How To Have a Successful Internship

1. How To Have a Successful Internship 2008.3.17. Sue Moon Associate Professor Computer Science Department

2. Goals of an Internship • For Junior Students • Academic Achievements • Participate in projects of your research interest • Methodologies • Experience collaboration with people other than your advisor • Develop flexible approaches to research problems • For Senior Students • Participate in a project closely related to your thesis topic • Publish in major conferences

3. Indirect Benefits • Broaden Your Horizon • See a “bigger” picture of your own research and others • Communication Skills • Improve your English • Learn more about other cultures • Networking Opportunities • Meet other researchers • Meet other students from different schools • Make local friends • Monetary Gains • $$$

4. Expected Difficulties • Culture Shock • Language barrier • Lack of support network • Whom to have dinner with? What to do on the weekend? • Exotic cuisine • Minor tasks turned major challenges • Work environment setup (email, printer, fax, …) • Grocery shopping, post service, hair salon, dentist, etc. • Academic Challenges • Effective communication w/ mentor • What are expected of you • Peer competition

5. How To Prepare Yourself • Upon internship offer • Read an intro on history of the city/school/company/group • Contact your mentor/contact person for info on: • Research topic • Availability of other interns (to share info with) • Housing • Transportation

6. Once You Get There • Upon arrival • Introduce yourself to all members • Settle down on a routine of how to work with your mentor • Give any work-related feedback directly to your mentor • e.g. Weekend entry to the lab, Internet access at the dorm • Spend time with as many as possible to discuss your internship work and your own thesis ideas • Upon departure • Write up a report about your work • Send out a thank-you note to your new friends • Stay in touch with your mentor

7. Point of No Return • Your mentor will evaluate you based on: • Technical strength • What are you particularly good at? • Motivation • Do you find interesting problems on your own? • Team player • Do you work well with others? As a leader? • Idiosyncracy • Too opinionated? Discriminating behavior??

8. Measure of Success • Paper + Note of “Readiness” • “Readiness” means • S/he is strongly motivated to do good work • S/he knows why the work is interesting • S/he is fast once the problem is formulated • S/he sees relevant ideas in others’ work • S/he is effective at delivering own idea to others

9. Last Note • You will succeed • As long as you enjoy what you’re doing

10. Appendix: Cultural Tips • Body odor: use deodorant and perfume • Table manners: • Make no chewing sound • Put your fork and knife together and parallel when done • Avoid putting down elbows on the table or hiding hands under the table • Manners in a restaurant: • Waiter/tress comes to get orders for (1) drinks; (2) the meal; and (3) the dessert. Synch your other requests with the 3 visits. • The check is delivered only after the meal is over. • “Excuse me” instead of “sorry”