Internship Learning Objectives

Internship Learning Objectives, Goal Setting, and Your ePortfolioDiane Ducat, Cooperative Education Department, LaGuardia Community College

Internship Learning Objectives, Goal Setting, and Your ePortfolio

Unit Objectives

1 To help you gain an understanding of effective goal-setting techniques, including

creating action plans that will help you reach the goals you set

2. To introduce you to the core competencies and discipline-specific competencies used

in internship evaluations

3. To guide you in setting internship learning objectives for your ePortfolio

4. To assist you in preparing medium-range and long-range goals for your ePortfolio

Introduction to Goal Setting and the ePortfolio Goal Section

Would you like a proven way to increase your personal, academic, and professional

effectiveness? This unit explains how you can increase your chances for success by using

goal setting. You’ll learn how to set “smart” goals. You’ll be introduced to the concept of a

learning mindset that will orient you to creating multiple pathways to reach your desired

goals. You’ll see how the internship is an ideal setting to practice how to set and reach

important goals – goals that will aid your future academic and career success by

strengthening important workplace competencies.

The ePortfolio contains only six key sections: welcome, about me, classes and

projects, resume, links, and goals. Did you every wonder why “goals” are considered such

an important part of your ePortfolio? Gary Latham, a Canadian psychologist, has spent

decades studying goals. He and his colleagues’ research shows that having goals help you

become a high achiever. For goal setting to work its “magic,” though, you’ll need to learn

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how to set goals and the kinds of action plans that will help you reach them. Begin by

following two goal-setting principles: 1) Choose something you really want; and 2) Make

sure your goal is both challenging and specific.

Choose Something You Really Want

Having a goal acts as a motivating force. Psychological experiments have shown that

people make greater physical and/or cognitive effort when they have a goal in mind. Goals

motivate people to use their knowledge as well as to learn new skills so they can reach their

goals.

When you commit to a goal, you direct your attention toward goal-relevant activities

and away from goal-irrelevant activities. For example, suppose your goal is to be a college

graduate. If you see yourself in a cap and gown, crossing the stage at graduation, and

shaking the President’s hand, you are more likely to spend time in the library. If you

continually remind yourself that you really want to be on that stage at graduation (your goal),

you are more likely to persist in studying. The most famous musicians, world-class chess

players, and athletes at the top of their game confirm that the best in their field spend more

time and effort pursuing their professional goals. For example, pianists who had a greater

number of solo performances by age 20 had practiced 10,000 hours while those with fewer

solos, practiced 5,000 hours.

Personal goals energize people. Their outcomes matter to them and they expend lots

of energy, even risk their lives, to reach their goals. Take the mountain climbers whose goal

is to climb Mt. Everest. One in ten dies trying to reach the top, but these mountaineers are

willing to train for years and spend more than $65,000 for the chance to summit to the “roof

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of the world.” Your goals don’t have to be life threatening to be meaningful, but you do have

to have some passion for reaching them,

Make Sure Your Goal is Challenging and Specific

The researchers have also shown that people with specific, difficult goals (often called

“stretch” goals) perform better than people with easy or vague goals. The optimum amount

of challenge, according to the research, is when there is a fifty-fifty chance of reaching your

goal. The uncertainty about the outcome adds to the excitement of trying as well as to the

feeling of satisfaction when the goal is achieved.

If the goal is too easy, it loses the motivating effect. There is neither satisfaction nor a

feeling of achievement in reaching an easy goal, so it is soon neglected or forgotten.

Children demonstrate this fact when they give up games and toys that were challenging to

them at a younger age. When riding a tricycle becomes easy, they want to learn to ride a

two-wheeler. The tricycle holds little interest and pleasure.

Vague goals are also ineffective. Avoid vague goals, such as “Do your best.” Such

goals lead to lower performance than having a specific target in mind.

Goal Time Spans

David P. Campbell, a prominent psychologist, in his popular book, If You Don’t Know

Where You’re Going, You’ll Probably End Up Somewhere Else, has provided a helpful way

to think about goals. He categorizes goals by the approximate time span they cover. Goals

may be categorized into micro-goals (one hour), mini-goals (one day), short-range goals (up

to one year), mid-range goals (up to five years), and long-range goals (your ideal vision of

your life).

