Employer Toolkit

 

What is an internship? 

According to NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), an internship is an experiential learning opportunity that connects classroom knowledge with practical application in a professional setting, whether in-person, remote, or hybrid. Internships help students gain hands-on experience, build skills and social capital, explore career paths, and develop professional connections.

Internships should include meaningful projects, regular feedback, mentorship, and opportunities for continued learning. For many students, this is their first professional experience, so internships should provide a supportive environment that encourages growth, questions, and learning alongside work. 

 

Development of the Internship Role 

If your organization has not had an intern before, but is interested in hosting someone, we would love to help. By following the below steps, we can work together to build a role that fits your needs.

 

Define your Objective

  •  What does your organization hope to achieve from the internship role?
  • What kind of work will the intern do? What are you hoping they will produce?
  • Are your goals for the intern aligned with company goals?

 

Supervision and Mentorship

  •  Who will supervise the intern?
  • What will your regular check in cadence be?
  • How often will you have career conversations with the intern?
  • What training will the intern require?

 

Define the Work Plan

As you develop the scope and responsibilities of the internship role, please use this Internship Plan as a guiding framework. When outlining the position, be sure to include the following elements:

  • Tangible milestones and clearly defined deliverables
  • Opportunities for collaboration beyond the intern’s immediate team
  • Opportunities for presentations, when applicable

 

The internship role should be:

  • Project-based, with meaningful and outcome-oriented work
  • Time-bound, with a clearly defined duration and expectations

 

Intern Logistics

  • What programs will the intern need access to?
  • Ie: Microsoft 365, Google Suite, Asana, Oracle, etc.
  • In which format will the intern work – hybrid/remote/in-office?
  • Where will the intern sit?
  • What equipment will the intern need?
  • How much will the intern be paid?

 

Create the Job Description

Within the job description you will want to include:

  • The job title
  • Your company name
  • Location of the internship
  • Weekly hourly requirements
  • Salary, benefits, housing arrangements, etc. the intern(s) may be eligible for
  • Age or school year requirement

 

You can use this Sample Internship Job Description as a guide. Once the job description has been completed, please upload it to Handshake using this guide. If you would like feedback or additional guidance, email your contact within NTC Career Services or internships@tulane.edu.

 

Does the Internship need to be in-person?

Some internships may offer a hybrid opportunity if the office works in a hybrid model or if the role does not require the intern to be in the office 100% of the time. If the internship is a hybrid or remote in format, we encourage the supervisor to ensure there are plenty of opportunities for the intern to interact with the teammates and experience the work environment. To give the student the best possible experience, we encourage the internship to be in-person as much as possible.

If you are unsure as to the format of your internship, please reach out to internships@tulane.edu 

 

Hiring

Employers have the responsibility for posting the role on Handshake, interviewing, evaluating, and selecting students for internships. Once the job description is developed, you will post it on to Handshake, our career and job resources platform specifically for Tulane students.  

If you are not already an employer in Handshake, you may utilize this Guide to Becoming an Employer on Handshake. Once the role is posted, you can review resumes, interview, and offer a role all through the Handshake platform

If you have questions about the process please reach out to internships@tulane.edu. 

 

Intern Evaluation

At the start of the Internship work period, the Internship employer will be asked by e-mail to confirm the contact information of the intern supervisor. The supervisor will then be provided with login credentials to an online evaluation based on the NACE career competencies.

The supervisor will be asked to complete the NACE evaluation of the intern three times during the internships: At the beginning, middle, and end. The NACE evaluation is an important component of the Internship program, as it will aid the supervisor in career driven conversations with the Intern. These evaluations will identify career development needs and establish educational and professional goals. Completing the evaluation process is a factor of a successful completion of the Internship.  

 

What are the NACE Competencies?

 

Career and Self Development

Proactively develop oneself and one's career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without ones organization.

 

Communication

Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

 

Critical Thinking

Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical f relevant information.

 

Leadership

Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

 

Professionalism

Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

 

Teamwork

Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

 

Technology

Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. 

 

Mentorship and Supervision

 

How do I make sure my Intern feels part of the team?

In the 2025 Student Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), students identified the following as top workplace priorities:

  •    Friendly and supportive colleagues
  •   Meaningful work
  •   Feeling that their skills are valued and appreciated

To enhance the internship experience and maximize value for both the intern and the organization, supervisors are encouraged to incorporate the following practices:

  •    Schedule regular check-in meetings to discuss performance, skill development, professional goals, etc.  
  •   Provide clear and consistent feedback on assigned tasks.
  •   Allow your intern to sit in on meetings or shadow colleagues outside of their immediate team or other areas of interest.
  •   Include the intern in professional development activities when appropriate
  •   Encourage your intern to ask you questions about your professional journey.
  •   Give your intern the opportunity to have you review their résumé, cover letters, and practice interview questions if they are planning to apply to a job post-internship.

 

Mentorship

As an intern supervisor, you will be responsible for motivating, training, and evaluating your intern, as they will look to you as a mentor who assists in learning about the work environment.  

Part of your responsibilities as the intern supervisor will be to:

  •    Assign daily tasks
  •   Monitor and evaluate work
  •   Create goals and deadlines
  •   Meet regularly to provide feedback
  •   Coach, counsel, and reinforce positive attitudes and performance

If the internship duties produce reports, media, documentation, or anything which could be added to a portfolio of work, the supervisor may want to provide an opportunity for the intern to present what they have produced to the larger team. This adds to a sense of accomplishment and allows the student to showcase what they have learned.  

 

Evaluation Recommendations

NTC Career Services will provide an evaluation rubric based on the NACE Career Competencies. To effectively monitor an intern’s professional growth, we recommend that both the supervisor and the student complete evaluations at three key points during the internship:

  •    At the beginning of the internship, to establish a baseline
  •   Midway through the internship, to identify strengths and any areas needing additional attention
  •   At the end of the internship, to reflect on overall growth and progress

If you would like to complete the evaluation more than three times, please feel free to do so. Our recommendation is for both parties to complete the evaluation independently and then schedule a professional development conversation to discuss successes, growth areas, and next steps. These conversations may be scheduled outside of regular weekly check-ins or incorporated into them, as appropriate.

The evaluation process should not be the only opportunity for professional development conversations. As a mentor, supervisors are encouraged to regularly integrate feedback and goal-setting into ongoing discussions to support the intern’s continuous growth.

If you would like additional guidance on evaluating your intern, please email us at internships@tulane.edu.  

 

Contact Us

Email us: internships@tulane.edu