Information For Employers

Employers Internship Guide

An internship is a temporary work experience where students gain practical exposure and hands-on experience related to their field of study or career interest. Internships are designed to be short-term opportunities to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and professional experience.  

The College of Business views internships as an essential experiential learning opportunity that benefits both students and employers. Students gain new skills and grow their professional network and employers gain new perspectives and develop their talent pipeline

What is an Internship

    • An internship is a structured learning experience. 
    • Includes a position description with relevant and clearly defined learning objectives.  
    • An opportunity to help emerging professionals explore different career paths and industries.   
    • Provides opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in a professional environment.  
    • Provides mentorship in addition to supervision/feedback from an experienced manager. 
    • Primarily clerical. 
    • A vague, undefined experience. 
    • Unsupervised. 
    • A way to gain temporary staff to accommodate business needs. 

  • Employers gain numerous benefits from having an internship program: 

    • Talent Pipeline: Internships serve as a pipeline for future full-time employees. Employers can evaluate interns' performance, skills and fit within the company, often leading to full-time job offers upon graduation. 
    • Cost-Effective Recruitment: Interns provide a cost-effective way to address immediate/temporary staffing needs.  
    • Fresh Perspectives: Interns bring new ideas and perspectives to the workplace. Coming from academic environments, they often introduce innovative approaches and up-to-date knowledge in their field. 
    • Increased Productivity: Interns can handle routine tasks and projects, freeing up full-time employees to focus on more strategic and complex responsibilities. This can boost overall productivity within the organization. 
    • Brand Awareness and Loyalty: Having an internship program enhances the company's brand on campus and within the industry. Interns who have positive experiences become ambassadors for the company, potentially attracting other talented candidates. 
    • Skill Development for Existing Employees: Supervising and mentoring interns provide development opportunities for existing staff, enhancing their leadership and management skills. 
    • Reduced Turnover Rates: Interns who transition into full-time roles tend to have lower turnover rates. They are already familiar with the company's culture and expectations, leading to a smoother transition and longer tenure. 
    • Corporate Social Responsibility: Offering internships demonstrates a commitment to supporting education and professional development, which can enhance the company's reputation and fulfill corporate social responsibility objectives.

What Can An Intern Do?

Interns want to be challenged and do work that is valuable to the organization. As you outline the focus areas for an intern, consider balancing work-related projects, daily operations and immediate needs. 

Undergraduate business majors bring a mix of theoretical knowledge and a willingness to learn, making them valuable assets for tackling a wide range of tasks within an organization. Here are some examples of the types of work interns can assist with: 

    • Day-to-day Operations: General work that is important to day-to-day business functions or a broader organizational perspective. Depending on the focus of the internship, daily operations may be a significant portion of the job (i.e. accounting internships) for others, this may not be the primary focus. 
    • Process Improvement: Identifying inefficiencies in business processes and suggesting improvements. This can involve mapping out current processes, conducting time studies, and proposing new workflows. 
    • Customer Service: Assisting with customer inquiries, managing customer relations and providing support for customer satisfaction initiatives. 
    • Human Resources: Supporting HR functions such as recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement and training programs. This can include organizing interviews, updating employee records and conducting orientation sessions. 
    • Supply Chain Management: Helping with inventory management, logistics coordination and vendor relations. This can involve tracking shipments, managing inventory levels, and coordinating with suppliers. 
    • Market Research: Conducting research to gather data on market trends, customer preferences and competitive analysis. This can help in developing marketing strategies and business plans. 
    • Business Development: Assisting in identifying new business opportunities, developing proposals and supporting the creation of strategic partnerships. 
    • Marketing Campaigns: Supporting the planning, execution, and analysis of marketing campaigns. This includes creating content, managing social media accounts and analyzing campaign performance. 
    • Financial Analysis: Helping with financial modeling, budgeting and forecasting. This can involve analyzing financial statements, preparing reports and assisting with audits. 
    • Product Development: Participating in brainstorming sessions, gathering user feedback and helping to coordinate the development process. 
    • Out-of-Office Coverage: Assisting with covering for colleagues who are out of the office. This type of work can provide interns with a taste of the true nature of your business and the wide variety of issues that employees manage. 
    • Innovation Initiatives: Participating in innovation projects, such as developing new products, exploring new markets or implementing new technologies. This can include idea generation, feasibility studies and pilot program coordination. 
    • Digital Transformation: Supporting digital initiatives, such as website development, data analytics, or the implementation of new software systems. This can involve gathering user requirements, testing new systems and training employees. 
    • Change Management: Helping manage organizational changes, such as mergers, restructuring, or new policy implementations. This can involve communication planning, training support and feedback collection.