Defining an Internship

An internship is any carefully monitored work or service experience through which students can pursue intentional learning goals and reflect actively on what they are learning throughout the experience. Students can earn academic credit toward their degrees for approved internship opportunities and/or receive compensation from the host business/organization.

During an internship experience, the student should be guided by a mentor skilled in the area in which the intern is working. An internship is designed to be:

  • An opportunity to promote a student’s academic, career, and personal development.
  • An experience that involves learning activities, such as observation, reflection, evaluation, pursuit of learning objectives, and assessment.
  • An opportunity to develop a future full-time hire for a career-track position.
  • A part-time or full-time commitment.
  • A paid or unpaid assignment. However, to support equitable experiences for students, UNLV recommends paid internships for all students.
  • A duration of three to six months, typically aligned with semester or summer term.

Employers interested in mentoring or hiring interns should contact Career Services & Workforce Development at careerservices@unlv.edu.

Types of Internships

Micro-Internships

Micro-internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable students and alumni to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their experience and professional networks with a wider variety of employers as they seek the right full-time role.

Benefits of Micro-Internships

Unlike traditional internships, micro-internships are year-round opportunities that typically require 10 to 40 hours of work per project, with some extending up to 200 hours. These opportunities can often be completed remotely, in any department in your organization, and are more adaptable for students challenged by traditional internship structures. Projects are often completed within one week to two months.

Micro-internships can give your business access to a larger talent pool, attract top candidates, improve new hire retention, and provide your busy hiring managers with some just-in-time support. They are used by companies ranging from those in the Fortune 100 to emerging start-ups and go across departments, including sales, marketing, technology, HR, and finance. These are short-term, paid assignments that can be completed by a current student or recent grad with minimal guidance or onboarding. UNLV has partnered with Parker Dewey to create the program. However, they can also be developed directly within your company.

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Steps for Developing an Internship Experience

Planning Stage

  • Define Goals and Objectives: Clearly outline the purpose of your internship program. Are you aiming to provide students with real-world experience? Are you looking to identify potential future employees? Having well-defined goals will guide the rest of your program's development.
  • Legal and Compliance Considerations: Familiarize yourself with relevant labor laws, regulations, and employment standards in your jurisdiction. Internships should adhere to applicable laws regarding compensation, working hours, workplace safety, and more. Our UNLV Employer Policies highlight expectations of employer partners utilizing our systems and services.
  • Develop Internship Program Structure: Decide on the program's duration, start and end dates, and schedule. Will the internship be full-time or part-time? Will it last for a semester, summer, or a different period? Define the expected time commitment for both interns and supervisors. UNLV can provide consultation services on a program structure.
  • Compensation and Benefits: Determine whether your internship program will be paid or unpaid. Compensation should be in the form of an hourly wage. Students can receive payment and earn academic credit simultaneously. Unpaid internships must be part of an education program that offers academic credit, and an internship coordinator from a UNLV academic unit must oversee the internship.

Recruiting Interns

  • Recruitment and Selection: Advertise your internship opportunities through Handshake and/or develop a partnership opportunity with UNLV to host an internship mixer or through recruitment during a career and internship fair. Design an application process that includes resume and cover letter submission and potential interviews to assess candidates' qualifications and fit.

Intern Onboarding and Support

  • Assign Supervisors and Mentors: Assign experienced employees as supervisors or mentors to guide and support interns throughout their internship period. These mentors can help interns navigate their responsibilities, answer questions, and provide feedback.
  • Internship Training and Orientation: Develop an onboarding process to introduce interns to your company's culture, policies, procedures, and the team they'll be working with. Provide them with the workspace, tools, resources, and training they need to succeed in their roles.
  • Company Policies and Intern Agreements: Prepare and communicate any relevant company policies, confidentiality agreements, and other legal documents that interns need to sign before starting their internship. UNLV may require an affiliation agreement for certain types of internships. International students studying in the U.S. can obtain internships but are bound by some visa limitations.

Overseeing Interns

  • Identify Roles and Responsibilities: Determine the types of roles and projects that interns will be working on. Create job descriptions that outline the responsibilities, qualifications, and skills required for each role. Menial work, such as errand running, data entry, and clerical duties unrelated to a collegiate-level academic program, is discouraged.
  • Project Assignments: Assign meaningful projects that align with the interns' skills and the company's needs. Ensure that the projects provide valuable learning experiences while contributing to the company's goals. Share clear goals, expectations, timelines, and descriptions of the projects.
  • Regular Feedback and Performance Evaluation: Establish a system for providing regular feedback to interns. Set clear expectations and milestones and schedule periodic evaluations to discuss progress, strengths, areas for improvement, and overall performance.
  • Networking and Professional Development: Offer opportunities for interns to interact with different teams and attend company meetings, workshops, and other relevant events. Encourage them to build their professional network within the organization.
  • Feedback and Continuous Improvement: After the internship program concludes, gather feedback from both interns and supervisors to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Analyze the intern’s work in the context of the organization’s bottom line, productivity, and efficiency. Other common performance measures may include the number of interns who remain with your organization (conversion to full-time hires), the number of requests for interns, and the growing number of qualified intern applicants. Use this feedback to refine your program for future iterations.
  • Wrap-Up and Recognize: Provide interns with a proper conclusion to their internship experience, including a debriefing session, certificates, recommendations, or any other recognition they've earned.