How To Run An Internship

Guide to Internships

As a sponsoring organization, you can offer substantive work experiences that support students'

academic and career goals. If you do not yet have an established internship program, or you would like to consider ways to improve your current one, keep reading! This guide was made in an effort to provide resources for assisting organizations in creating internship programs. Resources have been compiled from associations such as the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) and the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE); as well as the Starting and Maintaining a Quality Internship Program compiled and edited by Michael True, Director of the Internship Center at Messiah College.

 Internship Overview

 Getting Started

 Program Management

 Building a Relationship

 Legal Issues

 Resources for Working with International Students

 Additional Sources

o Ten Concerns of Interns

o Experiential Letter of Understanding o Internship Agreement

o Employer Evaluation of Intern

Web Resources

 National Association of College & Employers (NACE)

 National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE)

 Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA)

Internship Overview

What is an internship?

An internship is any carefully monitored experience in which the student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what s/he is learning throughout the experience. Characteristics include:

 Duration of anywhere from a month to two years.

 Generally a one-time experience.

 May be part-time or full-time.

 May be paid or unpaid.

 Internships may be part of an educational program and carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit, or internships can be part of a learning plan that a student develops

individually.

 An important element that distinguishes an internship from short-term jobs or volunteer work is that an intentional “learning agenda” is structured into the experience.

 Learning activities common to most internships include learning objectives, observation, reflection, evaluation and assessment.

 An effort is made to establish a reasonable balance between the intern’s learning goals and the specific work an organization needs done.

 Internships promote academic, career and/or personal development.

 Internships for academic credit are available to students in the fall and spring semesters as well as during summer and winter breaks.

 By embarking on an internship, students are able to sharpen their skills, begin a network of employer contacts, assess their strengths, and test classroom theories in real world settings.

Adapted from materials published by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE).

How can I benefit?

Many supervisors simply enjoy sharing their expertise and serve as mentors in their roles as professionals. In addition, some benefits include:

 Source of highly motivated pre-professionals.

 Students bring new perspectives.

 Visibility of your organization is increased on campus.

 Quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and projects.

 Freedom for professional staff to pursue more creative projects.

 Your image in the community is enhanced as you contribute your expertise to the educational enterprise.

 Flexible, cost-effective workforce not requiring a long term employer commitment.

 Proven cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees.

According to the 2009 Experiential Education Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the majority of respondents (77.3 %) say they use their internship programs primarily as a tool for recruiting entry-level talent. Employers extended offers of full- time employment to an average of 67.7 % of their 2007-08 interns. More than four out of five of their offers (83.6 %), on average, were accepted, making this the highest intern acceptance rate NACE has reported since it began collecting these data in 2001. More acceptances led to more conversions resulting in another first—the highest conversion rate reported (56.6 %) since 2001.

What is expected of Site Supervisors?

It is expected that organizations provide career-related experiences that are of sufficient challenge to college-level students. In addition to providing work that contributes to your organization’s mission, we also hope you actively support the student’s learning endeavors. Someone who has a heart for the professional development of others should be assigned to supervise the students. That person should:

 Provide a clear job/project description for the intern.

 Provide a professional work environment and experience for the intern.

 Orient the student to the organization, its “culture” and his/her work assignment(s).

 Assist the student in developing/achieving personal learning objectives.

 Notify the Faculty Supervisor of any concerns.

 Host an on-site visit for the Faculty Supervisor sometime during the work term.

 Offer feedback to the student on a regular basis.

 Complete evaluations of the intern’s performance.

With an academic internship, the student is automatically covered under the college’s general liability insurance.

Getting Started

Designing an internship program that meets your needs

As varied as organizations are in age, size, industry and product, so are their internship activities.

Below are three steps to help you develop a program to meet your needs.

Step 1: Set Goals

 What does your organization hope to achieve from the program?

 What do you want the intern to do? Are you a small organization searching for additional help on a project?

 Is your organization growing quickly and having difficulty finding motivated new employees?

 Are you a nonprofit that can’t afford to pay, but can provide an interesting and rewarding experience?

