Category Archives: Educators
Survey Results: The Impact of COVID-19 on Summer 2020 Internships
With the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Indiana INTERNnet wanted to get a clear idea of Indiana employersâ initial reactions to hosting summer 2020 interns. Who received the survey? All employers registered on IndianaINTERN.net. In addition, it was shared to employer networks by Indiana colleges/universities and economic development organizations. A total of 224 responses were received.
Of those surveyed, 93% (208 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were planning on hiring interns for summer 2020.
The majority of respondents 66% (138 employers) said they were planning on hiring between one to three interns before the pandemic.
With their current knowledge of events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, 72% (161 employers) said they still plan on hiring interns. Of that 72%, 74 employers said they still plan on hiring interns with no changes to plans. Eighty-seven employers said they plan on hiring summer 2020 interns, but with changes …
Indiana INTERNnetâs Online Internship Fair: A New Way to Recruit Talent
Join Indiana INTERNnet at its second online internship fair on October 30! The event takes place virtually through CareerEco which means you will be able to connect with students around the state from the comfort of your office. It is the perfect opportunity to find your next spring, summer or even fall 2020 interns!
Like a traditional internship/career fair, employers can connect directly with potential interns. However, unlike a traditional fair, everything takes virtually place within a chat room. Registered employers have their own chat room with the option to host private text, video or audio chat sessions.
Here are some more benefits of the online internship fair:
Eliminate travel costs and costs associated with ordering promotional items
Since the fair takes place online, there are absolutely no travel costs associated with attending. Employers can take part in the fair from their home, office, coworking space, coffee shop, anywhere!
Travel isnât the …
Educators: Best Practices to Welcome Students Back
Entry by Pat Patterson
Summer break is quickly coming to a close, and students will soon pack up their belongings and return to their college campuses. As educators, it is best to engage these students in career services activities as soon as possible.Â
The following are a few ideas to help career services professionals welcome students back to campus and encourage them to visit the career office:
Create flyers to distribute in living units and common areas, which list the first few career services events of the year, engage in social media by advertising your Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn pages, host a beginning of the year cook-out or ice cream social (perhaps the âfeeâ for attending can be that students have to bring a resume for review or take a Myers-Briggs Test, etc.), reward the first hundred or so students who visit the career office with t-shirts, professional resume paper, …
Take Me Out to the Career Game
Entry by Pam Norman, Indiana INTERNnet Executive Director
Last week I had the good fortune to enjoy baseball, hotdogs and career conversation.  A beautiful Indiana evening at Victory Field proved to be the perfect setting as university career services professionals and employers met to further relationships to benefit the students of Indiana. Sponsored by Career Development Professionals of Indiana, the College Career Center Consortium, Harrison College, Indiana University Career Development Center, and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, the event attracted 106 attendees representing 59 employers and 25 college career centers. While networking was the ultimate goal of the evening, many stayed to cheer the Indians on to a 9-1 victory over the Durham Bulls.Â
As I think about the conversations I participated in, it was evident that higher education staff members work as advocates for Indiana students in a variety of ways. Discussions surrounding employer campus visits, internships, and talent …
Educators: Creating Virtual Internship Opportunities
Entry by Pat Patterson
In the June INTERNnetwork, we included an article about virtual internships, employers hiring an intern to work outside of their organizationâs office. As an educator, when recruiting employers to offer internship opportunities for your students, it would be wise of you to discuss the possibility of such employers offering virtual internships.
A virtual internship may be an ideal situation for an employer who may not have the office space for a student. Just yesterday, I visited an intern who is interning for an advertisement agency in downtown Indianapolis. The studentâs supervisor mentioned that the only challenge she encountered was finding office space for the student. A virtual internship eliminates the need for more space or additional office equipment.
Another reason why employers may be hesitant to host an intern may be the lack of personnel that they have available to supervise the student. With a virtual …
Educators: Intern Site Visits
Entry by Pat Patterson
Intern site visits are a great idea for career services professionals who are interested in the work of their summer interns or who would like to build a better relationship with an employer(s).
A visit does not need to be formal – all you need are a few questions prepared in advance to ask your student and the employer about their experience. You may also choose to take a few photos to include in a story about a student’s experience to highlight in marketing material, your career services’ website, or your school’s blog.
Here are examples of some questions you may ask:
SITE VISIT QUESTIONS
Intern:
Tell us about the work youâve been doing during your internship experience.
What will you take away from this internship experience?
How has this internship experience influenced future career goals?
What has been the best/most challenging …
Educators: Department of Labor Guidelines on Internships – What are your thoughts?
Entry by Pat Patterson
At this point, I am sure most, if not all of you are aware of the Department of Labor Guidlines concerning internship compensation. Although these guidlines may not seem that “new,” it is always good to share our thoughts.
According to The Department of Labor, the following six legal criteria must be applied when making a determination if an internship is required to be paid:
1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually …