1.6: Through the eyes of others - Internship Sites

What internship sites value and invest. How should students prepare for high quality internship sites? What part does agency – advocating for oneself, the ability to socialize, and perform competently play in achieving a durable knowledge on a high quality internship? Various impressions and themes emerged from interviews with internship site supervisors that illuminated why they seek or agree to participate in the internship process; the reasons some place caveats on which interns they are willing to accept; and how interns can position themselves for success. Different levels of fine dining restaurants exist from the elite restaurants on one end of the spectrum to quality dining facilities with more moderate attitudes towards what incoming employees should be able to do and know on the other. After a review of all interviews conducted, the internship facilitator’s willingness to share knowledge with the student, what site facilitators valued, the sum total of their intended investment in the intern, and ultimately whether or not expectations of personal gain for the site itself drove participation in internship programs create necessary partitions for the purpose of this book.

These elements tended to classify these different internship sites into four distinct categories: those sites requiring skills and experience with entrance caveats; those operations that accept interns because involvement in the process serves the best interest of the site itself; sites that need seasonal help but acquire quality interns because they have evolved into teaching foodservice operations; and those internship sites that maintain a student-centered focus and accept responsibility for student outcomes. The emergent site in themes are chronicled within these site designations beginning with elite restaurants and then moving to upscale fine dining restaurants with more moderate attitudes regarding what knowledge and experience is acceptable for a potential intern.

As such, the themes that emerged from the codes developed for site facilitators include: involvement, symbolic capital, and environment. These themes are not treated separately because of their interaction in each site designation. For example, a site that is responsive to the intern creates a different level of involvement while a site that emphasizes skills requires a different level of experience or symbolic capital. Though not treated separately, each themes plays an important role in the mindset and expectations of each site designation discussed.

Involvement/Commitment, Symbolic Capital, and Environment

Formal culinary education as the new standard. To accurately describe the chefs interviewed in the proper perspective, the discussion must transcend the topic of standards which loom large on the daily horizons of all interviewed. The majority of the chefs who participated in the study are the products of culinary schools themselves, not to mention those with degrees in other professions as well. They are aware of, and acknowledged that times are changing and accommodations for student interns from culinary institutions were important to the industry itself. “More and more people are taking the culinary field as a serious career alternative.” Another extended that thought: “When I entered the field, my focus was on superior cooking. It still is, but now, I own my restaurant and each day also involves management, accounting, integrated technology and social network marketing. In this field, you progress or you fall behind. We have to bring culinary graduates along because they are the most viable candidates for understanding how a modern facility operates. What they are learning and bringing to the industry is important to its survival. As industry professionals, we all need to adjust our thinking to address the changes and groom the talent that will take us into the future.” All interviewed indicated that culinary programs should constantly adjust program content to match changes and innovations in industry.

Sites that Emphasize Skills and Experience

Entrance Standards for upscale restaurants. Some urban restaurants require interns to possess minimum skill and experience levels, which serve as important considerations that ultimately drive the site’s decision to accept or reject an internship applicant. To understand why such requirement exist, one must understand that these food service entities operate in dense metropolitan areas with stiff competition, they serve well-informed publics, and have built their reputations as eclectic and innovative destinations by achieving extremely high levels of quality and consistency – adherence to expected norms. The executive chefs who run these operations are, in essence, perfectionists in some form or another, who constantly strive for, and achieve success by, consistently surrounding themselves with co-workers who possess the talent to adhere to this mentality. These sites are willing to share their knowledge but, their organizational culture requires, and their patrons demand, superior performance levels. Quality urban foodservice operations that do not seek to be classified as elite destinations, in most instances, tend to apply less perfectionist ways of thinking to interns who have little experience in such venues. High standards are maintained and valued, but the operation is not centered in perfectionism although a high level of performance defines the operation and remains a clientele requisite. In essence, the perspective from which the site sees the restaurant in relation to the competitive terrain strongly correlated to the degree of flexibility the site could or would extend to interns when skill level and working knowledge were the primary factors driving the intern’s acceptance into the facility. These considerations resonated throughout the site themes that emerged during the study.