 Is your organization seeking new employees with management potential?

A careful discussion with management can create a consensus on program goals that can be understood by all involved. The program and internship can be designed to best meet those expectations. As many staffing professionals may know, in order for a program to be successful, it will require the commitment of management.

Step 2: Write a Plan

Carefully plan and write out a job description for the intern position.

Things to think about when writing the job description:

 Will you pay the intern? If so, how much?

 Where will you put the intern?

 What sort of academic background and experiences do you want in an intern?

 Who will have the primary responsibility for the intern? Who will train/orient the intern?

 What will the intern do? Be as specific as possible.

 Is there a possibility you could utilize more than one intern?

 Do you want to plan a program beyond the work you give your interns? Will there be special training programs, performance reviews, lunches with executives, social events?

 Keep in mind that your interns are walking advertisements for your company. If they have a good experience working for you, they are likely to tell their

friends—word gets around.

These are just some of the questions to consider. Your organization’s approach will depend on your specific resources and needs.

Developing Work Activities & Measurable Learning Objectives

A large part of producing effective position descriptions involves the development of challenging work assignments that complement students’ academic programs. One way to do this is to design a

preliminary list of work activities that will fit the needs of your department. A detailed description of typical tasks will help the college to promote your internship or field experience, and to screen the right candidates for the position. Later, when the interns you select join your team, you will have a chance to review the work activities and modify them according to the interns’ knowledge and personal work/learning goals.

As part of the educational process, internship work activities should focus on projects specifically related to the academic major and the degree the interns expect to receive. While many students work (or have worked) at part-time jobs to finance their education, an internship does not fall into the category of a job. It is actually part of their academic program and should offer every opportunity to link classroom learning to workplace experience.

Step 3: Recruit an Intern(s) Tips:

 Get out there early! This cannot be overemphasized to organizations that want the very best interns. Begin searching three to four months before you need a student to begin. Starting early has other advantages: the longer you accept applications, the better your chance of finding the best person for the job. The sooner you get an intern, the longer you have to form a good working relationship with him/her.

 Develop relationships with local recruitment resources. Promote yourself with school-to- work coordinators in high schools and with the career or internship centers at colleges and universities, attend internship and job fairs, place ads in school newspapers and websites, and send materials to student organizations. Promote yourself elsewhere in the town by getting to know people at local employment organizations and civic organizations. Post advertisements on such organization’s websites and get to know the contacts there.

 Referrals can be a great way to solicit interns. These referrals may come from your colleagues, alumni or faculty. Before asking for the referrals, you will want to make sure everyone understands the nature of the internship position, so they will be able to refer appropriate students at the appropriate time.

 Chose your interns just as carefully as you would chose permanent employees. After all, they might be permanent one day. You are making an investment; time and money will go into this person. This is where the interview will come in handy: Is the intern truly motivated, or does he/she just want a job? Will the intern fit into the culture of your organization? Does he/she have the level of experience you need? With careful consideration of whom to hire at the beginning, you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls of internships.

 Learn the legal implications of hiring interns (see Section 3). Just like any other workers, they are subject to legal projections and regulations. Protect yourself and your intern by knowing the laws such as what work can and can’t you assign. This is especially important if your company employs a lot of international students, who need special qualifications to work in the United States. Consult your corporate lawyer or the office of international affairs at the intern’s institution, if you think you might run into problems.

Key Points

Describe challenging, but realistic tasks students can accomplish within a three-month period.

Work with faculty to establish specific learning objectives for students.

Identify outcomes or expected products.

Be willing to incorporate the students’ particular strengths and future interests.

Show how this work relates to the overall efforts of the department or organization.

Program Management

The organization of your internship program will probably be the single most important influence on an intern’s impression of your organization, and thus the chances that he/she will come back. Consider the goals of your organization. The nature of the program and the activities that you chose to

undertake should directly relate to your program goals.

Orientation

The beginning days of the internship program are often its defining days. Orient your interns to his/her new workplace. This might take the form of a conventional orientation program or merely a walk around the office, depending on the size of your company.

