Employers expect to increase the pay they offer college students for internships, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Overall, employers taking part in NACE's 2009 Experiential Education Survey say they will offer bachelor's-degree-level interns an average hourly wage of $17.13--up 4.9 percent from the average they offered last year's interns.

Interestingly, the increase in intern salaries is paired with a 21 percent decrease in the number of internship opportunities available.

"We are seeing that intern hiring and full-time hiring are down this year due to the current economy. The increase in intern salaries may reflect a long-term strategy on the part of employers to ensure their internship programs continue to attract top students," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

Intern salaries are affected by the student's major and year of study as well as the location of the internship.

"There are a variety of factors that determine salary," says Mackes. "For example, in general, the further along the student is in school, the higher the salary, with sophomores earning more than freshmen, and juniors earning more than sophomores. By field, students in engineering and computer sciences earn the highest salaries on average."

The average hourly wage for engineering students is $18.26, while those studying computer sciences earn an average hourly wage of $17.20 as an intern. (See Figure 1.)

Students who have previously held an internship are also likely to get a higher salary.

"More than 60 percent of responding employers say they pay more to interns who have previous internship experience--even if the internship was with another organization. They recognize the value of internship experience," says Mackes.

Since 1956, theNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press/.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 31, 2009 at 10:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Employers are cutting the number of college students they will offer internship opportunities to by nearly 21 percent, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Employers taking part in NACE's 2009 Experiential Education Survey cited budget cuts, decreased workloads, and company downsizing and restructuring as among the top reasons for bringing in 20.7 percent fewer interns this year than last year.

"The drop-off in internship opportunities mirrors what we're seeing in terms of full-time hiring for new college graduates," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

In February, NACE released a report showing employers expected to cut new college graduate hires by nearly 22 percent compared to last year.

Continue reading "Internship Hiring Falls 21 Percent " »

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

College students across the country are looking for internships that will be challenging, interesting and fun. Employers want to provide these kinds of internships to prime candidates who will work hard and be enthusiastic about the company and the work their doing. What better way for employers to know what succeeds and what fails than to hear it from the students themselves?

Intern Bridge's 2008 Best Practices Data Report is a culmination of data gathered from over 12,000 students spanning more than 70 universities. The students interned for Fortune 100 companies as well as other for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and government agencies.
The report gives employers insight into the importance of "why many students pursue internships and other do not, conducting proper onboarding and offboarding activities, selecting a supportive supervisor, marketing the internship program to universities and their students, among other things.

Having a quality internship program can greatly reduce the stress and uncertainty of finding candidates who are a good fit. Both the interns and the employers have a chance to "try each other out" and decide if a long-term working relationship could work to their mutual benefit. For companies that have internship programs established and for companies looking to start internship programs, the Intern Bridge 2008 Best Practices Data Report is worth reading. You may use the discount code "collegerecruiter" for 15% off.

Posted by Candice Arnold on September 17, 2008 at 11:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a previous post, I talked about how former interns helped employers to recruit new interns. The number one method was word-of-mouth. This method generally holds true for recruiting interns and entry-level employees. But word-of-mouth alone isn't enough. When our experts were asked what recruiting methods worked best for them. Here's how they responded.

"The most prosperous method of hiring interns is going directly to the local schools' career centers. Here we either post an internship on their career page, or we contact the staff directly to get prime candidates. This works well because it is a more personal approach to getting well-qualified candidates for our internships," said Chrissy Glover, intern recruiter for Scottrade.

Maureen Buehler, global manager for Autodesk Global University Programs, likes using the Internet. "Online recruiting tools have become a strategic supplement to other recruiting methods such as career fairs and company presentations. The trend towards capturing students' attention is to take an interest in students on an individual level. One way Autodesk is supporting this is through our Student Engineering and Design Community, a web destination where students can download free Autodesk design software, share designs, and connect with other students and faculty. Autodesk offers an internship listing forum for companies offering internships in games and animation, industrial design, architucture, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering. Autodesk uses the site to post its own internship listings as well, hiring for postings ranging from marketing to software engineering.

