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Internships

Willamette University is a proud member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In accordance with NACE, we believe that internships are a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting.

At Willamette, over 60% of students complete an internship. Whether you have a robust internship program, or are creating new opportunities from scratch, here are some things we look for when approving internships:

• Timeframe: Summer internships are expected to be at minimum 8 weeks, or 120 hours, in duration. Internships occurring in the Fall/Spring are expected to require less hours per week to accommodate student academic schedules. 
• Location: Regional internships in the Pacific Northwest are preferred, or remote. Some students may be able to travel for summer internships, please indicate on your job description.
• Meaningful Work: While every role has its fair share of mundane tasks, we expect internships to include an impactful project, with a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. Assignments should have clearly defined objectives and goals, aligned with the student's academic program.
• Supervision: Direct supervision by someone with relevant expertise who provides actionable feedback, guidance, and necessary resources. We expect internships to require teamwork, but we recommend to avoid assigning multiple supervisors. 
• Clear Expectations: Provide a detailed job description, including minimum and preferred qualifications, information regarding your organization and culture, defined responsibilities and outcomes, required application materials, and deadline to apply. 

Ready to submit your open internship opportunity? Login to Career Connector today! Looking to start on a smaller scale? Check out our Micro-Internships below.

Start an Internship Program

A well-crafted internship program helps you discover motivated candidates who are eager to learn and potentially join your team long-term. If you’re thinking of starting an internship program at your organization, review the following steps to help get you started. 

• Familiarize yourselves with federal and state requirements for how an internship should be conducted. There are various guidelines that dictate how interns should be classified, compensated, etc. NACE provides a high level overview of what to consider.
• Assess your organizational needs with your human resources department and leadership to identify what your goals are for an internship program. Determine the purpose of the program, if you’re looking for specialized skills, talent agility & plasticity, etc. 
• Establish the structure of the program including but not limited to: 
  • Duration
  • Recruitment process
  • Compensation structure
  • Performance evaluation
  • Schedule during the program
  • How teams request an intern
  • Onboarding/training and conversion. 
• Review the organization’s ability to provide assignments that match the level of skills and experience of an intern that would allow them to learn and contribute. Map out clear goals, milestones, timeline, supervisor and mentor. Meet your organizational needs and provide growth opportunities for the intern. 

• Communicate internally to gain buy in and present the opportunity to host an intern. Identify team members who would enjoy and benefit from mentoring an intern (not the direct supervisor), who is committed to and capable of providing structure and insight in addition to constructive feedback.
• Create a detailed job description that clearly explains the main project, additional responsibilities, learning objectives, and qualifications required of the intern.
• Build a pipeline of student candidates by investing time through recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation. Establish partnerships with universities that align with your organization. Encourage employees to participate in events that broaden your reach to diverse student populations. 

• Communicate frequently with your interns. Prior to the program, think about creating a welcome packet to set up expectations early on. Develop a structured onboarding process and additional training or workshops to acquaint them with the mission, vision, and policies of your company (un/written and un/spoken) along with team introductions. Explain the organizational structure, the company culture, and expectations of what it means to be “professional” at your organization.
• Conduct regular check-ins with everyone involved in the program, including interns, supervisors, and mentors. Schedule weekly 1:1 meetings to discuss progress, answer questions, and provide actionable feedback. Consider a mid-program evaluation and a post internship interview to provide a forum for constructive feedback and questions.
• Offer interns to formally present their projects and their experiences to broader leadership within the organization. This is an opportunity for your interns to showcase their accomplishments and impact in a format that supports their professional development. It can also shed light on which interns could be converted to full-time employees post graduation. 

• Review the goals set from the beginning and how the program measured against those goals. Analyze feedback from the interns and teams who participated in the program to identify areas for improvement, and areas that were successful to continue. 
• Assess the level of success from interns and share any feedback with partnered universities. Adjust the recruiting process and approach as necessary. 
• Continue communication with previous interns to keep positive relationships and potentially turn them into ambassadors for your organization. Ambassadors can help promote an organization to strengthen their talent pipeline. Encourage interns and ambassadors to promote their experiences on social media, like LinkedIn. 

Have questions or want a consultation? Contact our Director of Employer Engagement, Claire Martin, cmartin4@willamette.edu. 

Full & Part Time Employment

Recruiting for a full or part time position? Many students seek employment opportunities while they are still in school if the opportunity is local to our campuses in Salem or Portland, or has the ability to be remote. Our recent graduates and alumni also often seek opportunities through Career Connector. 

Micro-Internships and Projects

What’s a Micro-Internship?

Micro-internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. They provide a great opportunity for employers to get smaller projects off the back burner while creating a pipeline of talent at a lower risk. Typically, they take up to a maximum of 40 hours or 1 month to complete, can occur throughout any time of the year, and are centered around a specific project. 

Micro-internships create meaningful learning experiences that prepare students to become stronger, more career-ready professionals. Through short-term, project-based work, students explore career paths, apply their classroom learning to real-world challenges, and demonstrate their skills in a professional setting. For employers, these experiences provide early access to emerging talent while helping students develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical experience needed to make an immediate impact in the workplace.

As an employer, micro-internships give you the opportunity to evaluate potential future employees through a low-risk, short-term project. You'll gain support for meaningful work that's been sitting on the back burner, whether for months or even years, while avoiding the time and expense of a traditional recruitment process. Micro-internships also allow you to assess a candidate's skills and fit before making a larger commitment, helping you build a pipeline of talented professionals aligned with your organization's needs.

Ready to engage with talented Willamette students? Post your micro-internship opportunity on Career Connector to connect with motivated students eager to contribute to your organization while gaining valuable professional experience.