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Employer Resources

Internship FAQ

What is an internship?

  • A practical work experience or project, given by a designated supervisor
  • An opportunity to observe, contribute, and rotate through the different parts of the department/organization
  • Career connections, mentorship, and networking opportunities within the organization/industry
  • Training, either “formal” or on-the-job along with constructive, ongoing feedback for personal and professional development

What are the benefits to employers?

  • Find future employees: An internship program is a year-round recruiting tool. With fall internships, 
    summer internships, semester internships, and quarterly internships, implementing an intern program means you have an ongoing pipeline of future full-time employees.
  • Cost-effective: Hiring an intern is a cost-effective opportunity to evaluate potential future employees. An internship program allows you to benefit from added manpower while more accurately assessing candidates.
  • Increase visibility: Recruiting and hiring for an intern provides enhanced visibility and branding to the 46,000+ students on the University of Houston campus. If your organization impresses one class of interns, word will quickly spread. Enthusiasm for your field and your organization will increase. 
  • Foster leadership skills in current employees: Mentoring and guiding others often motivates employees to hold themselves more accountable and become effective leaders. In this way, adding interns to your company can enhance and multiply leadership.
  • Give back to the community: Creating an internship program is an excellent way to give back. Hiring interns not only helps students in your community get started; it enhances the local workforce as a whole.

What is the typical length of an internship?

  • Completed during an academic semester or summer; at least 6 weeks
  • Summer internships traditionally run from the middle of May/June to the beginning/middle of August

How many hours do interns work a week?

  • 8 – 20 hours per week during the fall, spring, or summer semesters
  • Paid, full-time internships may be offered during the summer

How much should I pay an intern?

What is the timeline for hiring summer (May to August) interns?

  • June to August: Develop a job description 
  • August to March: Recruit students and conduct interviews 
  • December to March: Offer internship to the student(s)
  • January to April: Student accepts the offer and completes paperwork
  • May to August: Student completes internship
  • July to August: Assess and evaluate internship  

Visual of this timeline

How do I start an internship program?

  • Assess the needs of your organization and determine what you hope to achieve from an internship program
  • Define the aspects that will make an internship an educational, interesting, and rewarding experience
  • Draft a job description that clearly explains the duties and the role the intern would play as part of your organization

How do write an internship job description?

  • Treat the job posting as an opportunity to showcase the internship and your company.
  • Provide an accurate overview of the internship position’s responsibilities, work assignments, and time frame.
  • Include: Position title, location, hours required, primary duties, necessary qualifications, compensation, how to apply, and deadline.
  • Example internship job description

How do I support an intern on their first day and beyond?

  • Send a welcome email prior to the first day, welcoming them and providing 1st-day expectations
  • Orient the intern to your organization; provide a tour, go over organizational structure or culture and discuss expectations
  • Identify goals for the intern or tangible deliverables
  • Provide the intern with an evaluation and feedback on their performance

Additional Internship Resources:


Recent Grad / Experienced Hire FAQ

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Hiring International Student FAQ

coming soon