For JAKKS Pacific HR Director, Elsa Morgan, "The all time best recruiting method is an employee referral. When an employee can refer someone they know, there is some accountability that is associated with the position which helps bring in very qualified and valuable candidates."

Katie Layous, internship coordinator for the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, gives the school's side of this equation: "Our school has many strong relationships built with employers around the Bay area. We have our staple companies that have interns with us forever, but are always looking for new places that need interns. Career web sites and job boards, along with professional association networking, are two great ways for companies to find great interns. Many times students are able to find internships by cold calling. I also hold job fairs for on campus recruitment of internship opportunities, where students and companies can connect."

Finally, Keyla Cabret, university relations supervisor for Alflac described Aflac's way of doing things. "We have several methods for recruiting, with word-of-mouth being a high priorty. We also publicize through postings, company presentation, academic relations, involvement in student industry specific orgainzations, scholarships, and just good old on campus presence has been helpful for Aflac. We tend to be flexible to the action plan depending on the area (division of the company) that we are recruiting for and the major we are trying to attract."

There are many ways for employers to bring in the best and brightest for their internship programs, but it seems "through the grape vine" still holds the top spot for many of them.

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 23, 2008 at 11:26 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's no secret that today's top employers want to hire the best interns and entry-level employees. Conversely, today's top students want to secure the best possible internships and, after graduation, the best entry-level jobs with these top employers.

When asked to explain how former interns have been instrumental in recruiting future interns, our experts were once again in total agreement with each other. The consensus is that word-of-mouth is the biggest help of all.

"Interns that are provided a good experience while working with Aflac will most likely express that to their classmates and sometimes their academic advisors/professors," said Keyla Cabret, university relations supervisor for Aflac. "In addition," she said, "when recruiting on college campuses we ask former interns who are now full-time employees of the company to participate in campus presentations and highlight their internship experience with Aflac."

The same holds true for Scottrade. "Some of our interns speak to professors and other students about their experience with Scottrade and this helps our internship program spread," said Scottrade Intern Recruiter, Chrissy Glover.

"Several Alpaytac interns have transitioned directly into full-time positions at the end of their program," said Junior Account Executive, Brian Saunders. "One former intern now handles the screening, interviewing, hiring, and training for our entire internship program." Does it get any better than that?

The Art Institute of California-San Francisco has had a slightly different experience. "Often times if an employer has a positive experience with an intern, they will contact me again for another. I also have a lot of alumni who are working in the industry and call us up looking for interns themselves. If students had a good encounter with a company, they will also spread the word to their friends and classmates and many times will recommend them when they are finished, " said Katie Layous, internship coordinator for the Art Institute.

IDEA HALL's former interns not only passed on their experiences via word of mouth, they wrote about them on their social networking pages as well, said APR, CEO, and company president, Rebecca Hall.

David Kowalczyk, co-director of Career Services at Assumption College summed it up nicely, "A campus reference is a valuable asset for employers. They help create an internal marketing source."

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 22, 2008 at 10:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Survey Suggests Internships Play Key Role in Hiring Decisions

Most college graduates know that internships provide an advantage when pursuing their first post-college job. What they may not realize is just how beneficial this experience can be. Fifty percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled recently said, aside from functional knowledge, internships influence their hiring decision most when evaluating entry-level accounting and finance candidates. This response was cited more frequently than referrals (24 percent), college alma mater (8 percent) or grade point average (5 percent).

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with more than 20 employees.

Continue reading "ON-THE-JOB TRAINING" »

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 12, 2008 at 11:50 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Emerson® Ceiling Fans designs a breath of fresh air with the help of Bethany Klausing

"Create an air circulating device." That was the instruction given to junior-year students at Auburn University's School of Industrial Design in Auburn, Ala., from leaders at Emerson Ceiling Fans, the company that invented the A/C-powered ceiling fan more than 100 years ago.

