Smith College Praxis International Internships

e-Portfolio Reflection Writing Prompts

Early June Tasks

Collect data about the organization. You will use this information during the fall reflection workshop, in which you will be asked to present to a small group of students an overview of the organization for which you interned. Gather information on the organization, its mission, the staff size, the organizational structure, its products and/or services, the leadership/management structure, its location (s), etc.

Reflection questions:

●  What’s it like living and working in a new culture? What has been the most challenging? What has surprised you? What has been rewarding?

●  What strategies are you developing to communicate with your co-workers and supervisor?

●  What are some of your initial reactions? What’s going well? What’s not going well?

●  Complete this thought: "I’m not sure about . . ." What questions or concerns do you have about your internship? What worries do you have?

Late June Tasks

Observe someone in a leadership position in your organization. During the fall workshop, you will be asked to talk about this person. To prepare, provide a written reflection about him or her, and include the following:

●  Who have you identified as a leader? What is his/her role?

●  What made you identify that person as a leader?

●  How would you describe that person?

●  What qualities make that person a good leader?

●  In what way is he or she effective?

●  What would make that person a stronger leader?

Was there anything in your informational interview that surprised you?

What strategies are you using for taking initiative on new projects? Are you able to receive feedback on tasks from the people with whom you work?

What assumptions did you bring to your internship about work, living in a new culture, the organization, and/or your internship that have turned out to be untrue?

Early July Tasks

Observe all of the professionals around you. Describe the qualities that you think makes someone "successful."

Pick an example of a project or task that didn’t go well at your internship. What went wrong? What did you do when you found yourself in this situation? What could or would you have done differently?

Living and working abroad and in a new culture can present challenges. Describe an example of a situation in which you pushed yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone.

Describe an example of when you felt really good about the work you produced. What went well? How did your co-workers respond to your work?

Late July Tasks

Complete this thought: “This I know . . .” Write about what you know about yourself now that you didn’t before.

When thinking about your internship and experience, what makes you most proud?

For some students, internships provide an introduction to the world of work outside of summer and part-time jobs. What do you know about yourself as a professional? What skills have you developed? What has surprised you about working in this field?

How does this organization and the experience you have had resonate with your own background, your interests and goals? What’s next?

Complete this thought: "If I could do this all over again, I would . . ."

Smith College Lazarus Center for Career Development