internship best practices employer guide sept 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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b s t t s :
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Have you considered starting
an internship at your companybut dont know where to begin?Or have you hired interns oryears but know your programcould beneft rom increasedstructure and planning?
This guide provides you with the
necessary tools to confdentlyhire, onboard and manage aDePaul student intern.
table f ntents
Internship BasicsWhy Hire an Intern 1
Internship Defned 2
DePaul Fast Facts 3
Create a Blueprint 4
Compensation 6
Academic Credit 7
Crat an Internship Description 8
Posting an Internship 10
Interview Process 12
MentoringOnboarding 16
Managing Your Intern 18
Internship Wrap-Up 19
Analyze ResultsManager Reection 21
Resources back cover
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1.4.
Develop a pipeline to a diverse,full-time hiring pool post-graduation.
Create positive press for yourorganization via studenttestimonials, brand recognition,and peer to peer messaging.
Gain valuable insights from a fresh
perspective by establishing creativeprojects for your intern.
Provide leadership opportunities foryour employees through supervisionand mentorship of an intern.
t-sh
bss
Why hire an intern?
1.
1
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3.2.
An internship is a careully monitored
work experience in which students
have intentional personal and career-
related learning goals. The student
refects on learning throughout the
internship experience.
CHARACRIIC ICUD:
A dened duration ranging from
several weeks to 3 years or
more, during which the intern is
closely mentored and supervised.
It is recommended that the
student and supervisor set new
goals quarterly or on another
regular schedule.
May be part-time, full-time,
paid or unpaid. It is
recommended that unpaid
interns do not work more
than 10-15 hours per week.
Unpaid internships must
also meet the Department
of Labor criteria (see page 7).
The employer provides
resources to support
the interns learning
objectives.
Internships may be part of an
educational program, during
which the work is carefully
monitored and evaluated for
academic credit awarded
by DePaul University. Academic
internships must be approved
in advance.
DePaul University, with more than25,000 students, is one o the
nations ten largest private,
not-or-proft academic institutions.
Experiencehe universitys nearly 300 undergraduate
and graduate programs o study, many
nationally acclaimed, and its ocus on hands-on
learning produce a high caliber o graduates
with exceptional technical and communication
skills and a dedicated work ethic.
DiverseDePaul consistently ranks among the
top 20 in the Diverse tudent Population
category o he Best 361 Colleges,
published by The Princeton Review.
CommittedOur nationally ranked service-learning
program integrates the service concept
into our curriculum and inspires many
students to make a lielong commitment
to service and social justice.
ConnectedOur aculty, active in research and consulting,
bring real-world experience into the classroom
every day. Our students beneft rom the
networks o their proessors, as well as over
150,000 alumni, including 97,000 in the
Chicago metropolitan area.
1 2
5
3 4The internship should
have 3-4 learning
objectives.
fast fats
Over 90% o employers
reported high satisaction
with DePaul University
Internship Program students.
90%
early 3/4 o interns work
at small (1-300
employee) companies.
75%
It is ree to post an internship
or job on DePauls job board:
pa.pi.
$0
UIRIY
IRHIP
PRORAM
3.2.
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reate a blueprint
Internship Program Basics
What are our overall goals for creating an internship?
List a few of the day to day tasks or projects to which an intern
could contribute.
What are the potential learning objectives for the intern?
(See page 8 to learn more about creating objectives.)
Student Profle
What student prole are we seeking? Majors/Minors to target:
Skills needed (hard and soft skills, etc.):
Internal Leadership & Time Management
Which departments could utilize and manage an intern?
How long will the internship last? How many hours per week
will the intern work?
Who would manage, supervise and provide ongoing support to the intern?
Internship tip:
Keep in mind the ollowing student populations may
be interested in your internship opportunity.
Adult students
Adult students (ages 24+) value internships as
a way to advance their career or transition into a new
industry. hese students can bring a wealth o
past proessional experiences to an advanced internship.
InternAtIonAl students
International students bring a unique global
perspective to an organization. isa sponsorship
is not required to hire an international student
as an intern.
4. 5.
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7.6.
Paid vs. Unpaid?
The DePaul University Career Center strongly recommends
compensating interns or their work. Compensation most
commonly comes in the orm o an hourly wage ($12/hour
on average); however, other compensation options include
a stipend upon satisactory completion o the internship,
or a structured, commission-based compensation model.
