Application and Interview
The student is to enlist the help of a mentor in order to learn about the job and to help with writing evaluations of the student’s performance during the job experience. The mentor should be willing to teach the student about his/her career and to guide the student in completing the project, which will demonstrate what the student has learned. It is essential that students behave in a professional manner. They are representing CIBACS and Edison High School; therefore, they should dress appropriately, arrive on time, and work diligently.
The student and mentor should establish the types of observation and work the student will be performing. The student should give the mentor the letter of introduction about the program if it has not already been sent in the mail. The student should make it clear that the goal of the internship, in addition to gaining work experience, will be to create a product and portfolio that demonstrate what the student has learned about the job.
Want to help a junior by becoming a CIBACS volunteer mentor?
Click to register>>> FasTrak Mentor Registration
Hours Confirmation Form and Work Experience Journals Explanation
The student will have the mentor sign an Hours Confirmation Form each time he/she works with the mentor or completes hours at the business. Work Experience Journals will chronicle the student’s experiences and thoughts about what he/she has learned and will act as one form of evidence of completion of the assignment. The student should also gather other forms of evidence as he/she interns, such as photos, brochures, software screen captures, video footage, and any other evidence that the student was at the job site learning about a career. The evidence should be saved on Google Docs in the form of photos, scans or videos. Within the journals, the student should create links to this evidence as confirmation of the accuracy of the journals.
Interview and Interview Evaluation Form Explanation
The mentor the student chooses may be a friend of the student or his/her parents, but the first meeting should be conducted in the same way one would meet an employer at a business. The student should dress formally and should bring along his/her cover letter and a copy of his/her résumé. The student should request ahead of time that the mentor conduct a brief interview as practice for getting an actual job. The student should try to speak well and follow the rules for effective interviewing that we cover in class during the practice group interviews.
Sample Questions to Ask Your Mentor
Background Questions:
How did you decide to enter this profession?
What kind of schooling or experience does it take to do this job?
How long have you worked here?
What steps would you recommend I take in order to get a job like yours?
Personal Questions:
Is this job satisfying to you?
What benefits are there to doing this job?
What’s the worst part of your job?
What’s the best part of your job?
Do you plan to do this for the rest of your life?
Is the time investment needed to qualify for this job worth the effort?
What part of the job causes you stress?
Big Questions:
What kinds of tasks do you do for your job?
Can you show me how to do a part of your job?
Is there a part of your job that requires special expertise that you could teach me?
How could I show others what I have learned at this job?
Is it okay if I photograph or videotape you doing your job?
Is it okay if I photograph or videotape myself doing a part of the job?
Are there any resources you use from which I could learn?
Important Handouts
Interview Evaluation Form
Confirmation of Internship Hours