Internship Best Practices Employer Guide Sept 2012

7/28/2019 Internship Best Practices Employer Guide Sept 2012

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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:

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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

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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

[email protected]

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:


15/15

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/

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Internship Best Practices Employer Guide Sept 2012

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