Providing compensation or an
internship will:
I you decide your internship must be unpaid, it is
important that the position meets all o the ollowing
Department o Labor standards under the Fair
Labor Standards Act. These standards were created
to help determine whether workers are to be
considered trainees or employees.
Department o Labor Standards:
1. he internship, even though it includes actual operation o the
acilities o the employer, is similar to training which would be given
in an educational environment.
2. he internship experience is or the beneft o the intern.
3. he intern does not displace regular employees, but works under
close supervision o existing sta.
4. he employer that provides the training derives no immediate
advantage rom the activities o the intern; and on occasion its
operations may actually be impeded.
5. he intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion
o the internship.
6. he employer and the intern understand that the intern is not
entitled to wages or the time spent in the internship.
In addition to meeting the Department o abor requirements or anunpaid internship, the DePaul University Internship Program recommends
that unpaid interns work no more than 10-15 hours per week.
Earning Academic Credit or an InternshipDePaul students have the option to earn credit or a paid or unpaid internship
by combining a work experience with an academic course related to proessional
development. tandard tuition rates apply to these courses and students are
required to pay or course credit.
As an employer, it is a best practice to not oer academic credit as a orm
o compensation as academic credit can only be awarded by the university.
Credit will be awarded by DePaul contingent upon the students program
requirements.
1EMPL ITES WH AE
ME USED:
Paying your interns enables them to more
ully ocus on the job at hand without
the worry o meeting fnancial obligations
like bills.
2ATTAT ME MPETITIE AD
DIESE ADIDATES:
Our experience shows that paid internships
result in a larger, more diverse applicant pool.
3EEIE A MEASUALE ETU
IESTMET:
By estimating and sharing the dollar value an
intern contributes to your organization, you can
make a case or support with departmental managers.
mpensatin and aademi redit
At U.S. Cellular, we believe
that paying our interns is one
element that makes their
experience more realistic
to building a career ater
college. This is why we also
require our interns to work
on real business impacting
projects, and to actively
contribute to helping
our organization meet our
goals. The more real we can
make it or them, the more it
brings the best o who they
are to their work and to the
business. Not only do these
program elements keep us
competitive in attracting high
caliber college talent, but
we get the most value out o
them which gives us a greater
return on our investment.
Sho GciManager, EVP anderutment cmmunatns,U.S. cellular
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8.
Students are excited to work hard and create results, but also want
an internship that will aid their long-term proessional development.
Describe your organization and internship position with as much detail
as possible. It will help a student decide i he or she can picture them-
selves within your organization, industry and internship position. Dont
orget to include interesting acts on company culture; these are oten
the most attractive to students. Concise, detailed postings will lead to
interested, qualifed applicants.
Responsibilities & Position Description
- Describe day-to-day duties and tasks.
- ist specifc responsibilities, keep in mind that internships should entail no
more than 25% clerical work.
Qualifcations
- Degree or feld o study - I you
are open to receiving applications
rom all majors, mention this in
the job description.
- Years o experience - ome
students shy away rom applying
to internships that require
experience because they arent
sure i their experience applies.
Many internships do not requireprevious experience; i this
is true or your organization,
state it.
- kills and abilities necessary
or the role.
- evel o technical knowledge
needed.
Timerame and Compensationpecifc internship timeline inormation, such as total length o the internship
and desired hours, should be stated here. I the position is unpaid, it
is important to list a specifc date at the end o the 10 week internship
experience in which the manager can evaluate the interns perormance.
rafting an internship desriptin: the basis sample internship psting
cmpany X s urrently seekng entusast and
resureful nterns t wrk n ter Marketng
cmmunatns Department. (Prvde bref desrptnere f yur rganzatn)
Working as an intern in the Marketing Communications Department,
you will be exposed to a variety o felds including advertising, copy-
writing, graphic design, direct marketing, print production and public
relations. In addition to gaining valuable, hands-on experience in a
ast-paced, exciting environment, you will also have the opportunity to
request working on projects in your particular area o interest.
Responsibilities include:- Assist account executives with project management including
copywriting and editing o direct mail pieces.
- Assist with publicizing and advertising conerences.
- rafc projects throughout various departments or approval.
- Coordinate the routing and distribution o direct mail pieces.
