This syllabus is divided into several sections. You can read it sequentially by scrolling down the length of the document or by clicking on any of the links below to “jump” to specific sections. It is essential that you read the entire document. Together these serve as our course "contract."
Lecturer, Department of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute
NOTE: I will read and respond to e-mail and discussion forums at least once per day during the work week (Monday through Friday). I will check email on the weekends, but cannot guarantee prompt responses.
Description: The EGEE 495 Internship is a supervised off-campus, non-group instruction with an energy and sustainability policy focus. The instruction may include individual field experience, employment or internship (paid or unpaid). Students should have positions with energy businesses, government agencies, legislative offices, non-profit advocacy/education organizations, industry associations or sustainability functions within other businesses. The internship must provide the opportunity to employ college level capabilities and proficiencies and must provide a meaningful learning experience in the areas of energy and sustainability policy. The internship must provide 120 hours of work. Students should work hard to ensure that the internship fits their interests, professional aspirations, schedule and location. It is the student's responsibility to work closely with the internship sponsor to identify and define the position's responsibilities, duties and working hours.
This course should prepare students to conduct a successful job search once they have graduated from the ESP program. Internships provide relevant real-world experiences and allow students to interact in a professional environment and gain experience networking. We will also discuss student's strengths, weaknesses, and skill sets while cultivating their ability to interview and relate their internship experience to the ESP curriculum. Students will complete a practice interview session and submit an updated cover letter and resume for review. Finally, upon completion of the online journal, they should have a robust writing sample, multiple internship related artifacts, and a updated resume they can use during their job search.
Students who successfully complete EGEE 495 should be able to:
The internship position must include 120 hours of time within one semester. This work can be completed online or in-person. When and how the hours are logged is the responsibility of the student and will be verified by the internship sponsor. Midterm and Final evaluations along with other deliverables for the course must be submitted by the dates agreed upon at the beginning of the semester. The final version of the Internship Journal must be submitted by the end of finals week (see Course Schedule below for details).
Communication is very important for this course. Please keep in regular contact with the instructor. If you are experiencing difficulty logging hours, or the internship is not meeting your expectations, contact the instructor as soon as possible so that the issue can be appropriately addressed. Failure to adequately complete the internship as stated in the Internship Agreement may result in a failing grade.
You do not need a textbook for this course. Use this course website and Canvas as resources for the course. In order to take this course, you need to have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password (used to access the online course resources). If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the World Campus [3] help desk.
To set up your profile and manage your notification preferences in Canvas, visit the Canvas link in the menu at the top of the course website.
Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback, and earn academic credit. Information about Penn State's Energy and Sustainability Policy Bachelor's program is available at the ESP Overview Page [4].
This course will rely upon a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning. Grading will be completed by the ESP Internship Coordinator or the course instructor. Refer to the Grading Rubrics in Canvas to understand how points are earned.
All forms can be found on the Internship Guidelines page or in the course Canvas site. Forms should be submitted via the designated dropbox in Canvas.
You are expected to submit weekly electronic journal entries addressing the items as discussed on the Internship Journal page. The purpose of the journal is to help you articulate and record the learning and experiences that occurred during the internship. All Penn State students are granted blog space on sites.psu.edu and are encouraged to use that space. For more guidance on how to use sites.psu.edu visit the Resources tab. All Journal entries will be reviewed by the Course Instructor and returned with a grade along with comments and suggestions. If a better grade is desired, the suggested edits are to be implemented for the final version.
You are expected to complete a SWOT analysis, evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This exercise will better prepare you to speak to these types of questions in interviews as well as identify areas in which you may need some improvement. Additionally, it completing the analysis will help you think more strategically about your career.
Create an updated cover letter and resume that reflects your anticipated graduation date and education information as well as prior work experiences is required. A potential employer sees these items far before they meet you, so the importance of getting these right cannot be overstated!
Using InterviewStream you will complete a mock interview. The interview will help you understand the types of questions that may be asked of you in a job interview post graduation. It will also allow you to evaluate how well you do in an interview scenario and will hopefully make you more comfortable with the interview process. You will be given a few chances to record your response to each question. Once you complete the mock interview, it will be submitted to the instructor for review and feedback.
Compile a list of resources utilized during the internship (textbooks, references, documents, websites, software, etc). Annotate each resource explaining what it is and how/why it was utilized. Keeping a list of the resources you used while interning can help you better prepare for interviews down the road. If you're able to "talk the talk", using correct terminology in your interviews, you'll be more likely to land the job!
