Employers Seeking Interns
You have the opportunity to tap into a talent pool of some of the best and brightest students in the area through the LEADS Internship Program! Organizations and employers that seek out top collegiate talent by preparing students, or hiring new graduates, will feel an immediate and satisfying impact on their business' performance. From internships to full-time jobs, Student Employment and Internships Services at Jefferson Community College, in partnership with the LEADS Internship Program, is here to work with you on assessing your business needs and identifying how our students and graduates can satisfy those needs.
According to NACE Research's 2022 Internship & Co-op Survey, employers made full-time offers to almost 65% of their interns, with 80% accepting those offers. Employees who completed an internship were also more likely to be with the company at both one-year and five-year retention benchmarks.
The Benefits of Hiring an Intern or Graduate
- Manage training costs
- Establish a relationship with the college and university
- Increase productivity / add personnel during peak periods
- Bring in fresh perspectives
- Enhance supervisory skills of your staff
- Create company visibility
- View potential employees in action
- Develop student/graduate skill sets
- Cut down on recruitment costs
- Help retain college educated talent in your region
- Give back to the community
Micro-Internships
Jefferson is excited to highlight an opportunity for our corporate and nonprofit partners to offer short-term, professional, paid work experiences to current students through Micro-Internships. Through Micro-Internships, students can demonstrate their skills, explore career paths, and develop their professional networks. Unlike a traditional internship, these paid opportunities typically range from 10 to 40 hours of work, and most can be completed remotely. Not only does this help the students, but it allows you as employers to get immediate support and enhance your company’s pipeline for future interns and new hires.
How to Design an Internship?
Being thoughtful and intentional as you design your internship opportunity can mean a more successful and satisfying experience for all involved. We encourage you to consult the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ resources on internship best practices as you are building and conceptualizing your opportunity: Best Practices for Internship Programs (naceweb.org)
- Keep it simple.
- Use keywords that attract students.
- State the payment details.
- Review internship postings for examples.
- Include an overview of the job, including potential projects and tasks that could be assigned.
- List expected outcomes for the position.
- Include a list of required skills and qualifications.
An hourly wage for an intern will vary widely, depending on the industry in which you work, the major or skillset of the student you are recruiting and his or her level of experience. Internships can range from minimum wage for some roles and up to $22 or more an hour for more technical skillsets. An hourly wage cannot be less than minimum wage. You may wish to compensate interns via a stipend. Please use this guide as a reference: 2022 NACE Guide to Compensation for Interns and Co-Ops.pdf (naceweb.org)
As much as possible, an internship should be flexible in nature, as it is generally something a student pursues while also taking classes. During the academic year, internships are typically part-time, between 10-20 hours a week; not to exceed 20 hours a week (September-May). Summer internships, or those during a semester in which the student is not enrolled in courses, can require up to 40 hours a week. Please note that we strongly encourage internships that require more than 20 hours/week of students to be paid on an hourly or stipend basis, regardless of industry. Offering an unpaid full-time summer internship will likely result in no applicants, as most students cannot commit that amount of time to an unpaid opportunity.
An average internship is 2-4 months coinciding with a student’s typical semester or summer. A key factor in determining proper internship length is that an internship should be long enough for a student to get into the rhythm of the position and complete deliverables that are valuable to you and them.
| Season | Beginning Date | End Date | Avg. # of Hours / Week |
| Fall | Mid Aug.-Mid Oct. | Mid-December | 10-20 |
| Spring | Early February | Mid May | 10-20 |
| Summer | Mid May- Early July | Mid August | 20-40+ |
By employing Jefferson students and graduates, you can help refresh and energize your workplace! Our students and graduates are enthusiastic and ready to prove themselves. They can provide insight and fresh perspectives that can be valuable to your company and its vision.