Experience shows that employers who take adequate time at the beginning of the internship to orient the student reap productivity and effectiveness more quickly that those who don’t. To help acclimate interns, please review the following checklist:

Orientation Checklist

 Give interns an overview of your organization: history, mission, vision and services.

 Explain the organization structure and introduce him/her to the team.

 Take them on a complete tour of the facility.

 Give your intern the resources needed to do the job.

 Outline organizational rules, policies, decorum and expectations.

 Define the intern’s responsibilities/discuss specific expectations of the intern.

 Monitor the intern’s adjustment and understanding of what is expected.

Supervision

Keep an eye on the intern. Make sure you know what is happening with their daily tasks.

Give them lots of feedback! We suggest that you meet with your interns regularly to provide feedback concerning their performance. During these meetings, the students can:

 Report on the status of a project

 Ask questions

 Learn how their work is contributing to the organization

 Participate in an evaluation of their strengths

 Discuss areas needing growth and development

 Get a sense of what kind of work lies ahead

Encourage your interns to keep a portfolio of work accomplished during the experience. This will help fulfill the students’ academic requirements and provide them with a sense of accomplishment. In addition, it will give you a basis to discuss their professional growth. Specific work documents to include in a portfolio might be any of the following:

 Job descriptions

 Proposals

 Manuals

 Company newsletters

 Performance appraisals

 Charts/graphs

 Financial reports

 Citations and awards

 Press releases

Evaluate the intern’s progress every now and then. A few weeks after the internship begins, it’s time to see how well you and your intern are meeting those goals. Evaluation processes differ. Your process might be as formal as written evaluations every three weeks or as informal as occasional lunches with the internship coordinator and/or the intern’s mentor. Some companies have the intern evaluate the experience and the company as well.

Communicate with the intern’s faculty supervisor/mentor. The success of an internship depends on the partnership between representatives of the organization, the college, and the student. These three parties need to agree on the conditions of the internship, the responsibilities of each party, and the reporting requirements. The site supervisor is the critical link. You guide your interns by providing direction and feedback. If a problem occurs, you counsel the students and contact the faculty supervisor when necessary.

Keep your focus on the future. Take on interns now and you will have a competitive advantage in recruiting the best workers—you will already be known to the employees you want the most. Your new workers will already be trained for your workplace and loyal to your company, lowering training time, recruiting costs, and turnover rates. You will build a reputation that will pay off with students, colleges and the community. And your company will save money while benefiting from the input of talented, enthusiastic, innovative people.

Building a Relationship

How Can the Supervisor Work Most Effectively With The Intern?

Communication

Clear Communication is the key to effective supervision in every internship. The following guidelines suggest how to establish a good communication network during the internship experience:

 Clarify the intern’s role in a formal agreement/contract (include job responsibilities, goals, work hours, etc.).

 Schedule meetings to discuss the intern’s projects and progress.

 Give the intern opportunities to attend meetings and work within different areas of the organization whenever possible.

 If problems arise, speak with the intern directly. The Faculty Supervisor may also be contacted to discuss any concerns.

Rewards

There are no rules for providing rewards. Supervisors are encouraged to use creativity and their own style for providing positive feedback and encouragement.

 Give the intern credit and recognition for his/her work on a project.

 Have the intern attend different meetings and professional development opportunities along with full-time employees.

 Set up opportunities for the intern to meet upper-level administrators or VIPs.

 Encourage them to keep in contact even when the internship is over.

Motivation

Here are some suggestions for motivating and encouraging the intern as he/she works within your organization:

 Make the intern feel like a member of the team.

 Challenge the intern to expand his/her knowledge and skills.

 Give the intern a designated work area.

 Allow the intern to provide his/her ideas and feedback.

 Select/organize assignments so that progress is observable (having the feeling of making a difference is a big motivator!).

 Train the intern for assignments.

 Provide constructive criticism.

 Help the intern understand his/her job in relation to other jobs and the organization as a whole.

