Getting Started at the Site

 Introduction

The aim of Chapter 3 is to offer information, suggestions, and activities to help new interns get started at their internships. This material addresses issues such as, how to discover the way a site operates, thinking about some of the more common protocols agencies may use, as well as when and where it is appropriate to express individual thoughts and opinions. It is hoped that by the end of this section, you will discover the benefits of professionalism and networking. 

Key Words 

-	Confidentiality: Spoken, written, and behavioral communication practices designed to provide and maintain an individual’s or group’s privacy. Includes licensing and HIPPA requirements
-	Professionalism: Acting in a way the reflects the ethics, standards, and practices associated with a group recognized as providing a particular type of service. Professionalism in human services consists of such things as conforming to the ethical standards of a profession while exhibiting courteous but conscientious behavior in the workplace
-	Transference: A Freudian term used to describe a client’s unconscious positive or negative feelings or behaviors triggered by another, often the therapist or clinician.
-	Countertransference: A Freudian term used to describe a professional’s unconscious feelings and behaviors aroused by a client, patient, consumer of services, or even a supervisor. Countertransference is natural and may be positive or negative in its tone

The internship is intended to be a positive experience that will help you prepare for a professional career in human services. It is an opportunity to learn new skills and often includes becoming aware of potential mistakes one could make in the workplace setting without being completely responsible for them. One goal of the internship is to explore real-world professional possibilities while learning about them. In other words, the primary goal of an internship is to learn about and experience the duties of the profession in a specific environment, hopefully one that interests the student as a potential professional. Keep in mind that although the internship does have the character of an upper-level service-learning opportunity and real-work responsibilities, it is also intended to be a rewarding experience to help prepare you for a successful career in the future. It may be helpful to keep in mind that the instructor and the agency staff typically want you to do well, and they are usually happy to help make that happen. 

Networks and Networking

Another aim of an internship is to offer the individual an opportunity to either lay the foundation for, or even increase, the ability to connect with other professionals and the resources they offer through  “networking.” Good networking is, of course, a two-way street where professionals share information, techniques, resources, and common goals with each other. Networking with other professionals, agencies, and community resources is important because, as a human services worker, you are constantly working with people who need services or who provide them. The stronger, broader, and more positive your network is, the easier it will be for you to be effective in your work. A good network also has other benefits, such as building a positive reputation, expanding career possibilities, and reducing the possibility of burnout. 

As a student, it is important to begin building a network of professional connections with other professionals and agencies in your field of study as early as you can. After all, during the time of your internship, you will meet many new people and deal with other organizations than just the one with which you are interning. It may be helpful to realize in this regard that in some sense, you have already been networking for a long time. It is something human beings do as social creatures. After all, you helped create and were a part of a network of friends in high school and another one in college. The difference now is that your reputation affects the lives of others, namely those with whom you work. Therefore, it is important for you to be mindful about networking and how others see or respond to you as a professional. One helpful suggestion is to remember that everyone you meet at your workplace is a potential success, resource, ally, or opportunity. Never dismiss anyone as being unimportant as the person you ignore one day may be the person you need in order to get your job done on another. Simple rules of conduct that our parents taught us, such as being kind, polite, honest, and friendly, are the glue that turns relationships into connections. 

Employment Opportunities

The overall aim of the internship experience is to help train you for a job in the field. If you do well, which includes effective networking, the internship experience might lead to an actual job offer. In fact, the editor of this book who teaches internship courses has seen this satisfying development occur every year. Even if your internship does not result in a job offer, or if it does and you do not wish to accept it, good performance and networking are likely to result in positive references that you can list on your resume, along with the names of the people you networked with at the agency. Often, these contacts either offer leads to positive recommendations or to job opportunities. In other words, taking the internship seriously and trying your best to do a good job can open doors for other potential opportunities  or close them if you fail to take advantage of those networks. 

