The Career Center is a leader in experiential education and thrives on facilitating connections between students and employers. With more than 80% of AU undergraduates and 60% of graduate students completing one or more internships before graduation, our career advisors are adept in helping students to identify and maximize meaningful internships. Advisors’ recommendations for students translate into best practices for employers.

SUBSTANCE

Offer challenging assignments that result in beneficial outcomes for your organization and tangible work samples or valuable experience for your interns.

SUPERVISION AND MENTORSHIP 

Communicate openly and often and share constructive feedback so that your interns hone their skills and meet or exceed your expectations. Also, expose your interns to the inner workings of your organization and share industry insights so that students may affirm or modify their career aspirations.

ACADEMIC CREDIT 

Create a positive learning environment in which your interns may test their classroom theories. Credit-bearing internships must include a minimum of 85% substantive duties and no more than 15% clerical tasks. Internships must extend for a minimum of 12 weeks and require at least 15 hours of work per week. Workplace evaluations account for 25-50% of students’ final grades. For more information, contact Francine Blume, director of experiential education.

COMPENSATION 

If at all possible, provide competitive hourly wages or stipends to help students defray the ever-increasing costs of living and tuition. When offering unpaid internships, reward students with value-added opportunities such as structured mentoring programs, specialized training, access to special events, and complimentary meals.

Recruit AU Students

Utilize AU CareerWeb, our comprehensive recruitment tool, to post and promote internship opportunities for free. Participate in other campus recruiting activities and become an employer of choice among AU students.