Completion

The ending date for the internship needs to be clear from the beginning. It is important to allow for realistic timelines for projects to be completed or to be transferred to full-time personnel. This prevents incomplete work, abandoned clients, and helps to keep a timeline. A nice way to end the intern’s time with your organization is to have a celebration/reception for the intern. This is a great way to recognize the intern for his/her work.

Information adapted from St. Cloud State University, Department of Speech Communication, 720 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498. Printed in The Internship as Partnership: A Handbook for Campus-Based Coordinators & Advisors by Robert P. Inkster and Roseanna G. Ross

Legal Issues

Must an Internship be Paid?

The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which applies to all companies that have at least two employees directly engaged in interstate commerce and annual sales of at least $500,000.00, severely restricts an employer’s ability to use unpaid interns. It does not limit an employer’s ability to hire paid interns.

You don’t have to pay interns who qualify as leaders/trainees. The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined six criteria for determining trainee status:

1. The training should be similar to that given in a vocational school setting.

2. The experience is for the benefit of the student.

3. Students do not displace regular employees.

4. The site sponsor provides the training and receives no immediate advantage from the activities of students.

5. Students are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.

6. The site sponsor and student understand that the student is not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

Not all six factors have to be present for an individual to be classified as a trainee; however, the internship description should look more like a learning/training experience than a job.

If your organization is able, we certainly encourage you to consider offering compensation. This may help you attract more quality candidates, as well as solidify time commitments from interns. Many students work their way through college and often give up a paying part-time position to take an internship, so receiving some form of remuneration is appreciated. If your organization is unable to offer a regular wage, consider helping the student with internship-related expenses such as housing, parking fees, mileage, meals, uniforms, etc.

Can interns be considered volunteers?

According to the Department of Labor, a volunteer is “an individual who provides services to a public agency for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons without expectation of compensation”. Services may also not be volunteered to for-profit private sector organizations. With that being said, most internships do not fit these definitions and interns could not be classified as volunteers.

Workers’ and Unemployment Compensation

Workers’ compensation boards have found that interns contribute enough to a company to make them employees. It’s wise to cover interns under your workers’ compensation policy even though you aren’t required to do so. Student interns are not generally eligible for unemployment compensation at the end of the internship.

According to the 2009 Experiential Education Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, while non-paid internships do exist, employers responding to this survey aren’t likely to offer them; respondents indicated that an average of 98.6 % of their internships are paid.

Benefits offered to interns remain largely unchanged from last year: Planned social activities, paid holidays, and counting the student’s internship time toward overall service time if hired into a full-time position remain the most common benefits.

Keep in Mind

Even if a student is working through a school program for which he or she is being “paid” in college credits, the student still has the right, under the FLSA, to be paid unless the employer is not deriving any immediate advantage by using him/her.

Paid interns make ideal workers—hungry to learn, eager to make a good impression and willing to perform a multitude of tasks. The relatively small amount of money employers spend on intern wages and benefits is a good investment, because it often produces future, long-term employees.

The employer should identify the specific terms and conditions of employment (e.g., dates of employment as an intern, including the date the internship will end; compensation; organizational and/or reporting relationships; principal duties, tasks or responsibilities; working conditions;

confidentiality; any other expectations of the employer), and should discuss these with the prospective intern, so that there is no misunderstanding regarding the relationship. Also, it may be beneficial to document such a discussion with a written agreement. This should be made in consultation with the educational institution.

If an intern is harassed at your organization, and you don’t do anything about it, your organization opens itself to the risk of lawsuits. Take time to advise your interns of appropriate workplace behavior, the organization’s harassment policy and complaint procedures.

Resources for Working with International Students

The most common visa types employers will see on college campuses, when recruiting international undergraduates or graduate students for either full-time or internship positions, are the F-1 and J-1 visas.

“An F-1 visa is granted to a person coming to the United States to attend a college, academic

institution or language training program approved by the U.S. Attorney General for study by foreign students. The visa holder plans to return home after completing studies. This is the most common non-immigrant visa for an international student attending undergraduate and graduate school. Students are granted F-1 status until the completion of the academic program and 12 months of post-program practical training. The purpose of the F-1 visa is to provide an opportunity for study in the United States. Anything outside of study, including employment, is an exception to the visa. Authorization for employment is strictly limited to certain situations.

