Internship Insights: Reflections from Fall Interns

by Cory Werkheiser, Director of Career Success

This semester, twenty-five School of Business students participated in our 344 internship courses, including Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Real Estate. Each week, the students completed a journal that summarized the skills developed and used, as well as reflected on the week’s work experience. After reviewing the most common themes from the reflections, it is clear how important relevant experiential learning opportunities are in helping students prepare for full-time post-graduation roles. Here are the most common themes from the Fall 2025 interns:

• Growth in Confidence: Many students reflected on becoming more confident in their skills, decision-making, and professional communication.
• Value of Teamwork: Collaboration, learning from others, and supporting colleagues were repeatedly highlighted.
• Importance of Organization: Staying organized, managing time effectively, and tracking details are seen as crucial for success.
• Adaptability & Flexibility: Students often mentioned learning to adapt to new environments, unexpected changes, and shifting priorities.
• Leadership Development: Several journals discussed taking on leadership roles, training others, and learning to motivate teams.
• Communication Skills: Both internal (with teams) and external (with clients/customers) communication were seen as key learning areas.
• Problem-Solving & Initiative: Interns valued learning to troubleshoot, taking initiative, and finding solutions independently.
• Professionalism & Accountability: Many reflected on the importance of reliability, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a positive attitude.
• Real-World Application: Students appreciated seeing classroom concepts applied in real-world business settings.
• Networking & Relationship Building: Building professional relationships and leveraging connections were common takeaways.

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