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THE NEW SCHOOL CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS: INTERNSHIPS & GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

EMPLOYER GUIDE TO HIRING AN INTERN

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Internships and The New School: A Guide for Employers The Center for Student Success, Internships and Global Experience connects employers with New School students seeking internships and employment. Register your company on Career Successlink and post your internships, part-time and full-time positions.

Internships Students choose to participate in an internship as a way to apply their academic skills and explore different career options in a professional environment.

In advance of working with one our interns consider the following:

• Does your organization have enough work to support an intern? • Does your organization have dedicated work space and

resources for an intern? • Does your organization have a plan in place as to who will

supervise and mentor the intern? • How will an intern be trained? Is there a written plan and/or

guidebook in place? • How can an intern help with your organization’s goals? • Can you acknowledge that interns are students first and their

academic responsibilities must take precedent over their internship?

• How will your organization compensate the intern? • Have you reviewed the Department of Labor’s definition of an

internship? • Have you reviewed the The National Association of Colleges &

Employers (NACE)’s position statement on unpaid internships?

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Setting up an internship program at your organization Creating an internship program is not unlike any other project your organization undertakes. The first step in the process is to develop a plan. We suggest the following basic steps as a way of moving toward the development of your program.

1. It is important that your organization understand what an internship is, and the population you will be hiring interns from. Search for examples of internship programs in your industry and research generation Y, this is the generation that you will be choosing your interns from.

2. Evaluate your organization. A crucial part of developing your program will involve assessing what your organization’s needs are. Using this assessment will help you identify and define what and where your intern will be working and the types of things that they will be doing.

3. Learn about legality. We recommend that all organizations using interns consult with their legal counsel to insure that their internship is in accordance with the standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor.

4. Understand college credit. Internship are not automatically eligible for college credit. Credit and the amount of credit is determined by the school, not the employer.

5. Ensure that your organization is behind you. It is crucial that your co-workers and supervisor are supportive of having an intern at your organization. Prior to doing anything else make sure that you have approval to go forward.

6. Design the program. Successful internship programs are structured ones. A comprehensive internship structure should include information on learning objectives, daily responsibilities, short- and long-term projects, supervisor assignments, evaluation procedures, policies and expectations, and orientation and exit processes.

7. Put together a compensation plan. To develop your compensation structure research current trends and intern expectations. Designate specific funds for your interns. Consider additional benefits that you can offer your interns including promotional and networking events, educational experiences, stipends and transportation to name a few.

8. Delegate duties. Identify and assign staff members to work and supervisor your interns. Insure that they have the proper resources and time to do so and that a clear supervisory structure is in place.

9. Choose a start date. Establishing a start date is a sure way to get the ball rolling. Once the date has been established you can begin the recruiting process.

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Recruiting an intern from The New School Successlink allows you to access and manage your job postings and internship applicants while recruitning top notch students.To use Successlink, you must first create an account.

Your job description Writing a good job description is the best way to attract the candidates you want. Write your description with a specific job title, real work assignments and defined objectives. Provide information about your company and the industry it is involved with.

To increase your chance of success be sure to include the following in your job description:

• Compensation or stipend: Internships that offer compensation get more attention and applicants. The average hourly rate for paid bachelor degree level interns is currently $ 16.41*. If your company can’t afford hourly pay, consider a stipend or at the very least reimbursing the intern for their transportation costs. Unpaid internships are a legal option, however there are limits set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor on the work unpaid interns can perform. Unpaid interns cannot do any work that contributes to a company's operations. This includes any tasks that help you run your business, like documenting inventory, filing papers, answering emails, etc. Unpaid interns can shadow other employees and perform duties that don't have a business need. For example, a bakery may allow an apprentice/intern to decorate a tray of cookies that will not be sold to customers. Because the task was only a training exercise for the apprentice/intern and the bakery did not receive any benefit from that work, the bakery would not have to pay that student worker for that time.

For more information on what exactly unpaid interns can do, according to the Department of Labor, read The Truth Behind Unpaid Internships.

• Skills and Responsibilities: Include in your description the specific skills that you are looking for and how those skills will be used. For example: “appropriate candidates will have a basic competency in Photoshop to help edit photographs.”

• Location: Be sure to include details on where the position is located. Remember that most New School students use public transportation.

