W5-2/3 Internships Are Not The Beginning of The End, They Are The Start of The Beginning (7/24)


    On Tuesday I learned how to complete some tasks using a data aggregation and analysis tool. I was looking at various machines just to make sure things were up to date. I would just check if certain things were present and whether it had been updated recently. I found it to be somewhat like what I did on the tool I used on Monday. A lot of the work was rather simple. Some people may have been annoyed or bothered doing such work, but I didn’t have any problem using it nor was I bothered by it. I think a lot of people expect too much out of internships and come into internships expecting bad outcomes and exploitation for cheap/free labor. That isn't to say that students shouldn't be weary of exploitation via bad internships but that students shouldn't allow this to feed and compound unto the expectations of what level of work they should be doing. They should be working around an entry level position at the establishment they are interning at. I will admit that some internships may seem prestigious but at the end of the day it is only an internship. Even an entry level position at a highly significant establishment is only a beginning and one cannot realistically expect work above their standing. I think in a lot of ways working for the government can be very similar to working within the industry. The major differences seem to be the high stakes of the job and if employed perhaps matters of salary and pension but that depends on how you are employed. I would imagine that more political and diplomatic positions would operate differently and would be quite a bit different from industry jobs. Which both are matters that is beyond the scope of this post, so I don't see much need in exploring those any further. 

      I always found it weird that some people expect to be doing highly ranked professional tasks at an internship. While this could very well happen, it should never be expected. An internship is the modern apprenticeship and an intern shouldn’t expect to learn the tasks of a journeyman, let alone a master. Although our modern understanding of masters and masterpieces are little bit off (which master’s degrees are closer in meaning than a legendary work which is more modern in terms of meaning) but I digress. In the end we are working at the lowest skill level which shouldn’t be equated emotionally with social hierarchy but instead at a technocratic level. You have to learn how to walk before you run. These tasks I am doing are very similar to some of those that would be given to entry level employees. As students we do so much outside of career application that we expect some grand career application when that is simply impractical for both of us (employer or intern). Internships are about making connections, learning more about that career field, evaluating how you like that work/environment, etc. It is unrealistic to expect to learn the skills of a position that requires years of experience within the industry and further certifications than those possible before employment. Interns should be attentive to their tasks and shouldn’t allow ego and pride to jade them about the work they are doing. Some of this work is invaluable for the team as interns complete tasks that otherwise employees with a higher skill set would be working on when they can be more productive for the team doing work at a higher echelon and the team will be more productive in general for it. Internships are not the end of a journey they are instead just starting to reach a beginning (they are not even journeymen/journeywomen yet). I will remain thankful for the work I am given, I will be patient as my skills improve, and I will continue my journey through computer science.

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