What started as a semester-long design studio class at one of the top-ranked industrial design programs in the country not only led one shining student, Bethany Klausing, to a summer internship and full-time job upon graduation at Emerson Ceiling Fans, but also secured her spot as one of the most dynamic emerging design talents in the industry. Emerson Ceiling Fans is long-recognized for its quality and design leadership, making the young student's contribution to the company's legacy even more significant.

The Origami™ -- the ceiling fan that Bethany created as part of her school project in May 2006 -- is now on the cover of Emerson Ceiling Fan's 2008 catalog. Now working full-time at Emerson, she also developed a whole line of ceiling fans for the company, the Elite Series™, which features high-end designs and high-performance motors. Another fan in the new collection, the Tureen™, is also a product of designs presented in the class.

Continue reading "How a Cool College Internship Led to the Discovery of Hot Design Talent" »

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 7, 2008 at 12:50 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Dominique Boucher of Nü Echo, a speech applications development company in Montréal, wrote a blog about recruiting interns.

It's possible that Boucher's company is not widely known to students because a) it's small and b) because they primarily post their internships at École Polytéchnique, a local engineering school.

Competition for internships in Montreal is as stiff as in most other places. Because Nü Echo's 2007 summer internship program was a smashing success, Boucher decided to share with others what he learned. He's not saying anything new, yet, it bears repeating since there are still some companies that believe interns are best used as helpers to regular employees.

Boucher's five tips for a successful summer internship program are as follows:

1. Exciting projects: No one likes to be bored, especially at work. This is doubly true for interns because they're still learning and most, if not all, are eager to learn as much as they possibly can.

By offering them interesting, real life projects to do, the odds of their either returning after graduation as new hires or recommending the company they interned for to their friends and classmates increases dramatically.

2. Timing is everything: Many students lament that the turnover time between interviewing for an internship and finally being offered one is too long. This is one instance where slow and study loses the race. Once quality candidates have been selected, get the ball rolling and make an offer before it's too late.

3. Mentoring is essential: Granted summertime is vacation time, still for a student to have a quality internship experience, he needs to have someone available to him at all times. Once interns have been chosen, it's a good idea to start selecting those employees who would make the best mentors, then let them know in advance that vacations will have to be scheduled to accomodate the interns. If possible, have the mentoring employees alternate their vacations so there is never more than a 2:1 student/mentor ratio. If this is not possible, it may be necessary for mentoring employees to schedule vacations for before the interns arrive or after they have left.

4. Inclusion helps: Even though the interns are only there for the summer, smart companies welcome them as if they were new hires ... perhaps someday they will be.

Including interns in regular day to day activities and projects allows them to get a genuine feel for the company's culture, which ultimately helps them decide whether a particular company is a good fit.

5. Underclassmen make good interns, too: Increasingly, students are being urged to start doing internships as early as sophomore year. This can work to a company's advantage if the internship offered is interesting, challenging, and provides competent, enthusiastic mentoring in a pleasant, welcoming environment.

If the internship is memorable - preferably in a good way - students will talk about it and maybe even recommend it to their peers. A company couldn't ask for a better endorsement than a satisfied intern sharing his summer internship expriences on campus in the fall.

Recruiting interns is hard work, but the task can be facilitated by hiring good students, then providing them with an internship experience they'll gladly share with classmates and friends.

A quality internship becomes a win/win situation when students return for a repeat internship, apply for entry level employment with a company where they interned, or through word of mouth, foster a company's reputation as the go-to place for quality internships among their friends.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 17, 2008 at 8:36 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's not easy to find the right person for a job. Weeding through resumes and conducting interviews can be time consuming and even discouraging if no one really seems to stand out. Finding quality interns isn't any easier; however, if you offer quality candidates internships that provide them opportunities to apply what they've learned at school and to participate in work groups with regular employees, you will probably solve the problem of how to find quality new hires.