Grading will be completed by ESP Internship Coordinator/Course Instructor.
Letter grades will be based on the following percentages:
A | 90-100% |
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A- | 87.5-89.9% |
B+ | 85-87.4% |
B | 80-84.9% |
B- | 77.5-79.9% |
C+ | 75-77.4% |
C | 70-74.9% |
D | 60-69.9% |
F | <60% |
X | Unsatisfactory (student did not participate) |
Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student.
Assignment | Weight |
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Administrative Forms | 5% |
Journal Entries | 55% |
SWOT Analysis | 10% |
Mock Interview | 10% |
Cover Letter and Resume | 10% |
Bibliography | 10% |
* Note: Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student
Below you will find a summary of the primary deliverables for the internship and the associated time frames. This course is twelve weeks in length, and requires you to complete a minimum of 120 hours of work at your internship in addition to the weekly assignments.
NOTE: Actual dates may vary; schedule will be posted in the Canvas Syllabus.
Date | Deliverables |
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Before the first day of class |
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End of week 1 (Monday) |
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End of week 2 (Monday) |
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End of week 3 (Monday) |
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End of week 4 (Monday) |
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End of week 5 (Monday) |
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End of week 6 (Monday) |
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End of week 7 (Monday) |
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End of week 8 (Monday) |
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End of week 9 (Monday) |
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End of week 10 (Monday) |
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End of week 11 (Monday) |
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End of week 12 (Monday) |
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Last day of classes |
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Students must complete all of the assigned items in the course syllabus.
All course-related submissions must be provided by the assigned date. No late work is accepted and no extra-credit is provided.
Please use MLA citation and format style. Info can be found on Purdue's Online Writing Lab [5] (link is external).
For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the Dutton Institute Technical Requirements page [6], including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Outreach Helpdesk [7] (for World Campus students) or the ITS Help Desk [8] (for students at all other campus locations).
Access to a reliable Internet connection is required for this course. A problem with your Internet access may not be used as an excuse for late, missing, or incomplete coursework. If you experience problems with your Internet connection while working on this course, it is your responsibility to find an alternative Internet access point, such as a public library or Wi-Fi ® hotspot.
This site is considered a secure web site which means that your connection is encrypted. We do however link to content that isn't necessarily encrypted. This is called mixed content. By default, mixed content is blocked in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. This may result in a blank page or a message saying that only secure content is displayed. Follow the directions on our technical requirements page [6] to view the mixed content.
All official communications from the Penn State World Campus are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly, or forward your Penn State e-mail [9] to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information.
This course follows the guidelines for academic integrity of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences [10]. Penn State defines academic integrity as "the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner." Academic integrity includes "a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception." In particular, the University defines plagiarism as "the fabrication of information and citations; submitting others' work from professional journals, books, articles, and papers; submission of other students' papers, lab results or project reports and representing the work as one's own." Penalties for violations of academic integrity may include course failure. To learn more, see Penn State's "Plagiarism Tutorial for Students. [11]"
All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.
For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contact information for every Penn State campus: Contacts for Disability Resources at all Penn State Campuses [12]. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources (SDR) website [13].
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled. You will participate in an intake interview and provide documentation, see Applying for Services from Student Disability Resources [14]. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office [12] will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional wellbeing. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation. Services include the following:
Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS) [15]: 814-863-0395
Counseling and Psychological Services at Commonwealth Campuses [16]
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400
Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated (Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance [17]) and can be reported through Educational Equity via Report Bias [18].
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
In case of weather-related delays at the University, this online course will proceed as planned. Your instructor will inform you if there are any extenuating circumstances regarding content or activity due dates in the course due to weather delays. If you are affected by a weather-related emergency, please contact your instructor at the earliest possible time to make special arrangements.
Penn State is committed to educational access for all. Our students come from all walks of life and have diverse life experiences. As with any other online community, the lack of physical interaction in an online classroom can create a false sense of anonymity and security. While one can make new friends online, digital relationships can also be misleading. Good judgment and decision making are critical when choosing to disclose personal information with others whom you do not know.
This course follows the Energy and Sustainability Policy programs' Constructive Participation in ESP Peer-Peer Activities policy [19] for student participation in peer-to-peer activities in ESP courses, such as group discussions, team projects and peer reviews of another’s work. In all peer-to-peer learning activities, students are expected to participate constructively with others in the practice and development of effective communication skills. This means NO personal attacks, NO name calling, and NO threatening language of any kind. Consequences may include losing the opportunity to participate in (and earn credit for) all remaining peer-to-peer assignments for the duration of the course. Any instance of threatening language will be reported to the Penn State Office of Student Conduct.