- Attend and participate in industry creative development meetings.
- Assist in arranging distribution, reproduction and
archiving o photographic materials or various industries.
Qualifcations/Criteria:ophomore or Junior student status.
xperience with Microsot xcel is preerred.
Timerame or internship position:Minimum 6 months commitment
Compensation: $12 hourly wage
Learning Objectives:You will have learned the ollowing uponcompletion o internship
- How to create marketing materials with
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Best practices or event planning and the
opportunity to lead promotions or an event.
- earn about career options in both the Public
Relations Dept. and Interactive Design Dept.
Marketing
CoMMuniCations
internship
Learning Objectives
Well-developed learning objectives
are an integral part o providing a
positive internship experience and
demonstrate a well-organized and
robust program. Consider address-
ing the ollowing questions in your
internship position description.
- What are 2-3 projects in which the
student will participate?
- What are 3-4 (hard and/or sot)
skills the student will learn through
this experience?
- How will the intern be supervised
and mentored during the experience?
- Will the intern participate in
company meetings, networking
events or proessional conerences?
Internship posting tip:Many students are intimidated bypostings that list multiple softwareprograms with no indication of thelevel of knowledge needed for the job.If you are seeking a specic technicalprociency consider distinguishingbetween required knowledge versuswhat skills would be a bonus.
Best PrActIce exAmPle:
Indicate Specic Technical
Qualications for Internship:
- Prociency in Microsoft Word,Excel and PowerPoint.
- unctional knowledge ofAdobe Photoshop (familiarwith utilizing lters and creatinggraphics for websites).
- While it is not required, if youhave any experience withJavascript or web development,we see this as a bonus!
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To get started, request
an employer account via
the DePaul.Experience
website here:
depaul.experience.com
psting an internship at depaul
Internship & Job Board: DePaul.Experience
Fr mst emplyers, te rst step t
suessfully rerutng nterns s t pst
te nternsp desrptn n DePauls
ampus-wde nternsp and jb bard
depaul.experience.c.it s free t
pst nternsps and jbs n DePaul.Experene,
w s pen t all DePaul students
and alumn. if yu se t pst nternsps
r jbs t te natnwde Experenenetwrk (utsde f DePaul) tere may be
a st assated wt te pstng.
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13.12.
Pre-Interview: ReectionBeore you start interviewing, reect upon the culture o your organization and
the expectations o the student. Ask yoursel the ollowing questions:
During the InterviewInterviewing allows students the opportunity to share their accomplishments and
ask questions about projects and training they will receive during
their internship. Consider asking any o the questions below to ensure a
candidate is the right ft or the internship.
ITDUT QUESTIS:
- ell me about yoursel.
- Why did you choose to attend DePaul University?
- Why did you decide to major in___________?
Post Interview:Once you fnish interviewing your candidate pool,
reach out to the student to extend an oer. et a
timerame or training and how long the internship
will last. As a next step, set a date or an ofcial
start day or due date or submitting hiring paperwork.
Be sure to ollow-up with other students who
did not receive an oer to let them know the
position has closed and thank them or their
interest in the position.
the intervieWing press
The interviewing process gives
employers the chance to set
expectations and goals or the
interns role within the organization.
Be honest with the student
about your expectations,
company culture and the internship
responsibilities.
Tip:Interviewing a student is
much different than inter-
viewing a seasoned
professional. or many
students, an internship
interview is their rst formal
interviewing experience.
To identify the students
strengths, consider asking
about coursework and
on-campus organization
membership in addition to
their employment history.
What are the
daily duties you
expect the intern
to accomplish?How many hours
per week would
you like the student
to work?
Are you able to
set a regular meeting
with the student to
give and receive
feedback?
How will
you measureyour interns
success?
How can you enrich
the students networking
and professional
development within
the role?
?
?
?
EMPLE/J ELATED QUESTIS:
- What do you know about this company and what interests
you the most?
- What would you like to know about our company?
- Why are you interested in this particular job?
- In what ways do you think you can make a contribution
to our company?
- What skills have you learned in your studies that may
help you in this role?
- What do you think you can do or us that someone else
cant do just as well?
EXPLAT QUESTIS
- ell me about three accomplishments o which youre most proud.
- ive an example o a group project you completed at DePaul.
