2. What is an internship?
A temporary work experience wherein
a student performs pre-professional
work in support of an organization’s
goals.
3. Employer Benefits
• The talent of students educated in Nebraska
colleges and universities
• New staff with a minimal learning curve
• New skills and ideas for the organization
• Enhanced campus and community public relations
• Potential candidates for full-time positions
4. Determining Intern Activities
• Areas in need of development
• Projects put on the “back-burner”
• “Start to finish” projects
• Examples include:
– Design of promotional materials
– User surveys, demographic surveys
– Improvements to processes
– Design and implementation of systems
– Workshop development and delivery
– Research projects and written reports
5. The Job Description
• The majority of an intern’s tasks should involve
professional activities, providing the student a
solid learning experience.
• A good job description will:
– Outline responsibilities/activities
– State required qualifications
– Specify outcomes, “deliverables”
– Identify learning opportunities for student
– Describe compensation, benefits
– Determine hours/time commitment
6. Supervising the Intern
• Employer determines reporting lines and direct
supervisor
• Supervisors should be:
– Enthusiastic about program
– Willing and able to spend time with interns
– Interested in teaching, working with interns
– Knowledgeable in technical areas
– Comfortable providing on-going feedback
7. Recruiting Interns
• Identify needs/opportunities within the organization
• Prepare internship job description
• Contact local NCCSA career center to advertise
opportunity
• Receive and evaluate resumes of interested
students
• Interview candidates of interest
• Offer position to selected candidate
8. Compensation
– Although some students will accept
unpaid internships, most partially fund
their education and are unable to do
so.
– Typically Nebraska colleges and
universities do not provide funding to
employers to hire interns.
9. Academic Credit
– Policies differ by institution, no
guarantee intern will receive credit
– Credit may or may not apply to overall
graduation requirements
– Most interns who receive academic
credit will incur related tuition and fees
10. International Students
– Most are eligible to work as a paid intern
with minimal paperwork completed by
the employer.
–
– Students coordinate their experience
with their campus international affairs
office.
11. Documenting the Internship
• A memorandum of understanding or
agreement between the student and
the organization
• Formal feedback in an evaluation
