Employer Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find Interns?
We would be happy to help you post your positions on Bradley netWORK where our students can search, find, and apply for opportunities. You might also want to consider attending JOB FAIRS, hosting on campus INFO SESSIONS, or presenting to student ORGANIZATIONS to talk to potential candidates (click here for more info).
How many hours can Interns work?
This varies depending on the situation. We expect an 80 hour minimum, throughout a term, to qualify as an internship. However, some work full– or nearly full-time, others work a part-time schedule of 5-10 hours a week, and plenty are in-between. There is a larger emphasis on what they are learning during the experience than how many hours they are working each week.
Do I have to pay interns?
Ideally yes, but please refer to Fact Sheet #71 prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor, under the Fair Labor Standards Act for more information and details for non-profit organizations.
What is expected of me as an intern employer?
As an intern employer you should provide our students with a supervisor/mentor for the duration of the term who will regularly monitor progress towards goals and development of essential skills, offer feedback to the student and guidance in areas where further development may be needed.
When do students do internships?
Work assignments typically correspond to the academic calendar
- August - December/January (fall term)
- January Interim (3 week term)
- January - May (spring term)
- May - August (summer terms)
Internships can span many terms, depending on the needs of the employer.
What are the differences between reported internships, registered internships, and cooperative education at Bradley University?
| Registered Internship | Registered Cooperative Education | Reported Internship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develops the students essential skills | |||
| Develops the student’s industry/technical skills | |||
| Is relevant to career field or industry | |||
| Is supervised with regular feedback | |||
| Title of the role includes the word intern or the responsibilities of the role are those of an intern | |||
| Title of the role includes the word co-op or the responsibilities of the role are those of a co-op | |||
| Student registers with the Smith Career Center | |||
| Student reports experience to the Smith Career Center | |||
| Includes goals and assignments submitted to the Smith Career Center | |||
| Communication between the employer and the Smith Career Center throughout the term | |||
| Receives academic credit and/or transcript notation |
Why would I start an internship program?
- Recruit students and future talent
- Build brand awareness on campus
- Create awareness of the field for future hires
- Increase staff retention rate
- Provide freedom for professional staff to pursue additional projects
- Increase company diversity - in age, discipline, experience level, gender, race and ethnicity
How do I start an internship program?
- Strong internship programs are developed based upon work related to their major, that is challenging, that is recognized by the organization as valuable, and that fills the entire work term.
- Assigns supervisor
- Supervises and evaluates student
- Identifies meaningful and challenging work; establishes expectations
- Meets with student
How do I turn an existing part-time job into an internship?
In most cases, the existing job you have offered could be redeveloped into an internship. Are there additional responsibilities that you would like to have your student take on? Think about what developmental opportunities could be added to the current tasks. What skills can you help to enhance (communication, critical thinking, leadership, professionalism, teamwork...) You should try to plan out the “life cycle” of the program you are creating: from onboarding through training, and identifying milestones to be achieved by the end of the term or work period. Think long term - if a student were to stay with you for an extended period over multiple academic terms, how can you help them continue to grow and develop their skills and responsibilities, preparing them to be full-time/permanent hires?