Preparing Students for Internship Success: Dallas Internship Expo Educator Spotlights
On March 29th, over 300 NAF Dallas ISD students will take their first steps into the workforce, by applying for paid internship opportunities at the annual Dallas Internship Expo, sponsored by Capital One. The expo is an advantageous opportunity for students to gain valuable experience and make important connections in their chosen career field. NAF partners with Dallas ISD, community business leaders, and fellow education-based nonprofits, to provide these impactful events for students. The expo provides students with the chance to meet with potential employers, learn about different careers, gain hands-on experience in the workplace, apply for paid internships, and attend professional development workshops.
To help students make the most of this day, NAF and Dallas ISD have developed a comprehensive program and timeline to prepare students for the Dallas Internship Expo. This program includes Microsoft training classes, job shadow opportunities, guest speaker visits, resume writing workshops, and resume review sessions.
The Microsoft training classes provide students with the necessary computer skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace. These classes cover a range of topics, including Microsoft Office, email, and other essential computer programs. Through these classes, students develop the future-ready skills they will need to succeed in their careers.
In addition to the Microsoft training classes, students can participate in job shadows. This work-based learning (WBL) activity allow students to observe professionals in their chosen career field, learn about the day-to-day responsibilities, and gain valuable insights into what it takes to thrive. When students aren’t able to participate in shadow jobs, our educators bring industry professionals to the classrooms through guest speaker opportunities to share the same learnings.
Resume writing and resume review sessions are also an important part of the preparation for the Dallas Internship Expo. During these sessions, students understand how to write a clear, concise, and effective resume that will help them stand out from the competition. They also receive feedback on their resumes from advisory board members and industry professionals in their chosen career field, allowing them to make improvements and ensure that their resume is the best it can be.
Below are exciting best practices from NAF Dallas ISD educators that have been successful in helping their students secure these sought-after positions:
Lakisha Dykes, Skyline High School, Academy of Health Sciences
Mrs. Dykes has been very successful at helping her students secure over 40 internships at the 2022 Expo alone. Her students have built resiliency facing two years of ever-changing COVID restrictions, helping them develop great multi-tasking and presentation skills. The pandemic presented a lot of difficulties for many educators, but Mrs. Dykes saw this as an opportunity to increase access to job preparation skills — pivoting most of her WBL opportunities to a virtual setting, including mock interviews, preparing your elevator pitch, and bringing in guest speakers. Mrs. Dykes has all her students conduct research on all internships available at the Expo, and they prepare a list of their top 10 picks and create documents on each position and company to showcase their knowledge, when the official interview is being conducted.
A key aspect to her students’ success is “Professional Wear Fridays.” They are encouraged to wear professional attire, including slacks, button-up shirts, and coats. This allows the students to see themselves in the roles they are applying for, as they are dressed for success! As each student enters the classroom they are greeted with a handshake and escorted to their seat, adding an element of professionalism into the environment.
Justin George & Brandi Wilson, Sunset High School, Academy of Health Sciences
Justin and Brandi co-teach at Sunset High School and have found that key factors of their students’ successes are communication, collaboration, and preparation. From day one, in 9th grade of their academy experience, students are expected to complete an internship by graduation. Informing students of this expectation from the start, allows them to begin mentally preparing for this experience and take all the proper steps to accomplish this goal; i.e. resume writing, job shadows, etc.
They have structured their classroom in a way that instills a level of professionalism in their students. Students are expected to behave and communicate as they would in a job setting. For example, if a student notices that they have been marked absent on a day they were in attendance, the student must email Mrs. Wilson to get this corrected, as opposed to verbally communicating the error. This method of teaching gives the students early exposure to the day-to-day communications of the workplace.
Having two teachers as resources reaches students in unique and different ways, otherwise not possible. For example, one student was having trouble deciding if they wanted to leave their job at Walmart for an internship at Verizon and cited concerns of having job stability post-internship. They were both able to speak to the student about the long-term benefits of accepting this internship position and were successful in convincing him to take the plunge into corporate America, setting himself up for future success.
Through this comprehensive program of Microsoft training classes, job shadows, resume writing workshops, researching positions, and resume review sessions, NAF and its partner school districts are helping students in the Dallas area to become Future Ready.
The Dallas Internship Expo is an exceptional opportunity for students to gain valuable experience and build their professional networks. Thanks to our amazing educators, students are able to receive the preparation they need to shine and take on the world, one step at a time.
