Preparing for the Internship/Externship

Questions to Ask

What have I heard or read about where I am interning/externing?

If there is a lot of information about how interns are harassed and taken advantage of where you plan to intern, maybe it isn’t the place for you.

What do past interns/externs have to say about the position?

Get into contact with a past intern and see what they have to say about the working environment and their experience overall.

What kind of environment is the place where I am working?

This is a question for the employer. Get a feel for what the office culture is like and decide if that is something you are really comfortable with.

What are the main responsibilities/expectations going to be?

Knowing what responsibilities exist for you ahead of time can help you decide if the internship/externship is giving you what you need and if things are going well during the experience.

What kind of support systems do I have here?

You need to have people who are willing to be there for you and help you if things aren’t going right. Make multiple connections within the office and ask if there are other interns around who you can connect with.

Have you had interns/externs in the past?

If so, what they have done with or for those interns/externs would be good information to know.
If not, figure out their expectations of you and what you should be doing.

	Paid Interns	Unpaid Interns	Externship Participants	Professional Development (receiving no academic credit)
EEOC	ONLY if you are receiving significant remuneration (health care benefits, worker’s compensation, pension, etc.)	No.	ONLY if you are receiving significant remuneration (health care benefits, worker’s compensation, pension, etc.)	No.
Human Rights Commission of Missouri	Maybe, but not if you are completing services for which academic credits are given and you are a student enrolled in a public or nonprofit school			No.
Title IX	Yes, universities that place students in required internship programs are covered by Title IX even when the initial alleged discrimination is by an internship that is not covered by Title IX. (Your College or University affords rights to you as a student as long as the internship is contributing to your education.)