Let’s take a hot minute to discuss one of my favorite topics…forensic science internship programs!
Starting a successful forensic science internship program has always been a dream of mine! I was extremely fortunate to have completed an internship with the Miami-Dade Police Department within their latent print unit while I was in college. This opportunity jump-started my career! Because of how amazing that experience was and the impact it had on my life, I have always wanted to pay that experience forward to other students.
Huge shoutout to my current boss for allowing me the creative space to build an internship program for forensic science students. She never batted an eyelash when I proposed the idea and has supported me in building our current program to what it is today! Everyone deserves the opportunity to work for a boss like mine!
So how does one even start to build a forensic science internship program within their agency? I’m going to walk you through step by step how I formed our program!
Here is what you need to know…
Set boundaries
Set boundaries for the kind of candidate you are looking to accept, boundaries for yourself, and boundaries for schedules!
I didn’t want our internship program to take just any student. We modeled our student criteria after our job postings which means they have to be working towards a degree in a hard science (biology, chemistry, biochemistry, etc) or a degree in forensic science. I drew the line at criminal justice majors…sorry CJ students.
As far as setting boundaries with yourself, this is an important one. Because I am the one who is typically in charge of our interns, I needed to get real with myself to determine what my limits were and how I could effectively teach a student but still get casework done at the same time. I highly suggest you do the same!
It’s not easy juggling a full time caseload with a full time student! But hey, what can I say, I love a challenge!
When establishing boundaries for schedules, it’s important to consider how many hours the student requires to receive credit with their University. Take those credit hours, plus your schedule, plus their school schedule to determine if it’s even going to be a good fit. Flexibility is key when developing an internship program!
Create a legit application
Creating an appropriate application has taken some trial and error. Our application is actually broken down into two parts and I highly suggest considering this approach when creating your forensic internship program.
First up is the questionnaire. We submit this to every student inquiry along with a list of our candidate criteria. This way, both the student and I know if they meet the internship requirements. Based on the information they provide, I either have to decline or I send them the actual application.
As y’all know, I’m a big people pleaser so having to crush a hopeful student’s dream that we can’t accept them really kills me! Try offering other solutions (if you can) like a morning to job shadow or if you have other local contacts within the forensic community, try getting the student in touch with one of them!
Ok, so the actual application. My goal is to prepare any prospective forensic science student for the real world! This means the actual applying to jobs stuff too not just hands on experience. In order to achieve that, I created an application that mimics an actual job application complete with student info, a reference section, and an essay question. I also require the student submit a resume, cover letter, and transcripts.
No time like the present to start practicing how to write a cover letter!
Perform interviews
Now that our internship program is highly sought after, we decided to start holding interviews via Zoom.
This is probably the best decision we ever made for our internship program and I suggest considering it for your future program.
Hosting interviews allows us to get a better feel for the student and if they would be a good fit for our environment. Students are so much more than their transcripts, resumes and cover letters and I didn’t like basing my decision just off of a piece of paper without taking the time to interview them.
Students who impressed me on paper have completely fallen flat during their interviews and others who may not dazzle on paper have completely blown me away during our interview. Keep an open mind and always try to give the benefit of the doubt!
Here are my go-to interview questions for this step! ??
Develop a training program
When considering a training program for your student(s), try starting with a brief assessment of their knowledge of latent prints or crime scene (or whatever discipline). This has really helped me gage what I need to cover or what I can briefly skip over with my students.
Also, consider creating activities that loosely follow your own agencies training program. It’s a goal of mine to make sure the student completes our program with a well rounded understanding of what we do as CSI’s and latent print examiners. Hands on learning is the best way to get these kids prepped and ready for the real world!
Yes, it’s going to slow down your casework production but at the end of the day know you are making a HUGE impact on these students lives! To me, that’s worth it!
Have an on going list of research topics
Within our units shared drive, we have a folded labeled “internship projects.” Any idea we have for a research topic that interests us, we add it to the running list! This ensures we never run out of potential project ideas for students!
Some of our past students have used our research ideas for their graduate-level thesis. Not only does this research help them graduate, but it also allows our unit to complete research that we typically do not have the time for. A win-win all around!
Engage in candid conversations with your student
Besides the actual hands on learning, taking the time to have meaningful, candid conversations with your student about all things job (or life) related is beyond valuable! This was probably my favorite part about my internship back in the day.
I want my student leaving their internship experience feeling like “holy shit, that was the best semester of my life!” I want all their questions answered, I want them to be aware of the ugly truth with our profession, and I want to help guide them so that they are setting themselves up for success.
Conduct a final evaluation
Conducting a final evaluation is beneficial for both you and the student. This provides both parties with an opportunity for constructive criticism and feedback.
Our forensic science internship program has only improved based on these final evaluations. I love picking the brains of our students to find out what they liked and didn’t like during their time with our agency. They also provide great insight on experiences we can provide for future students.
So thats the foundation on how to build your forensic science internship program!
This is a huge undertaking but don’t let that discourage you from amazing potential! If you need any help or have questions, please feel free to reach out! I’d be more than happy to chat about this topic all day long!