If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to your instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. It is up to your instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If, for any reason, the course work for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.
This course will be conducted entirely online. There will be no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments with specific due dates. Many of the assignments are open for multiple days, so it is your responsibility to complete the work early if you plan to travel or participate in national holidays, religious observances or University approved activities.
If you need to request an exception due to a personal or medical emergency, contact the instructor directly as soon as you are able. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Penn State is “committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others” as stated in Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming and inclusive environment and to interact with civility.
For additional information, see:
Penn State’s policies require me, as a faculty member, to share information about incidents of sex-based discrimination and harassment (discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation) with Penn State’s Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinators, regardless of whether the incidents are stated to me in person or shared by students as part of their coursework. For more information regarding the University's policies and procedures for responding to reports of sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct, please visit Penn State's Office of Sexual Misconduct and Prevention & Response [27] website.
Additionally, I am required to make a report on any reasonable suspicion of child abuse in accordance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law [28].
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. All changes will be communicated with you via e-mail, course announcement and/or course discussion forum.
If you have difficulty with the electronic signature portion of the form, follow the Creating a eSignature directions [33].
You are expected to post to your personal journal weekly (URL to be uploaded to Canvas). You can see more about what content is expected in your posts below, but first I want to express why this weekly journaling assignment exists. First, we want you to have a record of what you accomplished on the job! You may think you will easily recall everything when the semester is over, but the experiences you have now may benefit you years down the road, so it is important to have a good record of what you've learned and what you have experienced! Additionally, your journal can serve as a product that you can use to demonstrate to future employers and academics your accomplishments, approach to work, and ability to communicate. You may also find the contents to be a useful reference for future projects and research.
Secondly, one of the first interview questions you will inevitably be asked is about your degree. "I see you have a B.A. in Energy and Sustainability Policy; explain the program and how it relates to this job..." While you may have a good understanding of the degree and it's learning competencies, and you may already be applying much of the information in your current job, being able to communicate the connection between your education and your real-world experience may be a challenge. By reflecting weekly on how what you did relates to your coursework and the program overall, you will be versed in connecting the dots. That way, when you're in the hot seat, that question will be one of the easiest you address!
Students are expected to set up a blog site to journal about the internship experience. You can use sites.psu.edu to set up a personal blog space, or you can choose another blogging site. If you would like to use the Penn State Sites, first you need to [34]Activate Penn State Personal Web Space [35]and then you can create a blog at sites.psu.edu [36].
For the journal entries themselves, please provide as much detail as you can without compromising any proprietary or private information. It is expected that if you adequately address the weekly topics and other requirements as outlined below, your post will be 800+ words in length. Please refer to the syllabus and grading rubric (in Canvas) for further information regarding the level of effort that is expected for your journal. In short, it should be a formal, polished product that you would be proud to hand over to a potential employer as an exhibit of your abilities and experiences. The journal entries should include:
Discuss ideas or theories related to your experiences/observations: How does what you've seen/experienced connect to what you already knew? What was suprising, and why? Have you drawn any new conclusions? How does what you've seen/experienced connect with material you've learned in your coursework?
Each Journal will be graded out of 40 Points.
A detailed rubric is available to you on the dropbox pages in Canvas. Below is a summary of how you can earn full credit. Your journal post must:
What do we mean by "well-written?" Your submissions should always be a scholarly piece of polished work. Your post should demonstrate that you've not just simply typed it into the text editor box as you went, with little regard for organization, syntax, or spelling mistakes. It should be written with the tone and style that is appropriate for college coursework, not a text message. In summary, it should be work you'd be proud to share with a potential employer.
Submit the url to the appropriate week's "Original Draft Journal" Dropbox in Canvas by the date specified on the course calendar. Once your original draft is graded, you will have an opportunity to edit your journal and resubmit for a higher grade. The updated journal MUST be submitted to the appropriate week's "Final Draft Journal" Dropbox in order for it to be regraded.
Keep in mind that your journal entries may be searchable by anyone on the Internet, so this opening post should not assume that the reader knows anything about you or the organization in which you are working.
