Almost Internship Time

It’s finals week here on campus for the undergraduates and the 2-year students are already working hard on their internships around the world. In fact, my first internship visit (I visit each one of my interns every summer) will take place one week from today in Ireland. Check out my previous post outlining where the 13 students in the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program are interning in 2016.

If you’re in the turfgrass industry, have you ever thought about what it takes to select an internship? It’s a daunting task for a student to make that decision about which facility will offer them the best opportunity to advance their careers.

Selecting an Internship

For students in the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program (Penn State’s Resident 2-Year Program), students are introduced to the idea of an internship their first day on campus. In their Internship Preparation course, I work with students to find out what golf course and what superintendents would fit them best. Some of the things we focus on in that class include:

• Self Evaluation Survey of the students’ strengths and weaknesses
• 5 year career goals
• What makes a good internship
• Writing a strong cover letter and resume
• Narrowing down the internships that would be the best fit (each student can ONLY apply to two facilities)
• Developing goals and objectives
• Interviewing skills
• Selecting which internship will be best for the individual student

Apply to the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program

If you’re interested in a supervisory position in golf course turfgrass management, Penn State can help you on your way. Students enrolled in this Professional Certificate Program attend classes during two eight-week terms per year on Penn State’s main campus.  Between years, students complete six months of on-the-job training at one of the top golf courses in the world.

 APPLY ONLINE NOW FOR FREE.

What a the Students Have to Say

Jeremy Nicholas and Kyle Basehore were interviewed last summer during their intersnships at Philadelphia Cricket Club and Medinah Country Club, respectively.