Strategi Komunikasi Adaptif Mahasiswa Ilmu Komunikasi dalam Mengembangkan Kesiapan Kerja saat Magang

Abstract

The gap between academic theory and professional communication demands in the workplace remains a challenge for university students, particularly within the local context of Central Kalimantan. This study aims to analyze the adaptive communication strategies developed by Communication Science students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangkaraya during their internship program, explore communication challenges encountered in professional workplaces, and understand the meaning of internship experiences in developing professional communication competence. This study employed a qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight students and analyzed using thematic-hermeneutic techniques. The findings reveal that students experienced organizational culture shock, linguistic differences, task ambiguity, and formal workplace communication challenges. The adaptation process occurred through Kolb’s Experiential Learning stages, including concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. These processes fostered assertive communication skills, contextual intelligence, proactivity, and self-confidence. Internships were perceived as a transformative process toward professional work readiness. The novelty of this study lies in integrating IPA and Kolb’s Experiential Learning theory to examine students’ communication adaptation within the local context of Central Kalimantan. This study contributes to the development of adaptive communication studies and provides implications for internship programs based on experiential learning.