Internships -- Potential Rules

[Kevin Buettner]

On Jun 21,  5:43pm, John Mosier wrote:

> In order to make it work for Excelco, I will need commitments from
> those who accept the internships.  Here are a few of the stipulations
> that I will have.
> 
> 1)  Intern would be expected to work specific hours and commit to
> a pattern of dependability.  For someone who works full time, this
> will be work consistently from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.  This work
> schedule is essential for the intern to carry his/her weight as a
> team member.  Interaction with other team members cannot be
> effective if punctuality is not observed.
> 
> 2)  Intern would be expected to commit to stay with Excelco for
> a specifically agreed-upon period.  This will be from 12 months
> to 30 months. Our acceptance of the intern to work here is mostly
> a drain on other Excelco resources at the beginning.  As the intern
> becomes proficient, that intern will become valuable to others and
> there will be a temptation to leave about the time the intern is a
> productive member of the Excelco team.

I think there are several highly motivated people on the list who
are still in high school.  (Or maybe they've just graduated??)  In
any event, while they may be able to handle full time employment
while school is not in session, it won't work out once they go
back to school.

Would there be any possibility for these people to work evenings or
weekends?  (Maybe have them come in full time during the hours you
suggest during the summer months to get up to speed though.)

> 3)  Intern would have to have references regarding strength of character.
> The ability to research problems independently, try new experiences,
> learn new hardware and software technologies, stick to a problem for
> days on end, ... all are valuable characteristics.  An unquenchable thirst
> for knowledge about Open Source tools and Linux issues is a valuable
> asset.

What kind of references were you looking for?  People looking for
internship positions often lack the sort of references that you're
asking for.  (Would references from the individual's teachers, coaches,
guidance counselors, etc. suffice?)

> Excelco is willing to provide computers, software, a place to work,
> books, evaluation software, peripheral hardware, and other materials
> suitable for the learning experience and promotion of the development
> of the individuals.  I see this environment as a Linux laboratory without
> the formal classroom environment that usually happens in a school.

Overall, this sounds really cool.  I hope you can make the necessary
adjustments so that a motivated high school student or perhaps a half
to three quarter time (7 to 10 credit hours) college student will be
able to take advantage of your internship program.  I think in the
latter case an internship would be particularly effective for both you
and the intern.  Such people are likely to be in school for a while
and will be able to meet your criteria for length of service.  In
return, a college student will be able to have a place to apply some
of the things he's learning in the classroom.

Kevin