Other than the first week (see "Week 1" above) and the last week of the semester (see "Last Journal Entry" below), journal entry topics can be chosen from the topics listed below (see Topics 1-5 and "Remaining weeks"). The topics directly relate to the program learning competencies [2] and your prior coursework. The point is to get you to think through how what you are doing daily relates to the coursework you have already completed in the program and how you can convey that information in an interview-like scenario. Use the prompts below (if applicable) to guide your post. The prompts are intended to help you think through ways in which you used a specific competency or addressed a learning objective while fulfilling your internship responsibilities. When you are discussing the weekly topic provided, be sure to include experiences related to that topic, to date, at the internship - not only the happenings of that week. For example, for week 6, discuss all ways in which you have gained energy industry knowledge so far this semester. These journal entries are meant to be polished pieces of academic work, therefore, no yes/no answers. Include any other relevant/interesting information regarding your experiences and learning to date.
Contact me immediately if you have questions regarding journal content.
Have you had any experience utilizing your communication skills in the following ways? If not, how have you been using your communication skills in your position?
Have you had any experience utilizing your analytical skills in the following ways? If not, how did you use your analytical skills to fulfill your job duties/responsibilities?
Have you consciously employed your sustainability ethic in your current position?
What are the broader, global implications of your job/the services/products provided by the organization?
Are you gaining knowledge in the energy industry?
There are no designated topics to discuss during these three weeks. Quality posts are still expected, but you have been given the freedom to pick the subject. Some ideas of topics include:
This is your last week of journal posts. It will serve as a Summary. Some questions you may want to address include:
First, read through the article titled "Don't Rely On Luck At Work: Define Your Career Aspirations And Goals." Once you've considered the questions presented in the "Don't Rely On Luck" article, read "How To Conduct A Personal SWOT Analysis."
For further guidance, view the video and read the article titled: "Personal SWOT Analysis: Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities."
You may have heard of a SWOT analysis before, maybe at your place of employment or with one of the groups you are involved with outside of work. The basic premise and purpose of a SWOT analysis is to assess potential growth and limitations. SWOT is the acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This SWOT assignment has you turning the lens back on yourself; what are your strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities or threats do you see when looking down the road towards your professional goals?
Part of being successful is understanding what you're good at, what things you need to work on, and what opportunities are available to you. While we all may think we know our strengths and weaknesses, somehow putting them to paper can increase our awareness of them and allow us to address each with confidence. After completing this exercise, you will have a strong answer when you are in an interview and you get the age old question, "What are some of your strengths?" or "Tell us about your weaknesses."
-- | Helpful to Achieving the Objective | Harmful to Achieving the Objective |
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Internal Origin (attributes of the Organization) |
Strengths | Weaknesses |
External Origin (Attributes of the Environment) |
Opportunities | Threats |
Complete a Personal SWOT analysis. You are expected to thoroughly examine your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats using the questions at the bottom of the page to help guide you through the process. Once you have identified your strengths and weaknesses, you can then use that information to identify opportunities and threats that may exist in the pursuit of your desired career. An easy way to think of it is this: strengths and weaknesses are directly attributable to you, your personality and your experiences. Opportunities and threats are less personal things that, while you may be able to influence the outcome, you don't necessarily have control over. For example, a strength would be that I have the ability to speak and understand American Sign Language. A weakness would be that I have a tendency to be impatient. An opportunity would be that 40% of the workforce is slated to retire in the next ten years. A threat is that corporate is eliminating duplicate positions in my division. (NOTE: None of this is truth, just random examples I chose in a variety of situations to help you better understand the type of information you should be considering).
Your SWOT analysis should be guided by the questions listed below. Be sure to incorporate any additional information you feel may be useful in presenting the SWOT analysis. You can use a matrix [39] which may initially help you work through the analysis. You can also incorporate photos and other visuals if you'd like. Be creative and resourceful. Have fun with this!
NOTE: Feel free to do your own search if you still are unclear about the purpose and implementation of this activity. There are many great resources available to you.
STRENGTHS |
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WEAKNESSES |
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OPPORTUNITIES |
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THREATS |
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ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS |
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Present your SWOT analysis as a narrated PowerPoint, Prezi or product of any other presentation-type of software. Learn more about how to do so by visiting the "Creating a Presentation" link under the Resources tab at the top of this page. You do not need to personally appear throughout the video, but your voice must be used to talk through and discuss the SWOT analysis findings. You may choose a recording technology and format that best suits your skills and equipment. Please show the SWOT matrix you've completed.