- How did you contribute to the projects success?
- What are your greatest strengths/skills?
- What motivates you to put orth your greatest eort?
- What have you learned rom your mistakes?- How would a riend describe you?
- What else do you think I should know about you?
- What qualities should a successul manager possess?
Internship Tip:It is recommended that
you do not extend the
internship offer at the end
of the interview as a
student may feel obligated
to accept the internship
without reecting on the
expectations of the role.
Wait until the next day to
allow the student time to
process your conversation.
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15.
So, youve hireda promisingstudent intern.
Now what?!
m-tog
tht
2
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17.16.
In order to achieve a high-quality internship
experience or the student and your organiza-
tion, it is important to spend time preparing
or the interns arrival. Successully onboarding
your new intern will help maximize the
internship experience or the student, aswell as your organization.
Provide an OrientationDuring the interns frst week, provide a thorough introduction to the
organization, employees, quirks o the culture, unwritten rules (dress
code, when to check-in with manager, break policy, etc.), and importantpeople or resources. It may be helpul to create a presentation used
to onboard all new interns. his presentation could include the history
o the organization, mission, vision and goals, key employees with
pictures, title and tenure, company policies, etc. Remember to make
the presentation interactive and engaging!
Outline ResponsibilitiesProvide a clear outline o the interns daily/weekly/overall roles and
responsibilities; this should be a reiteration o what was discussed
in the interview process. Include deadlines and how much time should
ideally be delegated to each task.
Onboarding: Be Prepared
end company email announcing the start o your new intern(s)
Organize welcome lunch with manager or team/senior leaders
Block o 30 minutes to 1 hour to spend with intern at
beginning and end o day
et standards or intern lunch hours and breaks beore your
intern begins work
Prepare the interns work space (notepad, pen, highlighter, etc.)
et up computer login and email account
Create a frst day schedule broken down by the hour;
print and place on desk
Create and print an overall company calendar o events
Internship Tip:When delegating projects to your intern, consider mixingshort and long-term projects. If the intern nishes a task early,
they will have a long-term project on which they can take
the initiative to continue.
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19.18.
The interns supervisor should provide regular eedback
on the interns work and ongoing support. We recommend
the ollowing best practice guidelines to provide a
quality learning experience or your student intern.
Successul internship managers not only train interns; they
learn rom them. Consider giving your interns a chance toprovide eedback on their experience.
managing yur intern
Communicateommunicate with your
intern often, whether it
is to provide or receive
feedback, offer training,
or check in on the internsprogress. y keeping
the lines of communica-
tion open you will not
only build trust, respect
and a positive relation-
ship, but you will learn
how quickly projects
are being completed.
Quarterly ReviewIf the internship lasts beyond a 10-week quarter,
we recommend a quarterly review. ew learning
goals and higher level responsibilities should be
developed each quarter. The intern should
aspire to produce work projects and samples to
show future prospective employers.
Revisit LearningObjectivesPeriodically revisit
the learning objectives
established at the
beginning of the
internship. Discuss
what the student has
learned and how it
can be applied in the
future. e sure to also
provide timely feed-
back on performance
and congratulate your
intern on a job well-
done, as well as
address areas for
improvement and
growth.
ConnectEncourage your intern to develop relationships
with employees outside of his or her immediate
team or department. Suggest several people
with whom the intern should initiate informational
interviews. Helping your intern learn more about
your organization, industry and potential career
paths through informational interviews will not
only aid in their long-term professional develop-
ment, it will make them a more effective and
contributing member of your organization.
IntegrateTo foster learning outside of your interns job duties, bring him or her to
meetings, conferences and networking events. Allowing your intern
to gain a broader understanding of your organization can help generate
new ideas, and create a more meaningful experience.
MentorSchedule a weekly review meeting with your
intern. or many interns, the most important
and benecial element of an internship is
the mentoring they receive from their direct
supervisor and colleagues. Mentoring is acritical and essential part of any internship
experience, and an attribute that differentiates
internships from part-time employment.
Internships are an opportunity for students
to learn professional behavior in the workplace.
As a mentor, it is important to give your intern
honest feedback on their professionalism
and career preparedness.
internship Wrap-up
Exit Interviewsive interns a chance to meet with you one-on-one to describe their
avorite aspect o the internship and the biggest challenge on the job.
he interns may be able to provide suggestions on an opportunity
or growth within the internship.
