At the last NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference, the head of an international education program told me a story that the program is graciously allowing me to share with you today. Names are being withheld and a few non-essential facts changed to protect the innocent -- and not-so-innocent -- parties.
The program had set up an internship for one of their students at a highly respected European research institute / think tank. The fact that the program had been able to arrange a position with the institute was a feather in their cap. It was also a credit to the student that he had received the placement.
On the first day of his internship, the student used the institute's computer network to sign into his Facebook account. At some point, he sent a message to another Facebook friend with the exciting news of his internship placement. Then he wrote a comment to the effect of "Wouldn't it be cool if we could download the institute's database and sell it?"
The student was joking.
The institute didn't take it that way.
Within the hour, the institute's security people were at the student intern's desk. The student was informed that the effect of his "playful" Facebook message was the immediate termination of his internship. They escorted him out of the building.
The student lost his internship -- the reason that he had gone abroad in the first place. Fortunately, for the student, the international education program was able to find an alternative placement for the student.
However, the international education program, who had gone to a lot of effort to set up the internship spot, lost the placement and the incident damaged a careful and respectfully constructed relationship between the program and the institute. Perhaps someday they will be able to repair that relationship.
Another sad example to reinforce some important facts:
- What happens on Facebook doesn't necessarily stay on Facebook.
- Your behavior online can have serious personal repercussions
- Internships are professional work settings and should be treated as such
Have you seen or experienced a similar situation? How did it play out?
Related articles
- Why go those extra miles for an internship abroad? (globalinksnewswire.com)
- International Internships: A World of Career Possibilities (globalinksnewswire.com)
- InternAbroad.com
- Student Work Abroad: IAESTE Internship Placement Program (wanderingeducators.com)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Perhaps it’s a sign of my old age but … why is the student let off so lightly? It reminds me of that generation who giggled their way through airport security and made ‘jokes’ about bombs in their luggage or had email addresses such as ‘unabomber@hotmail’ … I hoped they’d disappeared through natural selection. Seriously, what sort of mentality thinks “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could download the institute’s database and sell it?” – Would you want this jerk on your payroll, as a guest in your house, studying at your institution? Surely our concern is to ask how we end up sending the ‘immature’ to a serious internship. That he’s dumb enough to share this via Facebook only adds to the evidence that this guy was not fit for purpose. I can only compliment the Research Institute involved for their professionalism in dumping this guy – but wonder how far the people who then took him on were made aware of the measure of his stupidity. And the agency who got him this second placement? Again, would you really want this guy on your books? Hopefully he’s now been electronically tagged and we’ll pick him up if he tries to enter the country. Enough already. Mike
Ahhh not a wise move by the student intern. Did he not realize his employer would see his comment? stating publicly to steal and sell a valuable asset was just irresponsible.
He got a quick education.
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