For some helpful tips on creating a presentation, visit the Creating a Presentation page, found in the Resources section of the course website. You can also access Lynda.psu.edu for help with powerpoint if you need it.
The SWOT analysis will be graded out of 50 points. A detailed rubric can be found in Canvas.
Upload your file to the "SWOT Analysis" dropbox in Canvas by the date specified on the course calendar.
Résumé writing isn't what it once was; there was a time when you could put together your résumé, consider it done, and attach it to your carefully crafted cover letter and then wait by the phone. But nowadays, you are expected to customize your résumé to every position you apply for. This requires a good deal more time, but provides the employer with better insight into your experience, qualifications and writing abilities.
World Campus offers career counseling services through the Career Services office. Be sure to review the Career Services website [41]. If you'd like to speak with a Career Counselor, fill out a Career Counseling Referral Form [42].
For this assignment, you will be job searching. You are expected to complete a cover letter and résumé. You can use the ad provided below, or you can find another job that you're interested in. If you use a different ad, be sure to include it in your submission.
Classified Add for Troy's Consulting
Troy's Consulting has an immediate opening for an entry level Licensing and Regulatory Coordinator in our Portland, Oregon office. The successful candidate will support Troy's regulatory team in the renewable resources department.
Qualifications:
Demonstrated communication and relationship building skills, including interaction with clients and stakeholders (public, state and federal resource agencies, non-governmental organizations).
BA/BS Degree- Understanding of local, state, tribal, and federal permitting processes
Demonstrated abilities to:
- develop strategies for addressing regulatory issues arising from multiple use objectives
- effectively communicate in writing to a variety of audiences around complex science and policy issues
- assist in managing multiple projects
- work effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team
- use commonly available software such as Microsoft Office products
Requirements:
- Some travel will be required
- Current authorization to work in the United States
- Current Drivers' License and or Passport
Other Experience Desired:
- General knowledge of hydroelectric operations, regulatory processes and compliance for hydroelectric, water (e.g. irrigation systems) and other energy projects
- Environmental policy and planning, particularly for aquatic resources; and, National Environmental Policy Act process and documentation
Troy's Consulting is a premier provider of engineering, regulatory and ecological services to the Energy and Water Resources Markets in the United States and Canada. The company offers a competitive salary, benefits package and opportunities for advancement in a growing, national consulting firm.
Create an updated cover letter and résumé.
The Résumé and Cover Letter will be graded out of 50 points. A detailed rubric for the résumé can be found in Canvas.
Upload your file to the "Cover Letter & Résumé: Original Draft" dropbox in Canvas by the date specified on the course calendar. Once your original draft is graded, you will have an opportunity to edit your presentation and resubmit for a higher grade. The updated submission MUST be submitted to the "Cover Letter & Résumé: Final Draft" Dropbox in order for it to be regraded.
Interviews can be the most stressful part of job hunting, and for good reason - an interview can be the most important step in the process of getting hired! If you're lucky enough to get some face time with a potential employer, we want you to be prepared! As you know, explaining the ESP program to others can be challenging. Add in other difficult questions, and then sprinkle nerves into the mix and things can get messy quickly! Penn State Career Services says, "The keys to interviewing success are knowing yourself, researching the employer and preparing for and following up after the interview" (2015). The SWOT analysis assignment will help you with knowing yourself, and this interview assignment will help you prepare for the main event - the day when you're in the hot seat, interviewing for the job of your choice!
Penn State has a subscription to InterviewStream. This program allows you to simulate an actual interview scenario. While it sounds torturous, in reality, practice is the only real way to get better at anything, hence this assignment, a mock interview. I think you will find that the InterviewStream program is easy to use. The week the assignment is due, you will receive an email from the course instructor inviting you to complete the job interview. You will need a working microphone and web camera in order to respond to the questions posed. You will only have one try at each question, because the questions are listed below for you to review ahead of time. While having the questions before the actual interview isn't typical, if you do enough research on the organization and the position you applied for, you can usually garner the type of questions you will be asked. So, while you may not have the exact questions ahead of time in the real world, you will hopefully have done your homework and have a good idea of the general topics and types of questions that will be posed during the interview.
This mock interview will be based on the position at Troy's Consulting you saw on the Resume Assignment page [45].
NOTE: Zoom the camera in close enough so that it only captures your upper torso and face. (P.S. this is where you can get away with wearing sweatpants with your shirt and tie.)