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Since internships are approximately three months, internship-learning objectives are short-

range goals. Mid-range goals are focused on the next chapter in your life and include such

goals as pursuing a bachelor’s degree or the next step in your career. Mid-range goals

cover the next five years or so. Long-range goals describe the kind of lifestyle you want,

including your ideal job, where you want to live, and any marriage and/or family plans.

Campbell notes that we have more control over goals that cover shorter time spans than

goals that are longer term. If, for example, we set a micro-goal (the next hour) or a mini-goal

(one day to one month) we can plan more precisely and adjust our planning to fit the

circumstances we encounter. The micro-goal, spending an hour studying biology with no

phone call interruptions, is easier to achieve than getting an “A” in biology (a three-month,

short-range goal), or becoming a physician’s assistant (a five-year, mid-range goal), or

working for a pediatrician in private practice (a long-range goal). Our planning for the next

hour can be more precise and we can adjust the plan. We may realize that when we enter

the library that it is too full of friends and temptations to take a break, so we find a study hall

instead. With shorter time frames, we can adjust our plan to the circumstances we

encounter.

Goal Stacking

If we stack our micro-goals (study for an hour, attend class today) over time, we

move closer to our short-range goals (getting an “A” grade) which in turn leads toward our

mid-range goal (physician assistant) and long-range goal of working with children in a

pediatric practice.

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Short-range Internship Goals

Now, let’s turn to how you can set important short-range goals for your internship – ones that

will help you achieve your career dreams. You’ll also learn how to craft action plans that will

help you reach your goals.

Learning Objectives and the Learning Mindset

You’ll notice that, in Coop, goals are called learning objectives. That’s because we

emphasize that the most important part of an internship is experiential learning. Learning

objectives specify the ways you want to grow professionally during the internship. You may

choose to gain new skills, improve existing skills, or remove obstacles that could block your

career success. Your learning objectives may focus on competencies that are not

emphasized in the classroom, but are very important for success in the workplace, such as

human relations skills and career management.

This section guides you through the process of setting two or three internship learning

objectives. Some people begin the process of goal setting as if it were a Christmas wish list

with a long list of items. That’s OK as a start to the goal-setting process, but if you generate

a long list, narrow it down. The research shows that having a limited number of goals is

more effective than having many goals. That is because you can devote your effort to

making headway in one or two directions, but not ten or twenty directions all at once. So

from your initial list, select two or three goals that mean something to you.

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To set an internship-learning objective, you need to know what kinds of skills and knowledge

are valued in the workplace. To help you, the LaGuardia faculty have identified five

competency areas that are valued in your chosen career field. Take a moment to review

Table 1, Competency Areas by Discipline. (See below.) You may observe striking similarities

among the competencies across various majors.

Communication skills, professionalism, and information technology are necessary for

success in any career field. Career development is also important because you need to

learn how to take charge of your own career and commit to lifelong learning. For many

majors in the Business and CIS areas, faculty shaped each of the five competency areas to

reflect the distinct skills and knowledge associated with these particular programs.

TABLE 1 COMPETENCY AREAS BY DISCIPLINE

Accounting Business(all options)

ComputerInformation

Systems (all options)

Paralegal Travel &Tourism

All Other Majors*

Communicationand

Interaction

Communicationand

Human Relations

Workplace Communication

andClient Service

Skills

Human Relations

Customer Service

andHuman

Relations

Communication and

Human Relations

Workplace Expectations

andProject

Management

Workplace Expectations Professionalism Professionalism Professionalism Professionalism

Career Development

andLifelong Learning

Career Development


Lifelong Learning

Orientation

Career Development


Career Development


Career Development


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Information Technology


Foundation Skills in IT



Information Technology and

Information Literacy

AccountingKnowledge

BusinessKnowledge

Computer Specialty Specific

Knowledge

ParalegalKnowledge

Knowledge of the Travel,

Tourism, and Hospitality Industry

Knowledge of the Internship Setting and Field of Interest

*If you are in Fundamentals of Professional Advancement, but anticipate changing to any of the majors that follow, also use the “All Other Majors” competencies and assessments. These majors are Dietetic Technician; Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic; Engineering Science; Human Services; Music Recording Technology; Nursing; Mortuary Science; Occupational Therapy Assistant; Physical Therapist Assistant; Teacher Education; Veterinary Technology. You should seek advisement about these majors and what courses are required as soon as possible.

