😉
4. Post-Interview – Be patient. We have to follow the NODA timeline so we’ll do our best.
5. The Offer – if you get an offer from a school, don’t feel like you have to say YES right on the spot. It is perfectly acceptable to take some time (generally 24-48 hours – although then HOSTS get impatient!). But seriously, take some time, especially if you had multiple interviews, you may have multiple offers. Make your decision based on what you think is best for you. We will not hold it against you if you turn us down. We understand that this process is an opportunity for you to learn. If another institution is going to give you an experience that you think will help you more so than another school, then by all means – take that position.
6. Post-Acceptance – Once you’ve accepted your position, this is a key time to continue to get to know the people you’ll be working with all summer. Communicated via email, phone calls, social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc). It will help your transition into your internship position. Make an effort to also get to know the Orientation Leaders you’ll be working with all summer. Connect with them on Facebook or in other means that might be possible. If you’re not sure how to do this, talk with your internship supervisor(s) and find out what you can do. You’re only at the institution for a short period of time so anything you can do to get somewhat acclimated to the staff is great.
7. During the internship – beyond whatever assigned duties you may have during your internship, learn as much as possible. Ask questions. Talk to other people at the institution. Become a mentor to the Orientation Leaders but also allow yourself to learn from them – they are the “resident experts” after all. If you’re doing your job, see if there is anything else you can do to enhance your experience (if time allows). Reflect. Reflection is a key part of learning. So find a way that works for you and reflect. Develop a relationship with your supervisor – share your thoughts, experiences, questions, challenges, etc. They are there to help you become a better professional in the field. Take advantage of their knowledge and experience.
Those are the basics. Each school is going to be different. Find the place that is best for you and dive right in. You’ll end up having a great experience.
And if you want more info or help in the process – feel free to contact me on Twitter – @Kathy_Petras.
Reflective Practice 