Career Development
Center
  Occidental College
 1600 Campus Road,
Coons 109
 Los Angeles, CA
 90041-3314

 Email: careers@oxy.edu
 Phone: 323.259.2623
 Fax: 323.341.4900

 
Sponsoring an Intern

Thank you for your interest in starting an Internship Program with the Career Development Center at Occidental College.   A well-designed internship program gives students a chance to explore career possibilities and develop skills that will help them, as Oxy’s mission statement describes, “ prepare for leadership in an increasingly complex, inter-dependent and pluralistic world.”  

Designing an Internship Program
It is not difficult to develop a program for your organization.   Internships can be paid or for credit.  Paid internships do not require paperwork.  For-credit internships require minimal paperwork.  Credit internships during the Fall and Spring semesters require eight to 10 hours a week for 10 to 12 weeks; Summer internships require approximately 120 hours.  

Students are responsible for completing the paperwork with you and their on-campus Supervisor as well as submitting it to the Registrar's Office by the semester deadline.

Important Questions
Ask yourself the following questions to determine your qualifications, as an employer, for offering an internship: 

• Is the work appropriate and meaningful for a college student?

• Will you offer sufficient learning opportunities?

• Are the required skills and responsibilities challenging?

• Are qualified supervisors on site and readily available?

• Will you provide appropriate resources to do the job?

Additionally, the following criteria define the difference between interns and employees.  This will help you determine whether an internship program is appropriate for your current needs:

• A student cannot displace a regular employee.

• Student interns are not guaranteed a job at the end of the internship.

• Both employer and student know that monetary compensation during the internship is optional.

• Interns must receive training from the organization.

• Training must be hands-on experience with equipment and processes used in the industry.

• The training must primarily benefit the student, not the company.

• Interns may not be classified as independent contractors because they require ongoing supervision and regular interaction with the employer.

Considerations
Here are some additional things to consider:

• What are your organization’s needs?

• How can internships fit into your organizational structure?

• How many projects can an intern reasonably begin and complete in a term?

• What do you expect from interns?

• What are the benefits for interns?

• How much time is needed for training?

• What type of training is needed?

• Will the intern be compensated?

• Do you have the flexibility to work around an intern’s class schedule?

Hiring an Intern
When you are ready to hire an intern, develop a detailed position description. Register on TIGERlink. Through our membership in the National Internship Consortium, we will share the listing which will give you access to many more students.  If you care to list your opportunity exclusively with Occidental College, we can make your listing private on TIGERlink.

We suggest that you review cover letters/resumes and conduct interviews the same as you would do for a professional employee.  Also, we recommend that you review How to Be a Good Internship Supervisor.

Other important information you should know when listing your Internship:

Occidental College supports equal opportunity for all students, and thus, it does not prescreen students for internship positions.  Qualified students are instructed to contact the employer directly or as instructed on the postings.  Most employers contact students directly to conduct interviews.

Start early.  Students begin looking for internships anywhere from 1 week to 6 months before they plan on starting work.  Be as flexible as possible.  Interns are hired on a temporary basis during the school year when classes are in session, and often must juggle a schedule of classes, homework (which is quite rigorous at Occidental), internship employment, and school activities.  

If you require more information on designing an internship or would like to set up a meeting to discuss other matters, please contact the Career Development Center. 

Last updated:07/22/08