Internship Training · Career level

Career level · Module 1: Professional Conduct and Workplace Orientation · Lesson 3 of 3

Working with a Supervisor

Build a productive relationship with your supervisor through clear expectations and regular feedback.

In this lesson you will

  • Agree goals and feedback routines with a supervisor
  • Receive and act on feedback professionally

Key concepts

supervisorlearning agreementfeedbackcheck-in

The lesson

Your supervisor guides your work, assesses your performance and often writes your reference. Agree at the start what you will work on, what good work looks like, how often you will meet and how you should ask for help.

A short weekly check-in keeps the internship on track: what you completed, what you learned, what is blocking you and what you will do next week. Bring your work log so the discussion is based on facts.

Feedback — especially critical feedback — is information to help you improve. Listen without interrupting, ask clarifying questions, thank the supervisor and show in the next task that you applied it.

Step by step

  1. Draft a learning agreement with three goals.
  2. Agree a weekly check-in time.
  3. Practise receiving critical feedback in a role-play.
  4. Record one improvement you will make.
Workflow

The weekly supervision cycle

How an intern and supervisor keep a placement on track week by week.

  1. Agree

    Monday: confirm the week's tasks and what good work looks like.

    Intern + supervisor

  2. Do and log

    Work on tasks and record each day in the work log.

    Intern

  3. Update

    Send a short progress update mid-week if anything is blocked.

    Intern

  4. Review

    Friday check-in: completed work, learning, blockers.

    Intern + supervisor

  5. Improve

    Agree one improvement and note it for next week.

    Intern

Every Friday's improvement becomes part of Monday's agreement.

Why it works

The cycle turns supervision into a routine instead of a surprise, and the work log provides the facts for every conversation and for the final report.

Practice activity

Draft a learning agreement for your placement and role-play a weekly check-in, including responding to one piece of critical feedback.

Expected result: A signed-off learning agreement and a calm, constructive response to feedback.

Check your understanding

  1. What should you bring to a weekly check-in?

    Show answer

    Your work log with completed tasks, what you learned, any blockers and your plan for next week.

Taught live by an instructor — online or in person. Free course lessons are for self-study and do not lead to a certificate — see registration options.