The Practice Interview will be graded out of 50 points. The following link will take you to a detailed rubric [48].
You will be assessed on the following items: eye contact, posture, demeanor, self confidence, grammar, use of filler words, ability to emphasize strengths and describe past experiences, and your skill in focusing on your ability to learn quickly. You will also be graded on your self evaluation at the end of the interview.
Each individual question will be graded on the following items: message content was appropriate, your responses were clear and concise, and you answered the question fully and didn't deviate in a confusing or inappropriate way.
Your submission will be done through InterviewStream. Please follow the directions carefully to make sure the instructor is notified of the completed interview.
Penn State's Career Services Office has put together some very helpful tips to help you be successful on an interview. Visit the Interviewing page to learn more about how to properly prepare, make a good first impression, and how to follow up after the interview. They have also listed some common interview questions that could be directed at the candidate as well as some examples of questions candidates can ask the interviewers.
Lynda.com also has a wealth of useful resources. This business skills tutorial regarding good body language is especially helpful in ensuring that you are sending the right message, even when you aren't speaking a word! This snippet is part of a larger course called "Acing Your Interview." Feel free to watch the whole course if you'd like! Log onto lynda.psu.edu. Use your PSU username and password to log on. Then use the search window to find "Demonstrating good body language." If you have difficulty accessing it, please be sure to let me know!
You can also check out 50 of the most common interview questions (and how to answer them). [49]
References:
You will be using a host of resources during your internship such as text books, reports and documents, websites, and software, some of which you may have never used before. Others you may be comfortable using and rely on them regularly. Either way, it can be helpful to have a catalog of these resources to refer back to when job searching or at a later point in your career. Believe it or not, in the future you will be very pleased when it is easy to find that website that you relied heavily upon for the work completed during your internship. Also, having a list to refer back to can really help in an interview when you're asked to provide real-life examples of how you tackled a challenge or managed an assignment.
Visit the Purdue OWL [51] for more information and samples of annotated bibliographies in the MLA format.
Create an annotated bibliography of resources used during your internship.
The Bibliography will be graded out of 50 points. A detailed rubric can be found in Canvas.
Upload your file to the "Annotated Bibliography" dropbox in Canvas by the date specified on the course calendar. Since this is due the last week of class, you will NOT have an opportunity to edit and resubmit your assignment.
Links
[1] mailto:hjs142@psu.edu
[2] https://esp.e-education.psu.edu/node/25
[3] http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/Contact.shtml
[4] http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/energy-and-sustainability-policy-bachelors/overview
[5] https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
[6] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/techspecs
[7] http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/helpdesk
[8] http://service.psu.edu/
[9] http://kb.its.psu.edu/node/2303
[10] http://www.ems.psu.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/forms-and-procedures/academic-integrity
[11] http://tlt.its.psu.edu/plagiarism/tutorial
[12] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator
[13] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources
[14] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services
[15] http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/
[16] http://senate.psu.edu/faculty/counseling-services-at-commonwealth-campuses/
[17] https://guru.psu.edu/policies/ad29.html
[18] http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/
[19] https://esp.e-education.psu.edu/node/947
[20] http://www.psu.edu/dept/aaoffice/statements.htm
[21] http://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD85.html
[22] https://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD91.html
[23] http://equity.psu.edu/diversity-statement
[24] http://universityethics.psu.edu/penn-state-values
[25] http://www.psu.edu/this-is-penn-state/penn-state-principles
[26] http://allin.psu.edu/
[27] http://titleix.psu.edu/
[28] http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/23/00.063..HTM
[29] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Agreement-Final.pdf
[30] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Midterm-Evaluation-Final.pdf
[31] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Final-Evaluation-Final.pdf
[32] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESPInternshipCoverSheetVerificationForm-Final.pdf
[33] http://kb.its.psu.edu/node/2127
[34] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/477
[35] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/library/node/699
[36] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/library/node/712
[37] http://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/471
[38] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/SWOT2.gif
[39] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/SWOT.gif
[40] http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/students/resumes.shtml
[41] http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/career-services
[42] http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/a-z-index/career-counseling-referral-form
[43] mailto:lma100@psu.edu
[44] https://outreach-psu.interviewstream.com/
[45] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/478
[46] http://training.interviewstream.com/2016/10/04/technical-requirements-prep/
[47] https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
[48] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/479
[49] https://www.recruiter.com/i/50-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them-part-1/
[50] http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/students/interviewing.shtml
[51] https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/1/