northland.edu/internships

Internships

A Guide for Employers and Intern Sponsors

The next steps

Stacy CraigCoordinator of Applied Learning(715) 682-1232 internships@northland.edu

1. Contact Stacy Craig, Coordinator of Applied Learning, who will help you locate the best candidates for your organization

2. Sign the Internship Agreement—a mutual understanding to create an official partnership with Northland College

3. Begin to recruit, hire, and enjoy working with Northland College’s distinctive students

“Mariah arrived to work each day eager to learn and ready for anything. She is a natural leader, diligent worker and future shining star within the field of natural resources.”

– Kevin Lowry Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Northland interns are eager to excelNorthland College internships pair classroom theory with professional and experiential immersion experiences. Northland’s hands-on applied curriculum prepares students to be enthusiastic, well-trained interns.

Benefits for internship sponsors and employers include:

Developing and implementing special projects

Attracting students to enter a particular field or business

Increasing organizational capacity

Partnering with a leading environmental liberal arts college to provide education and guidance for tomorrow’s leaders

“It’s not easy to get into the door of many companies. Even if you are prepared, you often need a way in to show your skills. My internship at NASA was that foot into the door. Without it, I doubt I would be where I am today in such a challenging, yet rewarding career.”

– Shannon Franks `01 Senior Remote Sensing Scientist for NASA

A Guide for Employers and Intern Sponsors

Internships: a win-win scenario“Northland College uniquely prepares students to be thoughtful problem solvers who look at complex issues from multiple perspectives. Our innovative liberal arts curriculum with focuses on issues of sustainability and the environment combines insightful classroom learning and applied learning and experience. Northland students are equipped with the skills essential to help deliver on your organization’s mission. Backed by strong support and guidance from talented faculty and staff, an intern from Northland College will add value to your organization from day one. In turn, their education will be enhanced through valuable preparation that can confirm a career choice or open doors to new directions.”

– Michael A. Miller, Ph.D. Northland College President

Types of internships

In some areas of study, internships are required while in others, they are optional. These can be paid or unpaid and can happen during the school year or over the summer. We require a semester-long time frame for students to earn credit. The sponsor is asked to help students reach their learning goals for the experience. Northland students have done internships in areas such as Outdoor Education, Natural Resources, Native Ameri- can Studies, Sustainable Community Development, Writing, Business, and many other pre-professional settings.

Northland is on a 4-4-1 academic calendar. Internships can take place during a semester, during the month of May, or over the summer.

Timing

Fall Term: September - December Winter Term: January - AprilMay Term: May 1 - May 30Summer Term: June - August

Northland students have experience In order to compete for the best and brightest, consider the following:

Develop an internship process that includes staff to supervise the intern and their projects. Maintain a work area appropriate for what they need to do, and conduct an orientation.

Develop a job description which outlines the skills that are required for the work along with the learning that the student will receive. This will help both the organization and student find the right fit.

Advertise by coming to the Northland College job fair, table in person at the Ponzio Campus Center, hold a video confer-ence, and/or develop materials to post through our electronic billboard.

Provide interns with the benefits that you can offer. Paid internships are the most competitive. If you can’t offer a paid internship, consider offering professional develop-ment opportunities like training, certifications, and conferences. Great experiences have value; emphasize the outcomes of an unpaid internship with you.

“Andy and Josh have done Northland proud. We’ve had a variety of skill levels in interns when they arrive here and these guys were ready to go. Little direction, little instruction, we met once a week and they worked inde-pendently the entire time. It’s been great, they’ve brought a level of skill to the table that I was happy to see.”

– Mike Meyer, Ph.D. WDNR Wildlife Toxicologist

"Over the years, I have had a number of Northland students work under my direction. They are almost always better prepared, more mature, and see the big picture better than students from other colleges and universities. Our interns work side-by-side with our permanent environmental and sustainability professionals. The internship provides students with hands-on experience working on a wide variety of important issues and projects; and we in turn get excellent work products from the interns. I have and will continue to pursue Northland students for these positions before turning to other institutions." – Mark Charles Environmental Management Chief of Rockville, Maryland

There are different ways to engage an intern and each internship sponsor or employer must determine what the right fit is for them. There are paid, unpaid, and for-credit internships. Organizations and individuals interested in hosting interns should be familiar with the Department of Labor guidelines.