GRIP Correspondents

Program Requirements

GRIP Correspondents are asked to complete two out of the five options:

Interview your supervisor. This can either be in a blog (400+ words) or video format.

Please be sure to gain your supervisor’s consent prior to conducting the interview and posting this information on Penn’s social media and Penn Abroad pages.

We usually hear about the intern’s experience, but what about that of supervisors? In this exercise, interview your supervisor to understand the experience from their perspective. Frame your questions with the mindset of helping your peers understand who is hiring interns and what they look for when hiring. Some considerations to keep in mind are: the effort that it requires to create an internship experience; managing interns in a cross-cultural context; and employers’ own career trajectory.

A few sample questions for your supervisors could be:

“How did your company develop its relationship with Penn?”
“Describe your current role and how you arrived at this specific position.”
“What were some considerations you had in mind as you developed this internship experience?”
“What qualities and skills you look for in their interns?”
“What advice can you offer to interns to help them be successful in their roles?”
“What does being proactive and taking initiative in an internship look like?”

GRIP Tips – Career Advice Blog, Video, or Instagram Post

In this exercise, think about what tips you would give students in internships or research placements. Write 10 tips, with commentary on each one, that you would give to students doing this work in a global context. What would have been helpful for you to know, or what strategies have you grown, that you didn’t have before?

Strike a balance in your tips between both the travel/global context with your internship or research experience.

“Day in the Life” Instagram Takeover (Stories/Reels)

Please schedule a day with Penn Abroad (intern-abroad@upenn.edu) before the end of your internship to do an “Instagram Takeover” on Instagram Stories.

What does a “day in the life” look like for you? Please be sure to include a mix of both your internship and your time outside of work.

All posts should be about your work and time in your specific placement experiencing a new culture. Posts should refrain from making references to partying, drinking, etc.
Full instructions will be provided to you if you are chosen as a GRIP Correspondent.

A Photo Essay: Finding Local Gems

You are invited to showcase your storytelling through photographs. Share a local excursion in your host location by focusing on its food, street art, local businesses, or nature, etc.

Think especially about how walking or public transportation are instrumental in finding these meaningful locations. Emphasize the local as much as possible and savor where you are.

Creative Content of your Choosing

This can be an Instagram post, blog, video, mixed-media collage, or other media output of your choosing.

Please consult with Penn Abroad about a topic of your choosing related to your work experience. We encourage expressions of your summer experience in all forms.