An internship opportunity is one where the student works on a project or projects of importance to the organization, receives timely instruction and feedback from the supervisor, and has a mentor-like relationship with someone in the organization who can teach about the organization, in particular, and the industry as a whole. The Rader School of Business assumes that interns are compensated by their employers for hours worked and contributions made. On occasion, monetary compensation for interns working in non-profit or community service organizations may not be feasible. Students selected for and who choose to work in these situations are eligible to received academic credit for the experience.
Employers are expected to provide a stimulating learning experience for students. While certain skills and levels of proficiency may be expected of the student upon entry into the internship, the internship is a University course designed to provide an educational opportunity for the student. Each host business or organization should provide a supervisor who will oversee the student's work. Students should be given as much responsibility as they can reasonably handle and be given an opportunity to become involved in as many activities as possible. When posting an internship opportunity with MSOE, employers should submit a position description that will be made available to qualified candidates.
Employers are asked to work with students in forming a schedule around their classes and other essential obligations and to provide an adequate amount of work for the student to meet their obligations. It is understood that workloads on projects may vary, so the hours can be somewhat flexible, but should total approximately 100 hours during an academic quarter.
Employers are also asked to complete a progress report, rating the student's professionalism, quality of work, and other aspects of performance. The progress report become part of the final report the student submits as part of the grading procedure. If at any time during the internship problems arise, please discuss them with the student and inform the internship director immediately so that problems may be resolved quickly. You may dismiss the student from employment should serious problems persist.
When creating an internship opportunity, employers are encouraged to think about the essential skills and experiences they seek when hiring an employee for a similar professional position. These are the skills and experiences that need to be taught and provided by the internship. It is preferred that students are offered the potential for increasing responsibility or work on a special project to increase skills in critical thinking.
Employers are expected to offer a safe environment in which students can work, to provide substantive and varied work -- beyond secretarial of "gopher" duties -- and the materials students need to complete their assignments (a desk, computer, etc.). We ask that employers go over the students' work with them regularly, and treat them as professionals. To the extent possible, the conditions of an internship should be established with the student before he or she reports. These include the nature of the internship, supervisory arrangements, specific responsibilities of the intern, compensation, and work
Suggested elements of a successful internship:
- Assign a mentor/supervisor who will be responsible for monitoring the progress of the intern, sharing feedback about work performance, provide training for the work, and completing an evaluation report.
- Introduce your intern to co-workers and other important contacts within your organization. Clearly communicate job expectations to your intern. Encourage your intern to ask questions to clarify job responsibilities.
- Include your intern in staff meetings and related professional activities when possible.
- Familiarize your intern with company rules and policies.
- Assign the intern challenging tasks in several areas of the organization to enhance the learning process.