Division of Student Affairs
Enriching the Educational Experience (E3)
Georgia Institute of TechnologyLeadership
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INFORMATION ABOUT
 
 

Recruiting Interns


The objective of the internship program is to provide students with meaningful assignments relating to their academic programs and to provide employers with a talented pool of individuals ready to learn and work.

The program should provide students with experience that enhances their education and career development. The program should also foster positive relationships between the employer and Georgia Tech.

Why should your company participate in an internship program?

Effective internship programs allow employers to identify diverse and talented candidates, accomplish critical tasks and preview skilled individuals for possible career positions. Quality internship programs also serve employers well in building positive reputations with key student populations.

Student Participation

All enrolled students in good academic standing are eligible to participate in the Internship Program. Although the summer period is the most requested period for interns, students are allowed to intern during any period of the school year. Internships may be full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid, long-term or short-term. However, most student interest will be for semester long, full-time paid positions.

Program design

Internship programs should be designed to give students meaningful experience while providing employers with high quality work. Since a key goal is experiential learning, employers must ensure that students are given ample opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform at the highest level. Proper supervision/evaluation is required to ensure both parties are receiving maximum benefits.

Initial Steps

To get started call our main number (404-894-2550) and ask for an internship coordinator.

Hiring Procedures

Career Services recommends qualified students to employers in accordance with regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As an employer, or potential employer of interns, you have several options for hiring students.

On-Campus Interviews

Probably the best way to recruit interns is to conduct interviews on campus. Career Services will help you schedule your recruiting visit, develop the criteria you will need to identify qualified candidates and utilize the on-line recruiting and interview scheduling system (CareerBuzz ).

Interviews, offers and offer letters should proceed much as they would for regular hires. We request that Career Services be copied on all offer letters. Questions regarding this process should be directed to an internship coordinator.

Resume Referrals

Employers unable to conduct campus interviews may choose to have resumes referred to them. Simply provide Career Services with requirements including major, classification, GPA, etc. and resumes of qualified students will be made available from the database.

After reviewing the resumes, employers may contact students, conduct phone interviews, or make other interview arrangements. Video interviews are also available through Career Services.

Job Postings

Employers wishing to post or advertise internship positions may use our on-line system, CareerBuzz. To have an internship position posted on CareerBuzz, Register Here

Job/Employer Changes

Students assigned to an employer should remain with that employer for the duration of the agreed upon period, typically one semester. If an employer deems it necessary to terminate the assignment early, the Career Services Office should be notified immediately. Once the assignment is completed, the employer is under no obligation to reemploy the student for future assignments. However, should the employer choose to reemploy the student, Career Services should be notified.

Work Performance

It is incumbent upon the employer to keep the student informed of what is expected and how well the student is performing. Prior to and during the work period, an immediate supervisor should review and document performance criteria with the student. A copy of the evaluation should be forwarded to Career Services. Upon completion of the work assignment, the student will be required to complete a written paper on the relevance of the work assignment to their degree program and what was accomplished. This paper will be forwarded to the immediate supervisor for review/approval and returned to Career Services to become a part of the student's intern record.

Salary

There is no standard pay scale established for interns. Career Services can provide guidance as to the competitive nature of salaries. While very few Georgia Tech students accept unpaid intern positions, employers should check labor laws prior to accepting a student for such a position.

General Suggestions

The following are types of actions employers may take to enhance the experience of student interns. These are not mandatory steps, but they do help to improve the overall quality of the internship experience.

Internship Coordinator

A specific individual may be designated as an internship coordinator. This person would be the contact for the school and the student in any matters pertaining to interning. In smaller organizations, this could be the immediate supervisor and in larger companies this may be someone within Human Resources.

Responsibilities might include:

  • HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION: Interns may need help from time to time getting settled in an area that may be unfamiliar to them, particularly on the first work assignment. In subsequent work assignments, the student can normally handle this without assistance.
  • WORK ASSIGNMENTS: Discussing with both the student and the supervisor the company's plans for work assignments can be very helpful. Meaningful assignments are critical to the success of any internship program. Also, acting as an advocate for the student with the user departments can be beneficial to the relationship.
  • SOCIAL EVENTS: Students like to get together, whether or not they are from the same school. In larger programs, someone might plan picnics, dinners, sporting events, and the like. Even companies with only one or two students should consider arranging for them to meet in social settings with the supervisor, representative from upper management, or internship coordinator at least once during the work assignment.

For more information contact Ernest Walker at ernest.walker@success.gatech.edu or at (404) 894-1988