Internships provide a great opportunity for students to gain work experience and make connections with professionals in their field prior to graduating. Employers are discovering that bringing an intern into your organization can be a very rewarding experience, and many companies are beginning to recognize the value of adding an intern program to their human resources pool.
The Career Center aims to facilitate internships for students with industry professionals to provide real-world experience and on-the-job training. We look forward to working with both the employer and the student to develop a meaningful and mutually beneficial internship opportunity!
An internship is a work experience related to a student’s major and/or career interest. Typically, students participate in projects or work alongside practicing professionals as they tackle special day-to-day challenges. Employers offering internships are expected to have clearly articulated educational objectives.
- Most internships last one academic term. Fall and spring terms are typically 14 to 16 weeks with summer terms lasting 10 to 14 weeks.
- Most internships are paid with average intern salaries ranging from $10-$14 per hour for non-technical majors and $14-$20 for technical majors.
- Some academic departments require internship experience. The Center for Career and Professional Development offers full-time and part-time internship courses for undergraduate and graduate students, some of which will maintain their status as full-time students.
In any economy, businesses and organizations of all types have various staffing needs. Some employers have dormant projects, just waiting for attention from overworked staff members. While others have seasonal needs that disrupt the productivity of the staff. All organizations want to hire the best and brightest new staff.
Interns help organizations:
- Meet project needs
- Meet seasonal changes in staffing needs
- Bring new, innovative ideas to the workplace
- Base permanent hire decisions on knowledge and observation of the candidate’s work, rather than merely on interview interaction
- Increase awareness of your organization on campus to attract additional qualified full-time and internship candidates
- Avoid a long-term budget commitment necessary for permanent hires or co-ops
Build an Internship Program
Consult with our team to discuss best practices for implementing an internship program at your organization.
Post an Internship Position
Post an internship position on ClemsonJobLink submit job and internship postings, schedule interviews, promote networking events and register for career fairs.
Recruit at Clemson
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“[Our intern’s] professionalism, can-do attitude, strong work ethic and exceptional skill set will make her a valuable asset to any organization.”
Off-Campus Internship Supervisor