Academic Internship Office

Ask Inc.: Launching an Internship Program

In the April 2009 issue of Inc. Magazine, an employer asked about how to find an intern and how to ensure the internship is mutually beneficial.

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Recruiting and Selecting Students

Jump to: Recruiting | Expanding Your Recruiting Potential | Selecting


Recruiting

It is the intention of the Internship Office to have a regular competitive selection process for internships. It provides a learning experience for the students to complete a formal application and prepare for an interview. You would also benefit from the resume, letter and interviewing process to get to know your intern better before they start their internship. Remember, you can request any application materials you want: in addition to the traditional resume and letter, you can ask for a transcript, writing sample, references, letters of recommendation, portfolio presentations, etc.

Recruiting and attracting students to apply is the hardest part of a successful internship program. Here are some steps for greatest success:

  • Determine the responsibilities your student will be assigned.
  • Provide us with a concise job description including:
    • Duties and responsibilities
    • Qualifications that will result in candidates who will be successful in fulfilling their assignments and responsibilities
    • When you would like your student to start (term or month)
    • How many positions you have available, if more than one
    • Application process and deadline, how you will interview the candidate and where (on campus, by telephone, at the work site, etc.)
    • Location
    • Wages
    • Contact information
    • Any other information the student should know

Once you determine your internship needs, simply post your internship position on our web site or contact our office at (253)535-7324. Ask to set an appointment to talk with the Director about your internship offering. Be sure to bring a copy of your internship position to the meeting.

Provide our office with informational literature on the value of your internship program or experience and the organization as a whole for our students to review. We keep this information available for future reference. Ask how you can get your opportunity posted and circulated to the candidate pools you prefer – academic departments, student organizations, etc. – and about the institutional posting system.

How we advertise your internship

There are several ways the Academic Internship Office showcases your internship:

  • All announcements are posted on our web site. They are listed by employer and by the academic majors employers indicate they believe would result in the best qualified candidates.
  • All announcements are sent electronically to the related academic departments and specific faculty we believe would most likely interact with students that would be interested in your position.
  • Some announcements are sent to non-academic offices where students and others who work with students are likely to pass the information on to potential candidates.
  • We select internship opportunities to advertise in the Daily Flyer that is read widely across campus.
  • We select internship opportunities to post on our bulletin boards in the Administration Building and in Ramstad Hall.
  • Occasionally we will prepare a display board with employer and internship information to exhibit in a building where we anticipate qualified and interested students would see it.

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Expanding Your Recruiting Potential

Getting more involved in the internship program bolsters your recruiting potential as folks at PLU get to know at least one representative from your organization and get a feel for your organization and the nature of the internship, and the potential to learn in your work environment. It also helps you to get a good idea of what fits well with PLU and the student population here. You can adjust your expectations which usually results in a higher satisfaction of your interns.

Campus Visits

The Internship Office can make arrangements for you to visit campus, meet with student leaders and organizations, and meet with faculty.

  1. Ask about related student organizations and who you would get in touch with to tell them more about the opportunity or to offer to be a speaker at their meeting.
  2. If you would like to meet with faculty in any specific department, contact the Internship Office to make the arrangements. Faculty are difficult to reach and have a very heavy calendar. The Internship Office can help you make a department connection and introduce you. You can talk about your organization and learn more about how the internship might supplement the academic program.
  3. Ask how you can arrange a campus visit or meet with student organizations that match the type of internship you seek to fill.

Career and Internship Fairs

PLU holds two Career and Internship Fairs each year: One the last week of October and one the first week of March. If you are not on our contact list to be notified of these events, contact either the Internship Office or the Career Development Office with your name, organization and mailing address. We will be happy to add you to our list of interested employers and send you information. Mark your calendar for these events and plan to attend.

Both events are widely publicized across campus. Both offices offer information sessions and workshop sessions to help our students be well prepared to meet and talk with employers.

We offer door prizes to students who attend and complete a feedback form. If you would like to offer something as a door prize – further publicizing your organization and giving greater visibility to your recruiting – we would like to talk with you about what you are offering and how we can help showcase your organization.

Co-Sponsoring Events

If you would like to consider being a co-sponsor for an event, the Internship Office can help you meet the organizers of the event you are interested in to present your offer.

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Selecting

Selection is the final step and should be done with the same care as a regular hire. Most employers follow an abbreviated selection process as any regular hire, something like this:

  1. Review applications and set aside the top three or five.
  2. Call each to schedule an interview.
  3. Prepare interview questions with selection criteria. Criteria examples: technical capability, communication skills, interpersonal skills, integrity, self-confidence, team player, initiative, customer focus, quality focus, computer skills.
  4. If you would like to interview your PLU candidates on campus, the Internship Office can arrange an interview room.
  5. Review all candidates following interviews and prioritize the top two.
  6. Contact the preferred candidate and offer the internship to them. If accepted, notify all applicants and the related schools that the position has been filled.

Once selected, notify anyone in your organization who their intern will be and when they can expect to see them come on board. Plan an orientation for your intern so he/she can be most effective and productive as quickly as possible.

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