What do elite restaurants want from interns? Restaurants at the pinnacle of their profession were quite discerning about who would be allowed into their operation. One Chicago Chef, emphasized where deep commitment, from his view, begins. “First and foremost, I think it’s important for anyone working in my kitchen to realize that whether we’re talking about the center of the plate protein [meats, fish, etc.], vegetables, or a starch [potatoes, rice], these were once living organisms and they should be treated with respect.” When asked how the decision to accept an intern was determined, consistently, the chefs with national and international recognition indicated “the face to face interview is when I begin to decide. If I can detect a deep commitment for food, a humble attitude, and the ability to self-start then I feel inclined to continue discussions, but if I detect a lack of any of these qualities, departure is immediate.” This initial process was concurrent with other sites who expressed similar inclusions that critically informed the decision process.

Should the intern successfully navigate the initial interview the next step in the hiring process was to be more intense and to the chef, the tell-tale maker or breaker for acceptance into the operation – the ‘stage’ [audition]. “I also require that a potential employee spend a minimum of two days working with my kitchen brigade [with coworkers] for several reasons: First, we can ‘size up’ a person in the first ten minutes of their arrival. In the first task a candidate performs, we are able to observe basic essential behaviors required to excel in my kitchen. They have to be conscious and focused on the task before them. This is easier said than done because you have to analyze the situation constantly, be able to make decisions on that analysis, and act accordingly. Secondly, a good candidate is aware of their surroundings at all times. How does one walk down a busy hot line without running into cooks - they can read the play. Third, I evaluate the candidate’s demeanor toward their co-workers; is there a sense of respect and teamwork? This, in my opinion, has to be evident. The fourth behavior I need to see, as I said before, is passion. The candidate must be passionate about every task they perform. If mopping the floor, polishing copper, or filleting an exotic fish, every task must have the same passion and focus as any other. If the candidate has these behaviors, we know we can work with the individual to help him or her realize their full potential during the internship, or beyond.” Most of the chefs interviewed indicated that these minimum criteria were indicative of positive outcomes in this venue level.

Most indicated that a strong balanced team was an important essential characteristic. “Without a strong team to carry out the “plays” nothing of great importance can ever be accomplished.” Pride in workmanship in every endeavor consistently emerged as another required quality. “The magic that is fine dining occurs by striving to create cuisine that transcends and exceeds. Putting everything into each and every step in the process from receiving a product to bringing it to the table is about pride.” However, these were considered norms.

Transcending and exceeding expectations was always a work in progress which began with students having the courage to constantly assess their strengths and recognizing their weaknesses. They should, of course, play to the former, but a deep commitment to resolving the later was the crux of what needed to be observed. Personal evaluation, from their perspective, while not always easy, was seen as the precursor to growth in the culinary profession. “I don’t think it’s abnormal to wake up on occasion and feel a little overwhelmed by the responsibility of performing better on that day. True professionals have the courage to consistently aspire to greater heights and it always comes down to mental toughness and focus.”

New interns should never forget respect, humility, and the courage to progress. Additionally, a highly successful kitchen is based not only in respect for the food served, but for everyone involved in the process from beginning to end.

Elite restaurants prefer interns with experience. Chefs cited the importance of symbolic capital in the form of previous experience in a restaurant. “I expect one to two years of experience to insure that the intern has knowledge of the stress, the hours of work required in this profession, and the ability to confront the pressure of a busy kitchen.” Besides understanding work, pressure, and stress, a majority of these Chefs cited an additional advantage afforded by previous work: “It’s important for interns to have exposure to multitasking and a ‘third gear’ [additional speed] for turning up the pace at any given time with proficiency. This all comes with time.” Still others indicated that while they were looking for professionalism characterized by consistency, agency, and an attitude toward constant improvement, students should begin slow and move up as their ability allowed.