Seeing the Internship as a Learning Experience

Students will gain experiences while working at the site. Most of the time the internship will be a good fit, especially if you had a role in selecting it. However, students might find themselves faced with a situation where they must have an internship to graduate and take the first one that comes along. At other times, what looks like a good internship site at the beginning does not necessarily end up feeling that way. It is helpful to realize in these circumstances that if an internship site is not what you expected, it is not the end of the world. You can still learn a lot about the field, basic skills, and yourself. 

In fact, having an internship site that is not the “right one” offers an unexpected value, such as avoiding that career path early on instead of spending many unhappy years in it just because it is a job that pays your bills. Of course, it is also helpful to remember that an internship is not a permanent position. In addition, most internships involve class time with the instructor and other students who may have internships at different sites. Each one represents different learning opportunities, procedures, practices, and so on that you can learn from as your colleagues share their experiences. In other words, there are many ways to learn from your internship experience. 

The Basics 

From the student perspective, starting your internship often begins with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is exciting -- after all those classes, you finally get to do something! On the other, it can be a little scary  most of us worry about looking stupid or “messing up” at work, especially in the beginning of a placement. It may help to remember this type of reaction is normal. Even so, there is reason to approach the first day with some confidence. Your instructors have been there before you and the classes you took have at least provided a good cognitive map of what this field is all about. Viewed this way, the internship represents an opportunity to experience the work environment in action, to get acquainted with members of the staff, and to begin to learn about the job. Your internship is the perfect opportunity to practice skills and values you have been striving to embody. 

Scheduling

It is important to figure out a schedule that works for you and for the site. To that end, you should work with the site’s supervisor or director to arrange the hours that are best for all parties. Some sites will be very accommodating with your scheduling needs. Others may have more rigorous requirements. In all situations, it is important to remember that the agency is being generous enough to give you supervised clinical duties. Sometimes they depend on you being there to help address client needs. So, remember to be open and honest with the person doing the scheduling in order to avoid conflicts. 

If a schedule conflict does occur, be sure to talk to the supervisor in advance about what is best for the agency and yourself. One of the worst things you can do at an internship is to be erratic in your attendance or to change schedules frequently since doing so can disrupt the lives of clients, the duties of the person supervising you, and the function of an agency. The primary editor of this book has found that scheduling difficulties is the single most frequently reported problem that agencies have with interns, so it is to be avoided. 

Keeping track of hours might present similar issues. On one hand, you are not an employee and can “leave” any time you want. On the other, the class and the agency require accountability, especially if there is an hours worked requirement. Some sites will give you a copy of the schedule but leave it to you to track the hours needed for the internship. Others might require signing in and out. One helpful idea is to print out a personal schedule log to manually track the hours. There are also phone apps that can help you track your hours. You will need to find a method that works for you and the site. 

Dress Code

Most placement sites will have a dress code of one type or another. During your interview, make sure you learn what your site expects in this regard. First impressions go a long way, so do not give the staff or clients the wrong impression by dressing inappropriately. A typical dress code is “business casual,” which usually means clean slacks, a shirt or blouse, and appropriate footwear. Wearing tight clothing, low-cut shirts, short skirts, or sandals are not appropriate. However, while knowing the dress code makes it easier to fit in, it does take some planning. For example, the site may have a “dress down day,” which could turn awkward if you dressed “up” instead of “down” that day. Forethought is the proverbial ounce of prevention that can make all the difference between being “just” an intern and being a “good” one. 

Behavior

Displaying a positive attitude and its corresponding behavior is also important. Your manner can affect the type of experience you have. It also can determine your reputation with potential employers. Wearing a smile, always being courteous, and comporting yourself in a mature fashion are great ways to demonstrate that you are a professional. In contrast, displaying a poor attitude and behavior can quickly have a negative impact on your reputation and follow you into the future.

