Supercharge Your Talent Pipeline

Interns aren’t for fetching coffee. Well-executed internship programs bring in fresh perspectives, create a pipeline for new hires and provide mentorship opportunities for existing employees, all while getting extra work done.

Benefits of an internship program

What to Know About Internships

According to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), “An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting. Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore career fields, and make connections in professional fields. In addition, internships serve as a significant recruiting mechanism for employers, providing them with the opportunity to guide and evaluate potential candidates.”

Internships range in duration, pay, and description from one organization to the next. However, NACE believes that all internships should include:

• A learning experience with a real-world opportunity to apply classroom knowledge. Rather than replace the work a regular employee would routinely perform, students make substantive contributions to operations or complete projects.
• Learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings.
• A defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules.
• A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
• Clearly defined learning objectives or goals that support the student’s academic program and the university's requirements.
• Direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment.

How to Get Started

DOWNLOAD PDF GUIDE

Step 1: Establish

Identify and define:

• Goals. What are your overall goals for your internship program?
• Support. How much support will your internship program need from various teams or individuals within your organization?
• Work. Identify a meaningful project or role, important to your organization, that can reasonably be done by an intern.
• Supervision. Find a manager willing to devote time to support intern learning. They should be prepared to:
  • Help with onboarding, facilitate training, and meet with intern to establish learning goals.
  • Perform weekly project update check-ins.
  • Hold mid-internship performance meetings.
  • Complete a final performance evaluation.
• Logistics. Figure out your intern workspace, needed equipment, pay rate, information access, and other details.

Step 2: Engage

Develop:

• Hiring timeline. 8-12 weeks is ideal to post and interview candidates. Put milestone dates and key players in place.
• Position description. Include:
  • What interns can expect to learn.
  • Approximate start and end dates.
  • Number of hours per week desired.
  • Location of internship site.
  • Compensation.
• Recruiting plan. Work with your relationship manager to reach students with target skills and interests.
• Onboarding plan. Include organization introductions, task-specific trainings, and written expectations.
• A high-impact experience. Plan how to expose interns to different teams, tasks, meetings, leaders, etc. A culminating presentation ends the internship on a high note and creates a valuable record of interns' contributions.

More Questions?

For more information and a more detailed guide, reach out to your Relationship Manager.