The student’s willingness to learn was seen as an imperative and their commitment to work and taking direction were seen as utmost student deliverables. They also believed that the student’s progression should be in the hands of the student and gauged by their performance, ability and willingness to learn and execute. Agency was always a predominant and reoccurring stated requirement. They further cited the importance of a ‘quality first’ attitude toward work, a ‘sponge’ attitude toward learning, and a willingness to say ‘I don’t know – but I can find out,’ and admitting to faults when things go wrong, all done with humility. In their general opinion, the path to failure was paved with “a lack of respect for others, calling in sick for minor ailments, car problems, and so forth.” These types of incidents lead to an abrupt departure of the employee. Not listening to directions and constructive criticism, or not providing constructive input, and not being honest were equally major concerns that moved the intern closer to the exit door if not entirely through it.

Moderate upscale dining. Chefs with more moderate attitudes toward what interns should know stressed the importance of basic skills: the proper care of their kitchen tools, how to understand recipes, how to set up a kitchen station, and above all cleanliness. An important aspect was the ability to do production work in volume. “One thing at a time is messy and inefficient. Moving with a sense of urgency is important. If they can’t multitask they won’t be around long.” Ultimately, all chefs in the upper strata of the fine dining segment stressed the need for critical thinking under pressure and having the ability to prioritize. “Everyone has to think and react quickly. Asking good questions is good – too many is problematic. I expect them to check with me to determine if the procedure is correct. What they have been taught is culinary school may not be what I’m looking for – advanced techniques apply here.” While the novice intern might view many of the stated requirements as stringent to the point of overwhelming, one Chef supplied the sum statement for why such standards exist. “I do understand that the intern is learning, I remember being in that position and I do empathize, but a lack of these tendencies and abilities has to be a deal-breaker because average performance is just not enough. Fine dining customers don’t pay for average. This leaves ‘good’ as the minimum entry-level standard I can accept, but good is only a place to begin.

Preparation should extend beyond program goals. The predominant theme, both expressed and emphasized, by all chefs was that school and class work should always be the number one priority which should never be jeopardized by outside endeavors. The student should never sacrifice their foundation for learning. However, all were quick to equally emphasize that interns need to understand that school was only the beginning. Exposure to a working culinary operation contributes to experience that broadened and routinized skills. “Work is the biggest preparation aid. Each experience, whether it be working as a line cook at a small restaurant to working in a large country club makes the concepts learned in school take on a reality that you need outside of school to be successful.” The most obvious reason cited for working outside the classroom environment was to become familiar with the kitchen routines of working restaurants which are much different from the classroom kitchen or the school restaurant. “The classroom and real world kitchen have differences in terms of demands and stress levels. The stress is real because the demands come from the guests and the Chef. Performance does not equate to grades any more – it’s about contributing to a working business.” Another chef comparison of learning in the culinary industry to institutional instruction cited that “there is more pressure in the industry than there is in school. You have to get the food out and it has to be good. They [interns] learn how to deal with pressure, stress, heat, the kitchen environment, and other people’s stress. People around them also need to get their work done. It is a real test for them.”

Why symbolic capital is important. For all chefs interviewed, symbolic capital in the form of practical experience and other culinary related activities outside of class were seen as important indicators of passion and commitment that go beyond the classroom. “Most culinary schools offer a variety of opportunities for student enrichment including clubs, catering work, pro bono work for charitable events, chances to assist for visiting guest chefs, volunteer work and a host of other activities. We want the student who avail themselves of the most possible opportunities.” Another responded: “I think all chefs look toward individuals who have the wherewithal to get started in the industry while in school. If you’re afraid to jump into the industry early, you probably won’t succeed.” Most professionals saw experience as vital, but was there another underlying reason for its importance that hit closer to home for industry professionals? “A student who gets involved in outside activities shows us that they care enough to go beyond the expected and chances are they will do the same when they come to work for us.” Another Chef expressed his reasoning regarding why involvement was important to both student and site: “Involvement is a precursor for confidence in one’s ability. Commitment takes sacrifice and hard work strengthens character. I also feel that volunteer work indicates responsibility to various communities. I love people who show that kind of enthusiasm! They get my attention – which typically leads to employment because these are the people I’m looking for.”