Getting Comfortable

It is not uncommon for beginning interns to feel awkward or even anxious about fitting in to the social culture of the agency and its staff. That reaction is normal and is best seen as reflecting a desire to do well. It may help to remember at this point that your internship is a learning experience, that others know that too, and that no one expects you to be perfect. Learning is a process that involves uncertainty and trial and error. So, in one sense, you are not expected to know everything, which is a real luxury when you think about it because everything changes when you take a job. Dealing with mistakes now can help prepare you for the future when the stakes are likely to be much higher. Therefore, it is helpful to see doubts, confusions, and mistakes as providing you with an opportunity to learn and to grow as a developing professional in the field.

One thing that can help deal with this “ego alien” part of the learning process is to organize your knowledge of the agency and what is expected there. You may wish to consider, for example, making a list of all the important people, titles, and duties that you will need to remember. This list can help you to recall important details when they are needed and show you what you need clarification of until you have a sense of your place, duties, and self in the organization. 

Remember important locations so that you do not have to ask for help each time you are sent to find something or someone. Knowing where individual offices or supplies are located can be helpful. For example, if you have a question about finances, it would be helpful to know that Sue deals with finances. This way you do not go to the wrong person, like Desmond, who helps with placing the clients and doesn’t deal with finance questions. Such a simple practice as knowing a person’s name and what they do may also make you look like you either know what you are doing, or you are a quick learner. Just think of how good it feels when someone remembers your name and what you do! 

Policies, Procedures, & Politics 

After completing the first few days of the internship, it is important to understand the administration’s rules and regulations. This practice is important for several reasons, but the most important one is to keep you and the people you work with, including other staff and clients, safe, on the right track, and out of trouble. An agency’s standards and procedures are so important that it is a good idea to ask for a manual or the code of conduct rules and then study them well. 

Some people find it helpful to take notes for future reference about how the agency runs. Policies and procedures manuals also often include an outline of daily duties, the dress code, important phone numbers, the code for the security system, and other pertinent information. The agency may even provide you with your own copy – if not, you might ask to read it during breaks or as a part of your initial duties. After all, agencies always have a set of rules to follow, and it is part of your job to follow them while interning there. 

While it is easier to read through this type of material, some agencies are so informal that they do not have much in the way of written policies to show you. In this case, a great way to learn about policies, and to help the agency, is to ask if one of your duties can be to collect them and write a draft of a policies and procedures manual. The agency can then review and revise it for the staff or for a future intern to have. If the site approves this request, the project can also be a good opportunity to start becoming a member of the team. 

Fitting in as Part of the Team 

Many new interns find themselves wondering where they fit into their agency and its culture. Sometimes trying to determine exactly how to fit in socially and professionally can seem a bit daunting, especially at the beginning. You may experience being nervous or uncertain about how to handle something. These reactions are perfectly normal. For instance, if you think about how many times you have had to start out as a new student, member of a team, or as an employee in your lifetime, you will know that this feeling of awkwardness and uncertainty will pass. As an intern, you also have the freedom to ask for help when needed, to take time to get comfortable, and to feel good when you have mastered the job’s challenges. In many ways, starting the internship is like starting a new job, and you have probably done that before, too. The bottom line is that fitting in usually takes time, which means that it helps to be patient. 

It should not take long to get an idea of what the site’s culture is like. Some offices will have a lot of camaraderie and will be a pleasant place to work. Other sites may be more formal and structured. In addition, all agencies have their “pecking orders,” office politics, and interpersonal challenges. All are opportunities for you to learn how to fit into a professional social environment now and in the future. You also have one important advantage that should bring some comfort: You are expected to be a learner, which means that you do not have to be perfect and your time at the site will have a clear end-date.

Finding Your Own “Place” 

During your internship, you may be moved around from office to office or from spot to spot in order to see how different parts of the agency work. Moving around like that may make you feel out of place or in the way. So, it may help to recognize that experiencing different places or locations provides an opportunity to learn more about the job and to add to your developing professional network. Even so, it does help to have an actual office or physical location to call your own as a personal space can provide a sense of familiarity and stability –like a “safe spot.” Some interns are fortunate enough to have an office or desk assigned to them. Most of the time, however, agencies do not have such space available, which means that you need to be more creative. For example, you can bring something to the workplace that makes you feel more a part of it, such as a favorite coffee cup, or you can find a quiet area to consistently use.

