Intern
Job Responsibilities
Respondents input the percentage of time interns spend
performing 17 tasks (see Table 2). To ensure the average time spent on these
tasks was not underestimated, means were calculated based only on those
organizations in which the task was performed. The most frequent tasks include
data analysis (23%), developing training courses (19%) and/or selection
assessments (15%), project management (16%), report writing (16%), and job
analysis (15%). Other
tasks (written in by respondents) included general consulting, survey
administration and analysis, and other miscellaneous research. The most
infrequent tasks performed were making and developing presentations and test
administration.
Furthermore, interns in external consulting organizations
spend the majority of their time analyzing data, conducting validation studies,
writing reports, developing training courses and/or selection assessments, and
directing client contact (e.g., conduct focus groups) while interns in internal
consulting organizations conduct job analyses, analyze data, manage projects,
collect data, write reports, and develop selection assessments. While there is
some overlap in the most frequent tasks, the differences are notable.
Table 2. Mean Percentage with Interns Performing
Task (Number of Organizations in Which Task is Performed)
|
Task
|
Overall
Sample
|
External
Consulting
|
Internal
Consulting
|
|
Library research,
benchmarking, literature reviews
|
13.17
(n=63)
|
13.08
(n=26)
|
11.29
(n=21)
|
|
Data entry
|
10.46
(n=37)
|
12.19
(n=16)
|
8.77
(n=13)
|
|
Data analysis
|
23.14
(n=69)
|
20.38
(n=26)
|
19.28
(n=25)
|
|
Proposal preparation
|
10.00
(n=18)
|
8.89
(n=9)
|
11.67
(n=6)
|
|
Job analysis interviews
and observations
|
14.90
(n=31)
|
10.62
(n=16)
|
23.00
(n=9)
|
|
Test administration
|
8.60
(n=15)
|
9.18
(n=11)
|
7.67
(n=3)
|
|
Direct client contact,
such as facilitating SME or focus groups
|
13.41
(n=44)
|
14.79
(n=19)
|
12.89
(n=19)
|
|
Report writing
|
15.91
(n=55)
|
15.87
(n=23)
|
16.47
(n=17)
|
|
Developing training
courses
|
19.20
(n=15)
|
15.20
(n=5)
|
13.14
(n=7)
|
|
Developing presentations
|
9.79
(n=38)
|
9.18
(n=11)
|
9.79
(n=19)
|
|
Making presentations
|
6.36
(n=22)
|
7.67
(n=6)
|
4.92
(n=12)
|
|
Conducting validation
studies
|
14.04
(n=26)
|
16.15
(n=13)
|
13.33
(n=9)
|
|
Developing survey
content
|
10.34
(n=29)
|
8.57
(n=7)
|
11.25
(n=12)
|
|
Developing selection
assessments, such as interviews and paper-and-pencil tests
|
15.34
(n=29)
|
14.58
(n=12)
|
16.36
(n=11)
|
|
Conducting interviews
|
11.15
(n=13)
|
11.67
(n=9)
|
10.00
(n=2)
|
|
Project management
|
15.91
(n=33)
|
10.71
(n=7)
|
17.27
(n=22)
|
|
Other types of data
collection not listed above
|
14.00
(n=15)
|
7.00
(n=5)
|
17.00
(n=5)
|
|
Other
|
24.00
(n=15)
|
36.43
(n=7)
|
14.17
(n=6)
|
What
does this mean for internship seekers?
Intern job responsibilities vary from organization to organization, but at a
minimum, expect to analyze data. Depending on the nature of the internship, you
may also develop training courses, conduct job analyses, manage projects, write
reports, and develop selection assessments. You will probably not be involved in
test administration and developing or making presentations. Understanding the
differences between the tasks performed by interns in internal and external
consulting organizations may help you make a better decision about your
internship experience.
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