Undergraduate Agribusiness Internship (AGEC 3700)
Weekly Reports
The purpose of the weekly report is to document your activities and experiences during your internship. Each week you are expected to write a brief statement which summarizes your experiences in the following areas:
- Personnel (e.g., meetings with new employees, contact with management, etc.).
- Operations of the organization (e.g., hours worked in different department, functions performed, new procedures and/or equipment used, tours, etc.)
- Customers, clients, etc. (type of contact, reason, etc.)
- Other significant events during the week
- Overall impression of the week’s activities
These report will be graded according to their thoroughness, content, and composition. A copy of the weekly report should be mailed directly to me and must be postmarked by Monday of the following week. My address is on the syllabus. Reports post marked after the relevant Monday will be discounted a letter grade. The reports need not be typed, but must be legible.
Overview Report
This should be a written report on your employer and the industry with which it is associated. Your report should include:
- information about the type of firm or organization;
- a brief description of the products or services your firm provides;
- information about the firm’s size, i.e., number of employees, market share, etc.;
- the firm’s organizational structure; and any other information you deem appropriate. You should be able to gather most of this information from individuals within the organization.
Like the weekly reports, this paper will be graded according to its thoroughness, content and composition. Your overview report must be postmarked by the first Friday of the term in which you are doing your internship. It must be typed and should be 2 to 3 pages, doubled-spaced.
Comprehensive Reports
Comprehensive reports should combine information from the overview report with information from you weekly reports to summarize your internship experience and answer the question you posed in your prospectus. Be sure to address your learning objectives in this report.
As before, this paper will be graded according to its thoroughness, content, and composition. This report must be post marked by the day before Final Examinations start in the term in which you are doing your internship in order to receive a grade for the internship. *It must be typed and should be 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced.
Note: If you must take an incomplete because your internship extends into or beyond finals, then your comprehensive report must be postmarked 1 week from the last day of employment. Otherwise, the grade for that paper will be discounted one letter grade.
An agribusiness internship is a practical learning experience in an agribusiness firm or organization that deals with the type of work you hope to enter into upon completion of your academic degree. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between your formal classroom learning and the professional world.
In an ideal internship, you would be assigned tasks and responsibilities that allow you to observe and participate in various operations of the organization. You would be encouraged to ask questions of the organization, and to contribute your ideas and input toward the objectives of the organization. In return, you receive valuable work experience and college credit toward your academic degree.
The primary reason to participate in an internship program is for you to learn more about the career area you wish to pursue. An internship enables you to discover which aspects of an organization’s activities best suit you, e.g., purchasing, sales, market research, public relations, etc.
In addition, learning that you don’t like a particular area of an organization’s operation can be a valuable learning experience. An internship also allows you to apply concepts you have learned in the agribusiness curriculum. It can also give you an edge in the job market. Quality work experience looks good on your resume and a good letter of recommendation from your supervisor may open a few doors. In some cases, an internship may also lead to permanent employment with the participating company.
You should be thinking about participating in an internship near the middle to end of your academic curriculum. You need enough formal training and knowledge about your career interests to benefit from an internship experience. You must be willing and able to handle the responsibilities of career-oriented employment. This means you must be able to conduct yourself in a mature, responsible and professional manner. Remember, during an internship, you will be dealing with professionals in the business community and will be representing Louisiana State University.
You can participate in an internship during any academic term, although the summer term is the most common for an agribusiness internship. Some internships may require a substantial time commitment. Because of this, you might want to arrange an internship only for semesters when your course load is light.
Next Steps
Advisor
Students interested in pursuing internship opportunities should contact:
Dr. Trina Biswas at tbiswa1@lsu.edu
Internship Coordinator for Agricultural Business