What does this research mean for the field?

Interns' overestimation of their own competence negatively impacts mentor evaluations, particularly in technical domains, while mentor-rated soft skills are the strongest predictor of overall internship success. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate how alignment between student interns' self-assessments and mentors' evaluations across technical and soft skills affects internship success and to determine the impact of competence miscalibration.

September 14, 2026Education + Training

Bridging perception gaps: a comparative analysis of student interns' self-evaluations versus mentors' evaluations across technical and soft skills

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Authors

MHMuhammad Muazzem Hossain SZSotirios Zygiaris VPVictor Prybutok

Discussion

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Overview

Paired survey study reveals skill overestimation lowers mentor evaluations among undergraduate interns, highlighting the need for calibrated self-awareness in professional training.

Key Points

To investigate how alignment between student interns' self-assessments and mentors' evaluations across technical and soft skills affects internship success and to determine the impact of competence miscalibration.
Analyzed paired survey data from N=290 undergraduate business interns and their workplace mentors at a university in Saudi Arabia.
Conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses followed by partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate domain-specific ratings, perception gaps, and performance outcomes.
Self-rated technical and soft skills significantly predicted mentor-rated performance in matching domains, whereas cross-domain effects were nonsignificant.
Overestimation of competence (positive miscalibration) negatively predicted mentor ratings, exhibiting the strongest adverse effect in technical skill domains.
Mentor-rated soft and contextual performance served as the strongest positive predictor of overall internship success.

Cite This Study

Hossain et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b2f70926e14a848b18c2 https://doi.org/10.1108/et-11-2025-0937

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September 14, 2026Education + Training

Bridging perception gaps: a comparative analysis of student interns' self-evaluations versus mentors' evaluations across technical and soft skills

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

MHMuhammad Muazzem Hossain SZSotirios Zygiaris VPVictor Prybutok

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Paired survey study reveals skill overestimation lowers mentor evaluations among undergraduate interns, highlighting the need for calibrated self-awareness in professional training.

Key Points

To investigate how alignment between student interns' self-assessments and mentors' evaluations across technical and soft skills affects internship success and to determine the impact of competence miscalibration.
Analyzed paired survey data from N=290 undergraduate business interns and their workplace mentors at a university in Saudi Arabia.
Conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses followed by partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate domain-specific ratings, perception gaps, and performance outcomes.
Self-rated technical and soft skills significantly predicted mentor-rated performance in matching domains, whereas cross-domain effects were nonsignificant.
Overestimation of competence (positive miscalibration) negatively predicted mentor ratings, exhibiting the strongest adverse effect in technical skill domains.
Mentor-rated soft and contextual performance served as the strongest positive predictor of overall internship success.

Cite This Study

Hossain et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b2f70926e14a848b18c2 https://doi.org/10.1108/et-11-2025-0937

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