Self-centered Sites

Evaluation

Sites using interns for personal gain. Some internship sites see the value of participating in internships from a more limited and self-serving perspective than higher echelon sites. Sites operating at the more moderate to lower level of the fine dining segment see the importance of accommodating the student’s work-study priority and equally cite that classroom learning is limited, work provides practice for students, and practice leads to perfection. The pragmatic question becomes practice leading to perfection at what cost to the intern? Some site will accept a student, but the intern will receive minimum to no pay – a throwback to the apprentice system of the past which still exists in various forms today. These sites assert that the environment they provide is conducive to learning but the student must apply aggressive tactics to acquire any knowledge gained. The true purpose of sites accepting interns is, on one hand, to provide a quality pool of potential hires, and on the other, a practical cost cutting measure. At the end of the internship, both student and site can evaluate future associations. They freely admit that internships can provide a test run that benefits the student in some ways, and from a strict site-centered perspective, virtually limits a financial downside.

Sites on the low end of fine dining quality insisted that they provide a real service to the interns. “Internships provide the student with real life experience at the workplace.” However, in the same breadth, these sites equally expressed that “it helps my company with seasonal labor and I think gives credit to the culinary industry as a whole being able to allocate students for future permanent jobs.” Another respondent expressed the benefits to their core employees: “It’s the financial and social satisfaction. Not only do the student internships alleviate my overtime budget, it helps motivate our regular workers with ‘new blood.’ It makes my crew feel important and they enjoy teaching the new generation and also learn from them new techniques sometimes.”

All of these site facilitators felt that students did benefit from their work experience and were helped to acclimate. “Our kitchen manager explains with detail all the rules and duties before they actually start working, we give them menu tests, forms, human resources policies and so on. When they start they know what to expect from us and what we want from them.” However, there was little mention of any discussion regarding what the intern personally wanted to gain from the experience. One site respondent offered: “They all want to learn as much as possible in a very limited time. Many have that famous restaurant mentality. They think that working in a famous restaurant is a need to be successful and profitable.” Students do not need a famous restaurant to be successful as a manifold of students demonstrate after graduation. They do however need a productive work environment that allows them to assess what they and the internship site value in a positive sense. I would argue that thinking critically and reflecting on negative experiences such as those recalled by interns interviewed is important. However, no durable preparation for the students' future occurs when site facilitators have no serious intensions in participating in the student's learning.

Site-centered restaurants lack evaluation standards. Several alarming themes emerged during the interviews with these low-end sites facilitators. Interestingly, all were unfamiliar with any guidelines enacted by the program with the exception of their ability to allow the student to work the minimum prescribed hours to satisfy their internship requirement. They were equally unclear regarding how the student would be evaluated. It was their impression that evaluations and grading were conducted under the auspices of the educational institution.

Some provided general written statements that the student had performed satisfactorily but by their account, if the student showed up for work consistently and made some effort their evaluative response was positive. In some cases, a check off questionnaire was provided by the institution as a summary evaluation. Seldom, if ever, was the time taken for a detailed account of the students’ activities by the chef.

A majority of the respondents seemed rather ‘detached’ from this question. Further, they stated the assumption that any student learning agenda would emanate for the program and as such, this was of little concern to them. “I’m sure the student knows what they have to accomplish on the job to get a good grade. I know they have to mind their ‘P’s’ and ‘Q’s” and act professionally while they’re here.” Thus, the discussion of what students’ would learn, or a lack of emphasis placed on the importance of what the student should take away from the experience by the site appeared to be the status quo. Further, these sites conducted no ongoing evaluative process to help guide the students in their charge, and little to no interest was expressed about this issue in general. When asked what changes they would make to the internship process, the majority response indicated no need for change. “I can’t think of anything these inexperienced young people could do to prepare themselves better. The ‘purpose’ of the internship is to experience a working restaurant or other type of culinary operation. That’s the important lesson that they can’t learn in a classroom.” These responses are consistent with the literature's stated lack of experiential learning schemes provided by internship sites but equally speak to the lack of method and assessment provided to students by culinary programs. Evaluation aligned with the student's background knowledge and experience were also not evident in a site-centered environment.

