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Internships

Gain valuable experience and skills in a professional arena.

Students who search out their options are usually rewarded with an internship that meets or exceeds their expectations. To find your own internship, use some of the many available resources, including kinesiology contacts, career services, and any other contacts available.

Internship resources

Major-specific internship guides

Follow these specific processes and procedures when seeking an internship for certain degrees.

Therapeutic Recreation

Pre-Internship Checklist

Note the important dates (indicated in bold) presented in this checklist and work with your advisor to meet these deadlines. This could mean weekly meetings with your advisor or two or three meetings throughout the semester. Please keep this checklist and document your progress throughout the semester preceding the internship by entering the date that each task is completed.

  1. Meet with your advisor during the first two weeks of the semester prior to doing your internship. Create a timetable for handing in the following assignments during the first half of the semester:
    1. Student's goals and objectives for the internship – What do you want to learn?
    2. Student assessment of his/her strengths and weaknesses – What kind of experiences do you need or want in your internship?
    3. What other things do you need to consider in finding an internship? (certifications, geographical locations, compensation, population served, etc.). If you plan to do an internship outside of the state of Michigan, you will need to check the compatible states. For different reasons, internships in certain states are prohibited.
  2. By mid-semester, develop a short list of potential places for an internship. Each list should include at least three possible internship sites. Students will be expected to contact each of these sites for more information about their internship program.
  3. During the second half of the semester prior to your internship, you'll meet with your advisor to identify the best internship site to meet your needs. This may entail having your advisor talk directly to your internship supervisor.
  4. Check with the instructor of Recreation 380 to make sure you have met all the requirements of this course. You cannot start your internship until you have completed Recreation 380.
  5. Attend the mandatory internship meeting during reading recess prior to final exams. At this meeting, you must present Calvin's internship supervisor with all of the following placement information:
    1. Name and address of the agency
    2. Name, phone number, and email of your immediate supervisor (internship supervisor)
    3. Fax number of agency (supervisor)
    4. Student information during the internship – Name, local address, telephone number, and email address
    5. An updated list of your goals and objectives, which you can present to your internship supervisor during your first week of work
    6. Proof that there is an affiliation agreement between Calvin and your agency. As soon as you have been offered and have accepted an internship, work with your advisor to make sure this in place before this meeting.
    7. During this mandatory meeting, all academic requirements for the internship will be presented and discussed.
  6. Register for either Recreation 346 (3 or 12 credits).
  7. Contact your Calvin internship supervisor the first week of your placement. Make sure to include all the information requested in the first journal entry.

Exercise and Sport Management

  1. KIN 346 is the internship course for exercise science and sport management students and is supervised by Professor Vande Streek. Early in the semester prior to the semester in which you plan to have an internship, you should think about the following things:
    1. Goals and objectives for the internship—what do you want to learn?
    2. Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses—what kind of experiences do you want or need in your internship?
    3. What other considerations do you need to consider in finding an internship? Things like certifications, geographical locations, transportation, compensation, population served, etc.
  2. Meet with your kinesiology advisor to discuss your goals, self-assessment, and other considerations.
  3. Search for internship possibilities. You are responsible to find your own internship so use the internet, kinesiology contacts, career services, other students, and any other contacts available.
  4. By mid-semester develop a short list of potential places and contact information for an internship. If you plan an internship out of state please check with Professor Vande Streek about Calvin’s ability to have an intern in a given state. Not all states have governmental approval for us.
  5. The internship must be approved by your Calvin kinesiology advisor.
  6. Register for the class, KIN 346. This is a three-credit course. 
  7. Read the internship manual.
  8. Contact Professor Vande Streek to set up a meeting to review the internship manual, including forms that need to be filled out prior to the start of your internship, the academic expectations for the internship, and evaluation of the internship.
  9. In order to begin the internship, the academic term in which you are enrolled for it must begin classes and the application information from the manual (Appendices A and B) must be turned in. You may not begin an internship for KIN 346 in the summer or at any time prior to being registered for KIN 346 and the start of the academic term.
  10. Work with Professor Vande Streek to decide on an internship project.
  11. Turn in the academic work explained in the manual throughout the internship.
  12. Complete the final paper summarizing the internship.
  13. Have your internship supervisor complete the evaluation form and turn it in to Professor Vande Streek.

Top ten tips for getting the most out of your internships

  1. Take responsibility: Strive to have the experiences included in your objectives. Balance your desires and the needs of the employers. Do not be a passive participant.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask questions: Use an opportunity to learn. Seek advice when you are unsure.
  3. Take initiative: Ask for additional work, tackle tough problems with new solutions, and ask if you can attend extra meetings and events on your time.
  4. Get to know people: Expand your professional network, build relationships with as many people as you can, introduce yourself, and be friendly to everyone in the office.
  5. Connect your experience: Spend time reflecting on what skills you are learning so you can articulate them in future interviews. Take note of your tangible accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses, and career direction.
  6. Get to work early: Show up early, work hard, leave a little bit later than scheduled, and take short lunch hours/breaks. Call your supervisor immediately in the morning if you are ill (and this should be rare).
  7. Listen well: Take notes so you can refer back to the original assignment goals. Ask for help early, not when your project deadline is near. Show respect and value the opinion of experienced staff.
  8. Be neat and clean: Be careful about your grooming; be aware of how you are presenting yourself. Notice how others dress in jobs similar to yours and dress at least as well.
  9. Don’t just quit: You may feel uncomfortable, unqualified for the position, or bored at first. It is important to stick it out. Ask your supervisor for more responsibility or different assignments and discuss your concerns. If you still are having difficulty, consult with internship staff or your professor before quitting. Quitting creates missed opportunities for future students. Sometimes students learn the most from difficult experiences.
  10. Be enthusiastic: Find ways to enjoy your work and make sure to let your supervisor know what you like about your internship, identify the skills you want to develop in your internship, and look for opportunities to learn. Take any training that is available from your employer and supplement it with reading manuals/books recommended by your supervisor.

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