More and more, companies are looking to former interns when they want to hire someone for an entry-level job. This can work out well if the company provides a challenging and enjoyable internship, and if the interns are hard working, qualified, and eager to learn and become a part of the team. Jim Stroud, in his article "When Recruiting Interns Remember, You Can't Fake Being 'Cool,'" he recounted a story about an intern who had a disappointing experience interning with Intel. The intern in question told a friend who then told Stroud, and the story continues to spread, because students will talk about their internships. And they'll talk more about a bad internship experience because they feel cheated. The complaints of the Intel intern got around to the career services department of his university and they are no longer interested in working with Intel. According to Stroud, "many companies have blacklisted themselves at major universities" by not providing enjoyable internships.

Dr. John Sullivan, Professor of Management at San Francisco State University's College of Business offers 13 ways to find quality interns in his article "Internships: Recruiting the Very Best College Interns."

First: Make use of graduate assistants because they often work closely with the best students.

Second: Use interns who are already doing internships with your company. Dr. Sullivan suggests paying the interns a stipend to recruit other students.

Third: Seek help from recent graduates who are new hires with your company.

Fourth: Use student referrals. Offer some sort of compensation ( i.e. mugs with the company logo, daily planners, t-shirts, etc.) to students who send top candidates to your company for internships.

Fifth: Use online contests to attract students and assess the level of talent that's currently in the market.

Sixth: Use professional student groups. Offering to sponsor the group or one of their meetings, Dr. Sullivan says, will give them a positive of impression of your
company, which can serve you well when seeking referrals.

Seventh: Use networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Eighth: Conduct Internet searches, looking for students who have won
scholarships or awards.

Ninth: Enlist the aid of faculty internship advisors. They know which students are looking for internships and which ones show the most promise.

Tenth: Offer scholarship contests.

Eleventh: Request faculty referrals, but be prepared for the possibility of rejection. Not all faculty agree with this practice.

Twelfth: Attempt to recruit student mentors.

Thirteenth: Purchase an ad in a campus newspaper.

These methods can help you to find just the right candidate for the internship your company is offering.

Posted by Candice Arnold on February 15, 2008 at 10:15 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Free Labor and Management Skills Come with the Intern

Provided By: Associated Content, Inc.

Have you got more email than you can handle? Do you routinely skip over the base steps of complex tasks simply for time management? Have important business objectives been forced to the back burner by time constraints?

Continue reading "Do You Need to Hire an Intern?" »

Posted by CandiceArnold on January 16, 2008 at 12:47 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

George Ambler over at The Practice of Leadership has a great post on the value of having a mentor.

The word mentor is defined simply as a Guide. George offer’s the following benefits of having a Guide in our life:

Continue reading "Powerful Effects of an Intern Mentor" »

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on January 14, 2008 at 3:21 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Recently we heard from one of our Program Directors on how they feel about the clinical education program and how those student interns make fantastic candidates for employment. After speaking with our Program Director, I also asked the same questions of one such person

Mitch is a recent graduate from Ohio State University. He also completed a final clinical rotation at CaroMont Rehab in Gastonia, NC. He had this to say on his clinical experience with RehabCare:

Continue reading "From Intern To Employee - The Employee's View" »

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on January 11, 2008 at 11:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Clinical fieldwork is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of a student therapists education. This is where you get to see all your textbook knowledge and labs come to life. This is where you begin to see the difference you are making in peoples' lives. This is also where you begin to ponder, "I think I could work for this company."

Continue reading "From Intern To Employee - The Employer's View" »

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on January 10, 2008 at 5:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Increasingly, college students, college graduates, and even high school students and older career-changers appreciate the value of internships.

Continue reading "Internships and the Job Search" »

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on January 7, 2008 at 4:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Students often make a critical mistake that often only catches up to them when they are about to graduate. That is, they often fail to seek relevant work experience...

Continue reading "One of the Worst Mistakes that a Student Can Make" »

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on December 31, 2007 at 1:26 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

After years of being a career coach, I've recently transitioned back into Corporate HR as Director of Talent Management for one of the world's most well-known brands. Who I work for doesn't matter. What I see and hear does.