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Get SMART

The acronym SMART: Specific, Measured, Achievable, Relevant, and Time limited

provides an excellent guide to creating an effective internship learning objective. The

SMART acronym guides you step by step.

First, it is important to decide what areas will receive your attention. We’ve created a

web-based form that you can use to conduct a professional competency self-assessment.

This self-assessment will help you to identify specifically which skills and knowledge related

to your major that you would like to target for improvement. Within each of the five

competency areas, you’ll find over thirty specific competency items that can serve as

internship learning objectives.

Second, we know that you will be measured on your progress toward your goal.

Internship employers will fill out an internship evaluation form and assess your level of skill at

the beginning and the end of your internship so that you can determine what progress you’ve

made in reaching the goals you select. You will get measurable feedback. In addition, when

you write the Final Evaluation Essay, you will have an opportunity to look back and reflect on

your own progress. As you may recall, the employer evaluation form and your Final

Evaluation Essay is 50% of your internship grade.

Third, the goals are achievable. Typically, these competencies have been set with

faculty members in your major area. They identified targets that most students can reach

with effort, skill, and knowledge.

Fourth, these competencies were identified by faculty as appropriate for your major.

When you select a goal from these competencies, you can be sure your goal will be relevant

to your academic and professional success.

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Fifth, the time span for working on your goals is clear. Internships are roughly three

months. During the semester, it’s a good idea to check with your internship site supervisor

to obtain feedback regarding your progress toward meeting your goals, while the end of the

internship is a good point to assess your progress and reevaluate your goals.

Web based Competency Self-Assessments for LaGuardia Programs

In the Forms section of the Coop Department web page, you’ll find a web based competency

assessment for many LaGuardia programs. The self-assessment activity helps you find your

goal targets.

We are still developing assessment forms for some majors, so you may have to use the

“Other Majors” form. We created this “Other Majors” form by selecting items in five

competency areas that are valued across all career fields.

If you are an evening student, you may be unsure about whether an internship is right for

you. You can still obtain great value from engaging in the self-assessment activity. You can

apply what you are learning about goals and goal setting techniques on your current job. As

you learn more about the internship program, you may decide that an internship offers an

excellent opportunity to advance your career.

Action Steps and Multiple Paths

Once goals are selected, many people believe they have completed the goal-setting

process. I wish it were this easy, but it isn’t and this false belief typically results in

disappointment. Although you have set a SMART goal, if you stop there, you have stopped

too soon. You must identify the paths you will take to reach your goal. You don’t always

know which paths are best, so a good strategy is to identify multiple paths to reach your

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goal. As you try different paths, you will discover which ones fit your learning style and the

circumstances you encounter.

Reaching Your Goal: Goal Setting and the Learning Mindset

Most students recognize that to reach a goal, they must stay focused on the goal and work

hard. They often call this will power. If they give up on a goal, they put it down to lack of will

power or motivation. They don’t approach reaching the goal with a learning mindset. They

often don’t understand that they may lack the knowledge and skills to reach the goal.

Perhaps you would like to set a time management goal because you recognize that better

time management would help you become more successful. You miss deadlines, forget

important tasks, and feel stressed out with all you have to do. To change this sorry state of

affairs the best frame to take is a learning mindset. Using a learning mindset, your goal

would be “I would like to discover five new ways to meet deadlines and be on time and try

them out during the internship period.”

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Phrasing your goal using a learning mindset allows you to discover which time management

techniques fit your personal style. Your friend may decide to keep a daily calendar and to-do

list and update it each day. You are more intrigued by a time management technique that

you researched on the Internet that asked you to keep an hourly log of your activities for a

week to discover your time-wasters. You keep the log (even though it’s a real pain) and

discover you are watching too much TV late at night. You may decide to put yourself on a

TV diet (I give myself permission to watch one show per day) and dedicate the rest of the

time to meeting your deadlines. After trying various calendar options (daily, weekly,

monthly), you may find that a monthly calendar with important deadlines in red works better

for you than a daily calendar.