--The student holding F-1 status for a full academic year and in good academic standing may work off campus. Such work authorization is granted when the student has sustained unforeseen economic hardship. Also, the student may not work for more than 20 hours per week when school is in session, but may work full time during holidays and vacations, including breaks between terms, provided the student intends to register for the next academic term.

--Curricular Practical Training: An F-1 student may perform curricular practical training prior to the completion of the educational program as part of his or her educational experience. The INS defines this type of training as ‘alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through agreements with the school.’

--Post-Completion Practical Training: This is temporary employment directly related to the student’s major area of study that takes place after the student completes a full course of study. Authorization for this training may be granted for a maximum of 12 months of full-time or part-time work. Those on a student visa can only gain authorization once for this type of training.”

The above information is adapted from a web article by Rochelle Kaplan, General Counsel for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). For more information on these and other legal issues related to hiring, visit www.naceweb.org

Also see the website of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://uscis.gov/graphics/lawsregs/index.htm

Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 214.2 (f)

Employers can take advantage of a nationwide service provider who handles all the necessary paperwork and processing for international students to work in an organization.

Immigration Support Services 1300 Bent Creek Blvd.

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 www.immigrationsupport.com

Additional Sources:

Ten Concerns of Interns

1. Give us real work!

It can’t be said too many times that interns want to work and learn. An internship can help you get a job done that you couldn’t otherwise, right? If you have brought on an intern as a

recruitment tool, then how will you be able to assess their abilities? It just makes sense to utilize your interns well.

2. Do what you say, and say what you do!

Be honest with your interns about what they can expect during their internship. If the job will require stuffing some envelopes, then make that clear. But if you tell the intern they will be researching a project, and they spend 90% of their time doing “grunt work”, then bad feelings will develop. Honesty doesn’t cost you anything, and it will make the interns feel that much more respected.

3. We like feedback!

Remember interns are students, and they may not have the business skills and experiences that you take for granted. If your intern makes an oversight, just pull him/her aside and explain how the situation should be handled in the future.

4. We want to be included too!

Is there a staff meeting that they can attend? Can they quietly tag along to that next project meeting? Headed to lunch with a couple of people in the office? Please include them in the daily life of your workplace. After all, if you provide a little more perspective on the intern’s work, the product will be much better.

5. Please explain.

When you assign work, make sure you give a detailed explanation. While the work may seem trivial and obvious to you, it may not be obvious to someone who has never done it before.

Patience and a few extra minutes at the beginning will pay off later when your intern can produce good work independently.

6. I want a mentor!

A great opportunity to build a relationship with your intern is to offer to serve as a mentor or find someone within your organization to serve as the intern’s mentor. This is a great learning experience for the student as he/she can gain so much from hearing professional advice and expertise. Regular meetings should occur between mentor and mentee during which topics on developing the student should be discussed such as ways the student can prepare for the field, current issues/trends surrounding the field, etc.

7. A minute of your time please.

The best mentor in the world is useless if he or she can’t or won’t spend the necessary time mentoring. As newcomer’s, interns may not speak up if they are feeling ignored, so the burden of making sure they are okay is on the mentor. If the busiest person in the office wants to be the designated mentor, he or she should schedule regular times to meet with the intern.

8. Be prepared!

That wonderful day has arrived and the intern goes to start their internship only to learn that no one knew they were coming and there is no place for them to work.

9. Um…I need a chair!

It is amazing how many employers hire an intern and don’t think about the fact that they will need a desk, chair, phone and a computer in order to do the task assigned. It is no fun, and not efficient to move an intern from desk to desk as people are out one day to the next. If you want to get a job done, you need to supply the intern with the tools to do the job.