Asking for Help

Throughout the course of the internship, you are likely to face situations, conversations, or tasks that you will be unsure about. Sometimes interns think that asking for help is a sign of weakness and will try to avoid it. However, doing so is often a mistake, sometimes a serious one. Interns are not expected to know everything, but should ask for guidance when they need it. That responsibility is a part of your role, not the agency’s. The real danger is not asking when you are unsure because that could lead to even more problems. Since you are dealing with other people’s lives in a human services agency, failing to ask questions could be detrimental to clients and to you! 

You may not always know what the right thing to do is, but you can always consult with the staff at the site. Again, that dimension of being an intern is a part of your role and responsibilities. Ideally, you should feel comfortable about initiating a request for assistance with your site supervisor. Since you must rely on a supervisor for guidance, it is a good idea to start building a good relationship with that person right from the beginning.

Most internship courses set aside time to meet with your instructor and fellow interns in the class. If so, you have lots of resources and support available, as well as a time and place to access them. Sometimes, as an intern, you will not feel especially comfortable with a supervisor or have one that is so busy that they cannot give you the time you feel you need. In these cases, there are other options to consider, such as talking with a worker at the site with whom you feel more comfortable or discussing issues with your instructor. 

In general, asking for opinions and advice lets the staff know that you appreciate and value their experience and insight. Taking time to ask questions to ensure things are being done correctly also shows people that you are engaged in the experience, respect the facility, and take your position very seriously – just as an intern should. Asking relevant and timely questions may also help create positive relationships and even strengthen your network at the agency. Remember, most people who work at human services agencies like helping people and your role as an intern gives them a chance to show someone else what their profession entails. 

Making Comments and Suggestions 

Input can also go both ways, so upon occasion it is appropriate to make suggestions to a supervisor or staff member. Of course, there is always a chance that the staff person or supervisor may disagree and say ‘no.’ However, if the comment or suggestion results in a positive response, then it is a win-win for you and the agency. It shows, for instance, that you are paying active attention and trying to connect with the facility. Offering input can also convey the impression that you are capable of independent professional thought. When speaking up, it is important to do so in a timely, respectful, and professional way. 

Keeping Busy 

Downtime, which is to say periods when you do not seem to have anything specific to do at the site, is likely to happen at various times during the semester. There may be times when neither the supervisor nor any of the other staff members will have the time to assign you to specific tasks. Even though these times may seem confusing or frustrating, they are opportunities to take some initiative at the site. The following suggestions may give you some ideas about how to go about making such an opportunity work for you and the agency : 

-	This time could be used to start a project that the agency wants to move forward on but has not had time to do yet. Or, you might offer to start one they have not thought about. For example, one student who was visually handicapped asked if he could organize a set of therapeutic and referral sources for therapists to offer visually-handicapped clients who are a part of the caseload. That agency continued to offer these resources for therapists and clients to use long after the intern left!
-	Even if such a project “only” involves copying material, organizing a backlog of files, or updating file information, the work has value. Most agencies get behind in such work because it has a lower priority than dealing with clients, yet the work must be done for funding or regulatory purposes. Every time an intern does something like this for an agency, it means that the regular staff can help people more and not be distracted by paperwork. In other words, you are providing a service to the agency it would have to either pay for or pull someone off more important duties to get done.
-	Agencies usually have several people doing different types of work. When not engaged in your own duties, it may be a good idea to ask if you can shadow other staff members. This activity not only exposes you to different aspects of the field, but it also gives you a chance to expand your network. After all, most people appreciate it when someone takes an interest in what they do, and you may learn more than you expected.

Be willing to help others. Making yourself available to a variety of experiences that may come along is helpful with your growth. Asking questions pertaining to the job and offering suggestions at the appropriate time are good ways to display a positive behavior and a genuine interest in the agency. The more you show that you are willing to expose yourself to as many areas as possible and a willingness to learn and grow, the more receptive mentors will become.