Without researching various time management techniques, trying some, and reflecting on

those that fit your personal style, you wouldn’t have built any more knowledge or skill in time

management. Your short-range goal, “meet deadlines” would have been just like so many

New Year’s Resolutions, full of good intentions, but without an action plan that emphasized

learning and discovery. You would never discover the reasons you miss deadlines (too much

TV, no picture of multiple deadlines on a calendar). Worse, you might blame yourself for

your failure to meet deadlines by assuming you lacked the will power to succeed. Will power

alone is not enough. Most often we need additional knowledge and skills before we can be

successful. When you describe your actions using a learning mindset, you open yourself to

acquiring the knowledge and skills you need to reach your goal.

Use a Variety of Action Steps

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Deliberate Practice. When you are learning from experience, the simplest action step is

called “trial and error” learning. You try something out and see what does and doesn’t work.

Nike trademarked this as “just do it.”

Research on expert performance shows that “deliberate practice” involving specific targets

coupled with feedback is more effective than simple repetition. So if you are trying new

actions on internship, get some feedback. Ask for feedback from your supervisor or co-

workers whom you trust. Even talking to yourself about the outcomes of your actions and

making adjustments as you learn what is or is not effective, what Schoen called “reflection in

action” is a form of self-feedback because it involves doing and a simultaneous meta-

analysis of what is working or not working.

If you have chosen to “Improve spreadsheet software skills (e.g., Excel, QuickBooks)

including formatting, advanced functions, and keyboarding speed and accuracy” identify how

many functions you aim to learn each week (e.g., 3), set aside practice time (e.g., 30

minutes three times a week), and identify someone who can provide feedback on your

practice spreadsheets and answer questions if you can’t understand the Help instructions.

Deliberate practice involves trial and error learning, reflection in action, and feedback.

The Learning Mindset: Research & Application. In this kind of action step, you conduct

some research about how to proceed and then try the technique out. For example, in our

time management example above, you may go to the Internet and identify several

techniques that seem promising. Your goal is “to test five time-management techniques

during the internship to find out which one(s) work for you.” After searching online, among

the strategies you find, you decide to add “Keep a prioritized ‘to do’ list.” And “Schedule

phone calls during your study breaks and keep your phone on vibrate at other times.” As you

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try out these techniques, you realize you need to update your “to-do” list daily and, through

some experimentation, that the best time to do that is when you first arrive at the internship

site. Another student, using the same technique, might find that the end-of-the day is the

best time to revise his or her “to-do” list. With a learning mindset, you will try various times

and strategies, personalizing them to fit your own individual style.

Participant Observer. Suppose you dream of becoming a lawyer. On an internship, you can’t

represent a client. The same constraint applies to doctors, social workers, or teachers --

any profession where you need a higher-level degree to practice. How do you learn

whether this is the career for you during your internship? You may be initially surprised to

learn that observation is an “action” step, but if you took developmental psychology you

know that children (and adults) learn by watching those around them. This technique is

powerful when you may not be able to perform the tasks of the career you aspire to.

On internship, you may observe professionals in your chosen profession. To make

learning by observation a more powerful and directed learning experience, you must do it

consciously. You may want to record your observations in a daily or weekly log. Compare

your observations with the description of the professional found in the Occupational Outlook

Handbook or a character who plays that role on TV. Your goal is to discover whether you

have chosen a career field that is truly appealing to you. Now the learning objective:

“Become more familiar with the range of professional opportunities available to students

majoring in my field through observation and discussions with my internship colleagues” has

some meaning. As the learning objective itself suggests, a discussion with a person in your

chosen field is another way to make observation more powerful.

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Reflection on Action. The use of writing and discussion are additional action steps to help

you stay on track as you pursue your goals. Donald Schön, a leading theorist on reflective

practice, called these techniques, “Reflection on Action” and they include the analyses of

your internship that you will do during the internship seminar and the Final Evaluation Essay.

Here you look back at your actions and reflect on what you learned. A typical way to be

consistent and thorough using Reflection-on-Action to aid reaching your goals is to keep a

daily or weekly internship log.

Some illustrations of internship goals with action steps are given in Table 2: Examples of

Internship Learning Objectives.