10. Show me the money (as best you can).

While each internship is different, and each industry has its own personality, remember that interns have expenses. Your organization may not be in a position to pay much, but anything can help. Maybe you can help pay for their parking, take them to lunch every so often, or develop some other creative way to assist them.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING The purpose of this Letter of Understanding is to set forth the provisions under which students in the

__________________________________ Department of Longwood University (LU) will perform an experiential learning project at ___________________________________ (Agency). This project is part of

___________________________ (Course) and the students involved are considered agents of the Commonwealth of Virginia while carrying out their assigned duties and responsibilities. Following are specific agreements between LU and the above listed Agency.

1. The LU point of contact is _________________________________ and the Agency point of contact is _________________________________. These persons will be responsible for overseeing the student’s project and resolving any problems that may arise. The LU point of contact will ensure that the student is technically qualified to perform the duties assigned. The Agency will also assign a qualified person to mentor the student while performing the project.

2. Each student assigned by LU will be given written instructions that will include specific duties and

responsibilities. In as much as the students are neophytes in the field, they should not be expected to perform assignments not specified.

3. There will be no exchange of funds between LU and the Agency. The Agency will furnish all equipment and supplies required for the project. Any purchase for uniforms or personal items will be funded by the student.

4. Students performing experiential learning projects have liability insurance coverage under the State’s Risk Management Plan for simple, negligent acts arising out of their assigned duties and responsibilities. This coverage does not extend to illegal or willful acts. Nor does this insurance coverage extend to the operation of the Agency’s vehicles. The LU Risk Manager will provide a Certificate of insurance upon request (ph:

434.395.2093).

5. Any medical expense associated with the experiential learning will be funded by the student. In the event of an illness/injury that occurs on site, it will be appreciated if the Agency provides first-aid treatment as

appropriate.

Longwood University assumes no responsibility or liability for any injuries to your person or property caused by the acts or omissions of others during transportation. Further, Longwood University makes no recommendations or guarantees as to any travel agencies or lodging and transportation providers you may deal with in making your travel arrangements. To protect yourself from these types of losses, you may wish to purchase appropriate insurance.

By signing this form you are acknowledging that you have been informed about certain risks and responsibilities involved and that you are knowing and voluntarily assuming them.

By signing this form you also agree, for yourself, your heirs and assigns, to release and hold harmless Longwood University, its employees and agents, from any legal claim or liability for any bodily injury and personal property damage that is caused to you by the negligent act or omission of third parties while you are participating in the experiential learning program.

Signed: _______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Student

If the participant is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must also sign.

Signed: _______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Parent or Legal Guardian

Signed: _______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Longwood University Signature

Signed: _______________________________________________________ Date: _______________

Agency Signature

This form should be signed by all of the above parties and returned to the academic department granting credit.

Internship Agreement

This form should be completed by both the student and the organization’s internship supervisor. Both parties should agree upon what is written and should sign at the bottom to show consent.

Semester/Term (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer): ________________ Year: __________

Course: _________________

Number of Hours to be completed on site: ___________ Number of Credits: __________

Start Date: _________________ End Date: ________________

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: _______________________________

Name of Organization: ____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Internship Supervisor: ________________________________________

Position/Title: ______________________________

Phone Number: _____________________________ Email: _____________________________

Intern’s Rate of Pay: ________________

Describe/List Intern’s Roles & Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes: What do you hope to gain from this experience?

Student’s Signature: _____________________________________________

Internship Supervisor’s Signature: ___________________________________

Employer Evaluation of Student Intern

Student’s Name: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________

Employer/Organization: ________________________________________________________

Please rate the student’s performance in the following areas:

Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement Unsatisfactory

Arrived on time

Behaved professionally Dressed appropriately Effectively performed assignments Showed initiative Positively represented Longwood Oral

communication skills

Written

communication skills

Ability to work with others Problem solving skills

Overall Performance

Please describe ways in which the intern benefited your organization.

What are the student’s strengths?

What are some areas the student should improve upon?

Student’s Signature: __________________________________________________________

Evaluator’s Signature: ______________________________________________

Adapted from the McGaughy Professional Development Center; College of Business & Economics Internship Manual, Third Edition