Site-student Reciprocation

While there are sites that use students solely for their operational needs, other sites exist that accept interns as the means to site-centered ends based on the unique seasonality of their business but these sites engage in win-win scenarios for both site and students. A large prestigious country club in the northeast serves as an exemplar. This enterprise peaks during the summer months and falls to modest levels of occupancy during the other times of the year. Thus, their labor requirements during June to August are extreme and their clientele is most discerning. To remedy this dilemma, they accept top student interns from several institutions, and pay them $9 an hour which is below the $25 to $30 an hour their seasoned staff receives. At face value, this would appear to be just another site who abuses the purpose and intent of the internship process. What makes this site, and other site of this type, different are the other factors that come into play regarding their approach to internships and the interns themselves.

The site facilitator is a nationally renowned master chef [highest level of skill] and the core staff are hand-selected and of the highest caliber to meet the standards of the location. They accept the more experienced interns selected through on-site interviews conducted at the institution and to offset the lower pay grade, supply them with housing at the site, meals, and extensive training during the internship. The interns gain experience in the various moderate to eclectic restaurants on the property, and participate in high volume upscale catering events. The interns also receive top tier instruction at a site with no prescribed food budget which allows them to work with a variety of exotic products unavailable in the laboratory setting. As all interns are housed collectively, a ‘community’ atmosphere of collaboration is encouraged by the site, which gives interns from different institutions the added advantage of comparing notes and knowledge with each other, networking opportunities among themselves, and interaction with a most knowledgeable chef and site staff.

Evaluations occur often in both verbal and written form, and a concise detailed final evaluation is provided to the intern at the end of the internship. This site and others of this type have confronted the challenges of seasonality by becoming in depth teaching operations coveted by numerous institutions for internships. It would be appropriate to say that this site uses interns to lower their labor costs, but through the reciprocation of knowledge and amenities, the intern participates in a valuable experience, incurs the nominal expense of arrival and departure, and interacts with peer and skilled mentors.

Student-centered Sites

In addition to the student attributes cited as important by sites, the foundational theme of chefs who take an actual interest in the students they accept as interns was ‘site involvement.’ “I like to give students a guided “hands on” experience of the Culinary Arts which helps prepare them to excel both in school and after graduation. It also builds a good relationship between our organization, the university, as well as the community.” The importance of the students working environment was repeatedly stressed and summed by another chef. “I feel that the environment is crucial to learning and if an intern is empowered, that intern will take the initiative to perform well.”

Site-initiated learning - student and site facilitator partnerships. When asked who initiates what the student will learn and experience, the general response indicated that internship sites who initiate learning prefer to discuss those elements with the intern. This was a question the site posed to the student. Further, they felt that the initiation of any internship plan between the site and the student should start with the site. “It is initiated by me. I’m in the best position to get them acclimated. I’ve done this for a while and I understand what tends to overwhelm them and what works best. Who better to get things rolling?” Another site facilitator added: I like to expose interns to different circumstances. The more varied the experience, the better they see how everything fits together.”

Other site facilitators echoed the importance of a variety of work for the intern. “They have to learn to adjust and negotiate the situation at hand. Every service in a restaurant brings different challenges. We prefer working closely with the intern, not overcome the challenges, but to help them reason through ‘which’ challenges they’re facing - where does the emphasis go at that moment?” One facilitator cited that “the more comfortable a student feels in the workplace, the more effort they exert and also the more empowered they feel to extend that effort. We train them as though they were one of our own employees because after graduation – they may be.” These sites also felt that the initiation process should include getting to know coworkers. “They have to feel valued and accepted by the team to feel like they’re a ‘part’ of the team.”

A consistent evaluation process. How did these sites see the evaluation process? “For me, evaluation is a two-part process that begins with letting them know what I expect from them, and secondly, their understanding of what they can expect from me and their coworkers. In my opinion, it takes both parts for interns to really know where they stand.” Another facilitator laughed as he expressed his feeling that “evaluations are everywhere! All the time! Good job, we’re on pace, we’re falling a little behind and need to step it up a bit. These are all reinforcements if used correctly. It allows them to respond to unfamiliar situations and perform satisfactorily. Directing them toward the positives reinforces their confidence level. My approach is simply I keep them on pace which leaves no negatives for discussion at the end of the day. Good direction leads to good results.” Still another added the importance of constant positives. “Evaluation has to happen on a daily basis. You have to let the intern know how they are performing so they can understand where to adjust if necessary. Time management is crucial in our profession – so constant emphasis goes there until they develop a sense of urgency. I don’t take a negative approach. I’d rather say ‘you’re not there yet’ rather than ‘you’re going to slow’ because positive responses, even when things aren’t right, usually gets positive results.”