Wrap-Up Presentation & CelebrationAs a fnal project, ask your interns to summarize what they learned. Inviting
interns rom dierent departments to present together gives interns a
chance to see what other students did on the job. Its also a great way or
the entire team to understand how interns support the organization and
allows the team to get together or a fnal celebration.
Internship TestimonialsPeer messaging is a great way to promote your internship program to uture
interns. Ask outgoing interns i they would eel comortable providing
a brie testimonial explaining what they learned rom their internship
experience. You may consider asking the intern i they would mind writing
a blog post or newsletter article rom their own perspective. A he Day
in the ie o an Intern can be very insightul or other students.
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21.
Reecting on the internship experience byrevisiting your organizational goals canbe helpul in strengthening your intern
position(s). Evaluate the internship experienceto determine i the intern met the goalsand expectations o the role. I the interndid not meet expectations, consider adaptingthe structure o the internship, trainingmaterials or supervisory support.
Seek eedback rom ellow employees and
document projects that illustrate your internscontributions. Creating a record o successcan help gain organizational support orinternship positions and solidifes the importanceand beneft o hiring student interns.
pst-internship: manager refletin
yz-g
thsts
3
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23.22.
how c ozo c o c?
-AMPUS ITEIEWI (I)
I you are looking to fll a high
volume o positions, OCI provides
interviewing suites so you can
interview candidates right on
campus.
J & ITESHIP AIS
DePauls job airs are a great way
to promote your brand on campus
while recruiting rom a large student
population.
MPA PESETATI
Consider hosting a presentation on
campus to promote interest in your
company and reach potential hires.
HST A MPA ISIT
Hosting a company visit can give
your organization a chance to show
students what a typical day in your
ofce would be like.
tudents view your current postings
and apply or positions on DePaul.
xperience. You electronically
review resumes and select those
who possess the skills you need and
schedule interviews at the oop or
incoln Park Campus.
Have an enthusiastic team member
sta your job air table during the
air. Consider using the resume
book unction on DePaul xperi-
ence to browse student resumes
in advance and invite them to visit
your table on the air day.
tudents attend an inormation ses-
sion hosted by your organization. At
the end o the presentation you can
host a Q&A session.
et a date and the DePaul Career
Center can help you recruit students
or a site visit. Consider having a
Q&A session at the end o the tour
or ask coworkers to explain their
role in relation to the companys
mission.
You can interview students
anytime throughout the
academic year.
DePauls largest job airs are the Fall
and Winter Job & Internship airs.
DePaul also has job & internship airs
which are tailored towards certain
industries or student majors.
You can schedule a presentation
anytime throughout the year. et
the Career Center know i you would
like to promote a presentation to a
specifc set o students and we can
help you make connections with
aculty and student organizations.
You can host a tour at any time
throughout the year. Consider
hosting a tour beore your recruit-
ing timeline so you can invite tour
attendees to apply or a position in
the uture.
Create an employer account on
depaul.experience.com and
contact the mployer Relations
ofce to schedule an OCI date by
calling (312) 362-5201 or emailing
o fnd out more inormation about
upcoming air dates and themes
visit: http://careercenter.depaul.edu
Interested in participating?
Call the mployer Relations ofce
at (312) 362-5201.
Contact the mployer Relations
ofce to schedule a presentation
date by calling (312) 362-5201 or
requesting via web at
http://careercenter.depaul.edu/
orms/presentationregistration.aspx
Contact the mployer Relations
ofce to schedule a tour date by
calling (312) 362-5201.
W c i ?W o? how o i ?
In addition to posting on depaul.experience.com,
consider the ollowing methods o active recruiting
and promoting on campus:
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Need extra help? For any questions about starting or
strengthening an internship at your organization
please contact University Internship Program sta at
one o the locations below:
looP offIce
DePaul Center ast Jackson Blvd uite 9500 Chicago, I 60604Phone: (312) 362-8437 Fax: (312) 362-8565 [email protected]
lIncoln PArk offIce
chmitt Academic Center Room 192 2320 . Kenmore Avenue Chicago, I 60614
Phone: (773) 325-7431 Fax: (773) 325-7432 [email protected]
emPloyer WeBsIte
http://careercenter.depaul.edu/recruit/