Mid-Range and Long-Range Goals

If you don’t know what you want, chances are very low that you’ll get it. Tony Robbins

Quoted by The Boss column, New York Times 7/15/07

Even though life is uncertain and unpredictable, setting long-range goals is a powerful way to

articulate what would give your life its purpose and direction. When you set a long-range

goal, you are describing the ideal version of what you are going to do with your life. For

some, what gives life meaning is fame. For others, it’s fortune. For still others, their family

life, a certain job or career gives life its meaning. For many people, it is a combination of

these things. It’s up to you to choose. A good reason for setting long-range goals is to give

your life direction. The ePortfolio goal section provides a space for you to articulate what

kind of future you want to create

There are some people who argue that the primary value of setting long-range goals resides

primarily in the journey toward the goal rather than the goal itself. As one unknown writer put

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it, “Goals are only destinations for journeys you think will be fascinating”. In other words, the

process of moving in the direction of a valued goal will result in a richer, engaged and self-

directed life.

One benefit of setting a long-range goal is paradoxical. Sometimes, because you set out

toward one goal thinking that is what you want, you learn that you really want something

else. A well-known psychiatrist put it this way, “You see, we don’t know what our goals are.

We learn our goals only in the process of getting there… ” (Milton H. Erickson, M.D.).

In sum, having long-range goals will keep you from drifting through life and letting

circumstances and other people determine how your life will unfold. You set the course for

the journey and keep evaluating your commitment to reaching your chosen destination.

Setting mid-range and long-range goals

The goal-setting criteria that apply to short-range goals also apply to mid-range and long-

range goals. They must be important to you, challenging, and as specific as you can make

them. Since these long-range goals cover a longer time span, there are several actions you

can take to sustain your motivation over the long haul.

Describe your Goals in Writing. Some experts estimate that only 3% of adults have written

down goals, yet the act of writing your goals down is a powerful technique. That’s one

reason the ePortfolio has a goal section. Writing requires you to be more specific,

thoughtful, and public about your life’s direction. It is the first step in making a commitment

to the direction you want to take. If you think it, ink it.

Identify Benefits. Describe the benefits of reaching your goal. This act too will strengthen

your motivation and commitment. What good things will happen as a result of reaching this

goal? Write them down next to the goal.

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Visualize. Create a picture of what you would like to achieve and see it happening. Some

people hang a picture of their long-term goal on their mirror to remind themselves everyday

when they look in the mirror that they have a purpose, plan and goal. Athletes often use this

technique, but it is powerful for other types of goals too. If you want to be a college graduate,

how vivid is your picture of graduation day?

Get the Support of Significant Others. To strengthen your commitment even more, share

your goals with someone, especially someone important to you. The support of significant

others is an important resource in your quest to reach your goals. They provide all kinds of

help from keeping you motivated when you have a setback to providing advice, guidance,

and opportunities to reach your goals. The mountaineers who climb Mt. Everest have

Sherpas, local guides who live in the shadow of the mountain and know the terrain better

than those who are new to the area. Without the Sherpas’ help, it is unlikely that anyone

from outside the area could make it to the summit.

Plan to Overcome Obstacles. Hope and optimism has been shown to be an important factor

in overcoming adversity. Hopeful and optimistic people have the attitude that setbacks or

failures are temporary and that obstacles can be overcome. Hopeful people generate

multiple pathways toward their goal. If they get blocked, they look for support and identify

what they need to learn to overcome the obstacle. You may chose to learn on your own, use

a coach, find a mentor, or take some additional coursework.

Take Small Steps. We return to a technique that was discussed in the short-range

goal section, taking micro-actions. In this case, you utilize the wisdom of the African proverb:

You must eat an elephant one bite at a time.

The actions to reach the micro-goals are stacked up to achieve the mini-goals that in turn

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are used to reach the short-range goals. Put the short-range goals together and they assist

you in reaching your long-range goals. Julie Morgenstern, a successful professional

organizer, recounts in her book that she was hopelessly disorganized until her first child

came along. One beautiful day when the baby was three-weeks old, Julie wanted to take

her to the park, but before she could find diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, pacifier, blankets,

Snugli, bottle of water, and so forth, the child went back to sleep. Julie sat down with the

diaper bag, sorted the items into categories (e.g., things to change her, such as diapers,

wipes, powder), packed each category in separate sections (e.g., snack section, toy section)

and made a master inventory list to make restocking easier. She achieved a micro-

organizing goal. She went on to organize drawers (more micro-goals) then moved on to

closets and paperwork (short-range goals). Eventually, she realized her skills could be

turned into a business opportunity and she went on to build an organizing business. By

stacking many micro-goals, Morgenstern has become very successful with books, TV

appearances, and many business and personal clients. It started with a very small,

manageable step – organizing a diaper bag.

