Over the past several years the use of internships as part of the recruitment process has increased tremendously. Employers report that interns are the best source of new full-time employees, according to recent NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) surveys.
If your organization can offer internship opportunities, it is important that you prepare for each student’s entry into your organization and that you promote your program to the students, faculty and staff of Southeast Missouri State University. In many instances, you can promote intern opportunities along with permanent employment opportunities. Students need professional work experience to compete in the entry-level job market. Companies would like to reduce hiring risks by ‘test-driving’ candidates before hiring them. Quality internship and co-operative education programs can offer both parties a low-risk “win-win” hiring opportunity.
An internship, first and foremost, is experiential learning. Internships are typically one-time work or service experiences involving students who have already attained considerable academic preparation related to a professional field. The internship plan generally involves advanced undergraduate students, or graduate students, working in professional settings under the supervision and monitoring of practicing professionals. Objectives and practices will vary from program to program. However, the design is to be experiences that permit students to apply the principles and theories taught on the campus to real-life projects.
Characteristics include:
How can my organization benefit from an intern?
Internship programs can be an excellent return on your recruiting investment for many reasons. A well thought out and effective internship program can:
Creating an effective three-way partnership
The most successful internships are those in which there is a good, working three-way partnership between the employer and the student and active support from Southeast Missouri State University. When students plan the internship through an academic institution they can receive credit for the internship (highly recommended) and a formal validation of the experience on their transcripts. They receive the additional formal guidance and mentoring of an academic coordinator, who is familiar with their classroom learning and is experienced in helping interns plan, monitor, evaluate and reflect on their learning.
Steps to begin an internship program
Design an internship program that meets your needs. As varied as companies are in age, size, industry and product, so too are their internship activities. Designing an internship program to meet your needs is as easy as:
Set Internship Goals
Write a plan
Draft a job description that clearly explains the job’s duties (see Sample Internship Position Description). Do you want someone for a specific project? General support around the workplace? Is your goal to offer exposure to the range of assignments at your company?
Things to think about include:
Timeline for recruiting an intern
Southeast Missouri State University operates on a semester schedule. When recruiting for the summer, fall and spring semesters, please follow the outlined schedule to ensure enough time to post your job description, interview candidates and hire your intern:
| January 1 – March 31 | Summer Semester |
| May 1 – June 30 | Fall Semester |
| September 1– November 30 | Spring Semester |
Next Step?
Your company’s approach will depend on your specific resources and needs. You may be confused as you try to identify where the student has come from, who is the academic person responsible for the internship, why two students from the same institution have such different requirements, etc. These are all common concerns so your next step is to contact the Career Linkages office and speak to someone that can help you with your internship needs.
Contact:
Keri Young, Experiential Learning Coordinator
Career Linkages
One University Plaza, MS 1000
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
573-651-2881
kdyoung@semo.edu
www.semo.edu/careerlinkags
Write the internship job description as if you were writing a job description for an entry-level position. The more information included in the description will allow the student to decide, before applying, if the position would be a good match.
XYZ Corporation
1234 Main Street
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
Position Description: Sales and Marketing Intern Effective Date: Summer 2007 Our Sales and Marketing Department is looking to fill 3 sales and marketing internships for summer 2007. Marketing, PR, or related majors are encouraged to apply. XYZ Corporation provides a number of services to the entertainment industry, from trailer cutting to online rebates to in-store signage fulfillment. We have been streamlining the entertaining business for five decades and we are continuing to marry technology advancements with cost savings opportunities for our clients.
Qualifications:
General responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Skills Desired:
Application Process:
Submit cover letter and resume to:
Bob Smith, Marketing Director
XYZ Corporation
1234 Main Street
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
573-555-1234
robertsmith@xyzcorp.com