• Other Benefits You Might Want to Offer: Some of the more common benefits offered to interns include social activities, paid holidays, and recognition of education time as service time if they are hired to a full-time position. Other benefits to consider include scholarships, flex time,

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and one-on-one formal mentoring (take your intern on business outings, let them accompany you at strategic meetings, be immersive). These benefits should be included in your description.

• How to apply: Be sure to provide clear directions as to how to apply including what should be included in the application. This could include a portfolio, and writing samples in addition to a resume and cover letter. If you wish, Successlink can create a “package” of collected applications and send them to you.

Intern job description samples: Botina Media Company - Social Media Intern Founded in 2003, Botina connects world travelers with local guides in their vacation or business destinations via our web portal. Our business spans both travel and social media. We are a forward-thinking, fast paced company seeking to hire an intern with strong interest and knowledge of the digital travel landscape, including various social media websites. We are currently redesigning our website, and will soon launch a social media campaign. The intern hired for this position will need strong critical thinking skills in order to integrate into our team. Interns will meet regularly with our team and see the inner workings of a media company

Skills and Responsibilities:

• Basic familiarity with social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

• Proficiency using HTML • Proficiency using Adobe InDesign

The intern will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring our presence on blogs, forums, and social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Interns will be able to shadow company representatives, attend pitch meetings and see the inner workings of a dynamic start up.

Compensation: $10 per hour

Location: Our offices are located at 79 Fifth Ave New York, NY

How to apply: Please apply directly to Lisa.Pub@bonita.com. Please include your resume, cover letter and 3 writing samples.

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NY INTERN MAGAZINE- Editorial Intern

NY INTERN MAGAZINE is New York’s number one resource for graduate and undergraduate interns in the Tri- State area. Created by interns for interns our magazine is your guide to finding and getting the most out of your internship experience. Interns with our publication get a hands on experience of working in the publishing industry.

The Editorial Intern is responsible for assisting the Associate Editor and Communications department. He/She will have opportunities to assist with production of multimedia content for NYINTERN.com – pitch content ideas, conduct interviews with interns and employers, and write features. The Editorial Intern will also help oversee the NY INTERN’s social media efforts and help manage NY INTERN’S social media platforms.

Skills and Responsibilities

• Currently enrolled pursuing a degree in journalism/communications or equivalent experience. Must be for college credit.

• Familiarity and experience with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• An understanding of AP Style. • The ability to speak Spanish would be a plus, but is not a requirement.

Compensation: The intern will receive a $1500 stipend at the end of the internship

Location: Our offices are located in Bushwick, Brooklyn

How to apply: Please apply directly to mahler.b@nyinterns.com. Please include your resume, cover letter and 3 writing samples.

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Internships, A Guided Experience Successful internships don’t happen by accident. They require time, planning and regular supervision. Using Successlink, The New School has created a framework to help you set goals, monitor progress, and alert both us, and the intern, should problems arise. All internships follow a general framework that involves an experience learning agreement (ELA), a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation. As an employer, your role in each of these components is crucial.

Experience Learning Agreement (ELA) - The ELA is the document in which the terms of the internship are described in writing. This includes the start and end dates of the internship, as well as the compensation offered. In this document, the intern's responsibilities are listed and described, as well as the employers. Lastly and most importantly, the document outlines the learning objectives set forth by the intern and agreed to by the employer.

Mid-term Evaluation - The mid-term evaluation allows a mechanism for both the intern and employer to provide feedback to each other at the halfway point of the internship. This opportunity is used to review learning objectives performance and overall satisfaction for both parties. If learning objectives need to be changed they should be updated during this review.

Final Evaluation- In the final evaluation, the supervisor uses a rating scale to rate the intern's performance in different areas. In the narrative section, the supervisor can reflect on the overall progress of the intern and whether they accomplished their learning objectives. Interns will be able to review completed evaluations.

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Talk with Us! The Center for Student Success, Internships and Global Experience, is committed to facilitating successful internship experiences for our students and employers. If an issue develops with your intern and you need assistance, please contact us at the time the issue occurs rather than waiting until the end of the internship to let us know. In most instances, issues can be resolved quickly and easily. Internships are learning opportunities about the world of work and a particular profession. Let us help you intervene if the situation warrants it.

For additional information please visit our FAQ page:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KqIhUzo-5Ml6nLFf7k2UYIrTbi-E1verDqxrmmiKjas/edit#heading=h.1c8px9d3dxzc

*https://naceweb.org/salary-resources/benchmarks.aspx additional information and content from: http://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/12steps