Internship FAQ's

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term, supervised career-related work experience typically lasting one semester, periods of six months or more, or during the summer. Interns typically earn approximately 80 percent of full-time salary for new graduates. Many employers provide an additional stipend for moving expenses and/or a housing allowance.

Unpaid internships are primarily found in the non-profit sector and should consist of work for which you would not expect to pay wages. Specific learning objectives should be identified, and over 50 percent of the student’s time may be spent shadowing/learning.

While some students may be able to receive academic credit (typically three semester hours) for their internship assignments, this is at the discretion of individual academic departments. Most academic departments will not grant credit for part-time or summer work. Career Services does not award academic credit, nor is there any automatic credit.

Why hire University of Tennessee students to intern?

• Brings state of the art information, technology, and skill to your organization.
• Identifies prospective employees to meet future staffing needs.
• Provides cost-effective recruitment and training.
• Increases your company’s visibility on campus
• Brings new talent and ideas into your organization.
• Enhances business/industry/university relationship and encourages more practical input into the education process.
• Provides staff for special projects.

What are the participation requirements?

To recruit University of Tennessee students for internships, you must meet the following requirements:

• Offer a meaningful and challenging work experience for a minimum of one semester or during the summer.
• Provide appropriate training (with clear learning objectives and hands-on experience) and supervision.
• Discuss the student’s performance with him/her and complete a written performance evaluation, if applicable. Click here to complete the Internship Evaluation Form.

How do I recruit students for internships?

Contact Career Services to discuss your needs with the appropriate college consultant. You will be asked to:

• Prepare a brief position description that includes job duties, location, pay, contact information, special requirements, desired criteria, etc.
• Determine if you want to conduct on-campus interviews or simply review resumes and/or contact students on your own. The Web Resume Book allows you to search our database for students meeting your criteria.
• Post your internship and summer opportunities online free of charge. Just login to Hire-A-Vol to post your listing.
• Participate in our annual Summer Job & Internship Fair held in February.

What should I do if I hire UT students for internships?

Please give your college consultant the names, location, internship assignment dates, and salary of students interning with your company.
Also, instruct students to contact Career Services when they accept internship offers. This is particularly important during the fall and spring semesters in order for them to maintain their student status while interning.