On the topic of preparation, most site facilitators felt that if the student wanted to learned they would, but the more experience they had prior to the internship the more prepared they would be to meet and overcome obstacles. The majority felt that internships are valuable experiences for students that help to enhance their social skills, job satisfaction, commitment to the industry, and build personal confidence. “It gives the student a snapshot of what their careers could be after graduation, and it reinforces their knowing that they can do the work”. A sum statement was provided by one facilitator who emphasized that “internships reinforce the fact that Culinary Arts is a ‘hands-on’ career and while the information in the classroom is an important foundation to acquire the knowledge and skill to perform, the real learning environment is the workplace.”

These sites, like others, overstated the importance of students gaining work experience prior to going on internships. Requiring student to have a certain amount of work hours before accepting an internship was another reoccurring suggestion that spoke to the same theme. As one site facilitator offered: This extra experience could be the difference in an intern being an ‘asset’ to the organization – or just a ‘body’ floating from one place to another in the kitchen. The former learns a variety of things, the latter just peels vegetables.” Not so different a theme heard over the years from students who lamented not seeing and doing more, or being allowed to work only one of the easy stations in the kitchen. These site facilitators further expressed that the expectations of the intern seldom matched reality unless they had achieved at least some working experience before the internship. Could interns achieve success without previous work experience? These facilitators said ‘yes’ but the odds of success were too small to constitute a viable plan of action.

Sites with a positive associational link to culinary programs

Socialization

A sense of completion. Two sites were encountered that approach the internship process from a different perspective – the linkage of site and institution. The field of culinary arts, in comparison to other fields of study, is relatively new and as such, some site facilitators who entered the profession through some form of apprentice scheme have achieved operational success and ownership of exceptional restaurants. What makes these facilitators different is the deliverable they experience by participating in the internship process – a sense of completion. “I wish I would have had the opportunity to attend culinary school, but they didn’t exist when I was coming into the business. In a way these interns make me feel like I’m a part of that in some way.” These operators take great care in teaching those in their charge and equally seek to gain the new knowledge the intern has experienced in the classroom and laboratory. “I didn’t get to go to culinary school but the interns take me full circle and in a lot of ways, I feel complete now because we share knowledge. I look at what they know and think about how long it took me to learn it on my own. I’m finally getting some formal education.” The chemistry and knowledge these sites provide make them locations of choice for both new and advanced interns.

Socialization aspects and organizational culture. The internship sites focused on skills and experience along with student-centered sites, and those sites with an associational bond to culinary education were most concerned with the newcomer’s socialization into the organization. Organizational socialization is the process through which organizational culture is perpetuated, and by which newcomers learn the appropriate roles and behaviors to become effective and participating members (Louis, 1990). Feldman (1980) defined ‘effective socialization’ as one of the main criteria for organizational socialization through which the success of the organization's socialization programs, the organizations perpetuation, and the newcomer's success through the entire socialization process are evaluated. It is conceptualized as the primary "outcome" of the socialization process that will enhance the achievement of individual and organizational outcomes.

The topic has been discussed from various perspectives including socialization stages (Wanous, 1992), socialization tactics (Volkart, 1951), person-situation interactionism, newcomer sense making (Louis, 1990), symbolic interactionism (Reichers, 1987), and stress (Nelson, 1987). The facilitators of each of these site classifications stressed; the interns as part of the team; understanding the organizational culture; personal learning; and making sense of everyday events, and so forth. The need for effective socialization by these site classifications is best reasoned and stated by Wanous (1992) who posited effective socialization to be synonymous with organizational ‘commitment’ rather than mere compliance.