Five-Year Plans: Outlining the Action Plan

Some people stress the importance of setting mid-range goals, usually in about five-

year chunks. Once you select your mid-range goal, you set short-range goals for each year

within the five-year plan. The broad action strokes for Year 1 through 4 are outlined. Next,

short-range goals in three-month chunks for Year 1 are outlined. Then, the first three-month

chunk is broken down until you arrive at a micro-goal ─ the action you need to take today.

Five-year plans attack action planning by breaking the five-year goal into manageable

sizes. You don’t get so overwhelmed. You identify small action steps. Instead of worrying

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and wondering “Could I ever get a Master’s degree?”, you focus on taking manageable

steps. Your micro-goal might be to pick up the transfer application for a senior college

before Friday. Since you already have filled out one college application to get to LaGuardia,

this step doesn’t feel so insurmountable. You just have to get to the Transfer Center this

week. Yet, unless you pick up the senior college application, the process of getting a

Master’s degree is stopped dead in its tracks.

Deal with Setbacks

So you didn’t make it to the Transfer Center because you had a big paper due and you gave

that priority. Then, you stopped by and the Center was closed for a workshop. Several

possibilities come to mind: Go online. Use the Mid-Town Admissions Help Center on 42nd

Street. Return to the Transfer Center the next time you have class in the C Building. In the

film, Your Summit Awaits, a young adventurer, Jamie Clarke, recounts how his team had to

turn back short of the Mt. Everest summit because shortly after the climb began, many of his

teammates became ill. Although they recovered, the attempt was scrubbed because they

ran out of a mission-critical item – toilet paper. They learned from this set back and came

back the next year better prepared.

Mid-range and Long-range Goal Summary

Some of the actions discussed above keep you motivated and committed. In sports terms,

they call it “keep your eye on the prize.” These include writing your goals, identifying the

benefits of reaching your goals, seeking the support of significant others, and visualization.

Other actions focus you on a learning mindset and encourage you to work on multiple

pathways to reach your goals. These include identifying potential obstacles and planning on

ways to overcome them; taking small steps toward your goal; and recovering from setbacks.

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Now, review the unit’s key points below and use the power of goal setting to create your own

luck.

Key Points

1. The ePortfolio has a goal section because goal setting has proven to be one of the

most important strategies to insure professional and personal success.

2. Follow two important goal-setting principles:

a. Choose something you really want

b. Make sure your goal is both challenging and specific. Specific, challenging

goals are more motivating and lead to better performance than easy or vague

goals, such as “do your best.”

3. Goals may be categorized into micro-goals (one hour), mini-goals (one day), short-

range (up to one year), mid-range (up to five years), and long-range goals (your ideal

vision of your life).

4. Internship learning objectives are short-range goals that you select to reach during

your internship.

5. Check to see whether you have set a SMART goal, that is, Specific, Measurable,

Achievable, Relevant and Time limited.

6. Research has shown that to reach your goals takes more than will power. You also

need knowledge and skills. That’s why a learning mindset is an effective way to frame

the actions you select for reaching your goals.

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7. Four tactics for reaching your goals, including your internship learning objectives, are:

Deliberate Practice

Research and Application

Participant Observation

Reflection on Action

8. Some actions increase your commitment to your mid-range and long-range goals:

writing your goals

identifying the benefits of reaching your goals

obtaining the support of significant others

visualizing the outcome

9. Some actions create a learning mindset and help you work on multiple pathways

toward your goal:

Identifying obstacles, researching and planning ways to overcome them

Taking small steps focused on learning and achieving micro-goals

Dealing with setbacks

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Table 2: Examples of Internship Learning Objectives

Self-assessment: I need to improve my business vocabulary.

Learning Objective: I want to learn how to ask questions using the appropriate vocabulary in my field.

Action Plan: I will learn three new terms each week that are related to my internship field

(e.g., banking terms, marketing terms, theatre terms or education terms). I will keep a list of these terms. I will establish an understanding with my colleagues so that I can get feedback

about whether I am using these new terms correctly in conversation. By the end of the internship, I will be able to use 30 new terms in conversation.

