Guidelines for Keeping a Reflective Journal During an Internship

Importance of Keeping a Journal for Internship

• You are required to keep a journal throughout your internship. This journal should begin as soon as possible within the internship process. The journal should be a reflective account of the entire internship. This journal will play a significant role in determining your grade for the internship. It is not something that can be done the night before it is due, and you need to make a strong commitment to writing journal entries on a regular basis throughout the internship.  
 • Your journal needs to include personal observations of your situation, i.e. how you feel, what you have learnt, what you would do differently next time.
 • Discussion could include such things as: identification of issues, handling difficult situations, new skills learnt (e.g. new menu familiarisation), and interactions with stakeholders of the internship organisation.
 • How you set up your journal is entirely up to you. The journal will be an invaluable tool when it comes to formulating your presentation at the end of the internship. 
35. Description of issues, dilemmas, challenges and problems faced, and how these issues/difficult situations were resolved/handled
 36. Demonstration of how the knowledge and skills acquired during the degree programme were adapted into the internship 
37. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the internship on professional growth and development 
38. Definition of the range of tasks completed while undertaking the internship and new skills learnt o Identification of opportunities for continuing further studies/research in the chosen industry sector around the management issue selected
 39. Nature of the skills, attributes and attitudes required to successfully address the management issue identified as a manager or supervisor in the industry 
40. Nature of interactions with stakeholders of the internship organisation 
41. Critical evaluation of your own organisational and communication skills during the internship. 
42. Overall learning experience (5 out of 20 marks) is discussed in terms of what the student learned about them self, what they found useful vs not so useful, what they would have done differently, whether the programme has given them a better understanding of addressing a management issue, suggestions for changes to this paper and how this programme will influence future endeavours.
43. Clear and logical and covers entire duration of the internship
44. Personal observations have been recorded as evidence