This time of year we have a few interns floating around the office. They're working in various capacities--PR, marketing, finance--you name it. But my colleagues, my peers, are more grateful to have interns than I have ever seen at any other company. I haven't seen anything like it. Usually corporate clowns like me like interns, but are often too busy to really give out the real work. Unless they k

Here's the thing, being an intern isn't glamourous. You may be pouring coffee, fetching files or typing endless documents. But the reason my colleagues love their interns is that the interns take those tasks and put effort and a smile into them. It makes the managers less busy, they appreciate the positivity and they can build a relationship with the intern. They trust him or her.

Then, they give out the real assignments. The ones that you can use in job interviews as examples of stretch roles. The ones that will help you decide whether this job, thiis field, this profession is for you. You've got an entire summer ahead of you, and a choice in how you approach each day at your internship. Choose wisely!

========
Susan Strayer, SPHR
Author, The Right Job, Right Now
www.susanstrayer.com
========

Posted by Susan Strayer on June 21, 2007 at 9:36 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

About 6 months before I graduated with a degree in CIS I was interviewing for a position at a company just a few blocks from my university.

After I got the job offer I kind of chuckled and said: "You know, you don't even know what my GPA is!"

The hiring manager simply replied "I don't care what your GPA is."

I was dumbfounded. How did I pull that off?

Continue reading ""I don't care what your GPA is"" »

Posted by JibberJobber.com on April 17, 2007 at 11:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Career management is a scary thing. I hate wondering what my next gig is going to be. Shoot, I hated wondering what my major was going to be (I think I seriously considered about 60 majors during my first two years of school).

I'll tell you right now, the "wondering" is common. Most people don't have a methodical process the use to figure out their future. And it actually starts way before the resume is prepared. On our teleseminar we had a question asked that I think will resonate with many of you:

I have experience in different areas - which direction should I go? Do I have to start at entry level in my job search with out a degree (this applies to recent grads also, doesn't it??), but with work experience? Is there a time limit on an internship?

Continue reading "Want an entry level job? Or slip right into a professional position?" »

Posted by JibberJobber.com on February 22, 2007 at 9:46 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Start Early ... Hone Your Search ... Keep Perspective

Great advice from Carolyn Bigda (Chicago Tribune) regarding internships.

Keep reading to see what she has to say about Internships in today's tight job market.

Continue reading "Internships Can Shine In Tight Job Market" »

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on November 11, 2006 at 7:54 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Having been in recruiting for over a decade now, I have a lot of tips, processes, and stories to share. Let me share the true story of both my daughters, who graduated last year and this year.

Last year, in her senior year in college, my oldest daughter called an employee at Wachovia, whom she had read about in a newspaper story, regarding the Wachovia Golf Championship. My daughter loves sports and event planning. She was just making a networking phone call.

Little did my daughter know that the person she was calling was looking for the first intern, ever, for the Wachovia Golf Championship here in Charlotte. They met in a coffee shop, my daughter was offered the position and for the next six months of her senior year in college, she burned the candle at both ends, working and studying 12-16 hour days.

But upon graduation, she had the internship experience to put on her resume. When she pursued a job in the golf industry, and she got two offers in two weeks!!

After several months in Atlanta, she decided to move back to Charlotte and applied for an Event Planning position at Coca Cola. She had two interviews and was hired and now has her first dream job. All because of that internship experience. Both the practical experience she gained from the work, and the fact that she could put it on her resume created the perfect combination for her.

And now, my youngest daughter, who is a senior at UNC Wilmington, is doing an internship at a Recruiting Firm. She went through her school Career Counseling group and applied for two different opportunities before she landed one.

She will have no trouble finding a job here in Charlotte after graduation. Those internships are GOLD!

Robert E Jones
Recruiting Manager, Specializing in Information Technology
Sherpa, LLC
Charlotte, NC

Posted by Sherpa LLC on March 20, 2006 at 3:31 PM | Leave a Comment (0)