Self-assessment: I am shy about talking on the telephone in a business setting.

Internship Learning Objective: Improve my telephone communication skills by answering the telephone and taking messages.

Action Plan: I will be an active observer of two colleagues to learn how they handle

difficult customers on the telephone. I will research effective telephone techniques on the Internet and try one

technique out once a week. I will engage in a discussion with two co-workers about effective telephone

skills. I will ask my boss for feedback and suggestions to improve my telephone

techniques at least three times during the internship.

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Examples of Mid-Range and Long-Range Professional Goals

These goals set your career or educational direction for the next five to ten years. The examples below specify a choice of senior college, a senior college major, a specific occupation, a specific industry, or a specific position. Prioritize your goals. Select no more than two or three goals with the most meaning for you. Ask yourself, “What is the ideal version of what I want my life to be?” in the next five to ten years.

Your choice of senior collegeMy goal is to complete Baruch College with a major in accounting.My goal is to complete Vassar College.

Senior college major My goal is to major in radio/television broadcasting at a senior college. My goal is to major in gerontology.

A specific occupational goal My goal is to become a veterinarian. My goal is to become a psychologist.My goal is to own my own business as an image consultant.

A specific industryMy goal is to have a career in the hotel industry. My goal is to have a career in the financial services industry.

A specific positionMy goal is to be a flight attendant for an international airline. My goal is to be a New York City police officer.

A specific company or organization My goal is to work for Google.My goal is to work for the Red Cross.

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References

Ask Adventure—Tips. (2003). Everest cents. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from the National Geographic Adventure Magazine Web site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0305/expert_everest.html

BBC News. (2007). Concern over Everest death rate. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from the BBC News Web site: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5281344.stm

Brott, P. E. (2004). Constructivist assessment in career counseling. Journal of Career Development, 30(3), 189-200. Campbell, D. P. (2007). If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else. Notre Dame, Indiana: Sorin Books.

Center for Creative Leadership. (1999). Executive Coaching Planning Worksheet. Principles of Executive Coaching Workshop. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

Clarke, J. (2005) Your summit awaits with Jamie Clarke: Preview guide. Retrieved March 27, 2007 from the Starthrower Web site. www.starthrower.com

Devadason, R. (2006, May 16). A rope of three strands is not easily broken. New Straits Times, p. 54.

Ericsson, K. A. (2000). Expert performance and deliberate practice: An updated excerpt from Ericsson (2000). Retrieved July 22, 2007 from Florida State Cognitive & Expertise Labs Web site: http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/ericsson/ericsson.exp.perf.html Fineburg, A. C. Positive Psychology. Retrieved July 19, 2007 from the American Psychological Association Web site: http://members1.apa.org/topss/positivepsychology.pdf

Fort Hill, Granger, & K. Schmittlein, S. (2004). Guide to Blended Coaching with Fridays5s® for the Center for Creative Leadership: Pilot Version. Monchanin, DE: Fort Hill.

Fort Hill. (2004) Friday5s Goals ® Monchanin, DE: Fort Hill.

Goodridge, W. F. (2001). On your mark! Black Enterprise, 31(6), 95-98. Latham, G. P. (2004). The motivational benefits of goal-setting. Academy of Management Executive, 18(4), 126-129.

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http://members1.apa.org/topss/positivepsychology.pdf

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/ericsson/ericsson.exp.perf.html

http://www.starthrower.com/

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5281344.stm

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5281344.stm


Locke, E. A. & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-Year Odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.

Morgenstern, J. (1998). Organizing from the inside out. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Schön, D. A. (1994). The crisis of professional knowledge and the pursuit of an epistemology of practice. In L. B. Barnes, C. R. Christensen, & A. J. Hansen (Eds.), Teaching and the case method: Instructor’s guide. (pp. 399-410) Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Seijts, G. H. & Latham, G. P. (2006). Learning goals or performance goals: Is it the journey or the destination? Ivey Business Journal, 70(5), 1- 6

Seijts, G. H. & Latham, G. P. (2005). Learning goals versus performance goals: When should each be used? Academy of Management Executive, 19(1), 124-131.

Wick, C. W. & León, L. S. (1993). The learning edge. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

© Diane Ducat 2007

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Internship Learning Objectives

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