USF On-Campus Internship
Use for: Information for Transitioning Part-time Positions into On-Campus Internships
An On-Campus Internship enhances positions that were formerly generic student employment positions to provide students with career-relevant internship experiences on campus.
On-Campus Internships offer students:
- supervision by a professional who is knowledgeable in the subject matter area (a subject matter expert) in the area the student will be working
- The opportunity of accessing their experience through self-assessment, training workshops, competency training alignment, supervisor feedback, etc.
- Career-relevant work experience aligned with the student’s career/academic goals
Not all student employment positions will (or should) be translated into internships, but if the opportunity presents itself; it will be to the benefit to Departments translating into an internship. The On-Campus Internship position should be developed prior to the term for which the intern is desired so that they can be posted prior to the end of the term before the internship begins. In other words, plan and post in the summer or even late spring to recruit an intern for a fall internship.
Development of On-Campus Internships
An internship is professional entry-level work and hands-on training experience. It provides a career focus with career-relevant transferrable skill sets for a student whose career goals and education are aligned with that career target. Many student jobs across campus meet these criteria and can be transitioned into an on-campus internship or even an FWS on-campus internship.
- relevance to the student’s career interests and goals;
- exposure to information, experiences, and processes at the leadership level;
- training and career development support in alignment with the student’s academic pursuits;
- level of supervision and mentoring support provided on-site by administration, professional staff, or program faculty;
- work with a subject matter expert (SME) who can guide and facilitate career skill growth.
Departments will be responsible for posting internships on Handshake. Departments can receive any guidance and support from the Center for Career and Professional Development as far as what the internship position can look like, but ultimately posting, reviewing, and hiring will fall under the department. A department can build a brand new internship position description, or revise the student employment job description as an internship position. Positions will be posted in Handshake and must state in the job title: “Tampa Campus – FWS or OPS – Job Title Internship – Department Name.” View this resource to learn more about posting positions to Handshake.
- Should be a Junior or Senior. Sophomores may be selected for an internship with the anticipation of developing the intern’s skills and providing increasingly more advanced opportunities over time.
- International students may qualify within the guidelines of their F-1 visa. International students should consult their International Advisor to confirm their status.
Internships may be funded through Department budgets or through Federal Work Study (FWS) funding. If funded through FWS their regulations will apply. The hours and pay must be aligned with the student’s FWS award and may not exceed that funding.
It is recommended that interns be paid slightly more than student employment positions since more is likely to be asked of interns. Additionally, for returning interns, it is recommended to increase their pay as their work skills increase.
On-Campus Internship are meant to provide the student with career development through appropriately challenging, hands-on experience and career growth. The Center for Career and Professional Development understands that a semester might be too short for a student to really gain those hands-on experiences. Therefore, if a department wishes to continue a student through the following semester that can be allowed. If the department feels once providing feedback, insight, and evaluating the student that an additional semester is needed then that internship can be extended. Departments can also make an internship for a full academic year as well, instead of just making it that one semester.
Some campus internships may qualify students to enroll in an internship course for 0-6 credit hours. The Center for Career & Professional Development offers an internship elective course for students in any major –IDS 3947. The benefits of the internship course include:
- Having your internship on your transcripts
- Developing transferrable essential skills that can help you build and launch your career
- Feedback to support your growth as a professional
- A campus resource if/when you need support during your internship
IDS 3947 – Cooperative Internship – Course details:
- Can be taken for 0-6 credits and repeated for up to 6 credits (the 0 credit option is helpful when the internship is unpaid and there are no fees if taken for 0 credits)
- Can be used for internships that are on or off campus and for global internships
- Credits may serve as elective credit and do not count as “excess” credits
- Available on regular or alternate course schedules, so if your internship starts after add/drop, you can still enroll!
- Review the qualifying experiences information
If students would like to register for the IDS 3947 Internship Course, the first step is to request a permit by completing our permit request form. The request will be routed to the appropriate contact in the CCPD for the home campus. Please note: Students must already have an internship offer when requesting a permit for the course.
Supervisory Responsibilities
The following are important guidelines for the internship supervisor to be aware of in order to achieve a beneficial internship experience for all involved.
Internship Supervisor Qualifications:
A college intern, working in an internship developed to provide him/her/them with appropriately challenging, career-relevant experience, which is representative of preferred industry performance standards, should be supervised by someone who:
- Displays a passion for the subject matter
- Functions as a subject matter expert
- Capable of coaching and mentoring the intern on industry standards and best-practices
- Is knowledgeable in the subject area and can assist the intern in skill development
- Displays a willingness and positive attitude toward supervising an intern.
Relationship Building and Supervision:
- Take time to get to know the student intern so you can best assist him/her/them as a supervisor. Ask about their goals and aspirations and about their needs/expectations of you as a supervisor. Likewise, you should share your requirements and expectations of the intern.
- Build a supportive professional relationship that cultivates open communication.
- Ensure that the internship is a meaningful learning experience for the student by providing opportunities to apply what has been learned in the classroom.
- Provide training and all necessary resources for the position. Provide the intern with information that would be given to any new employee.
- Assure that the intern is engaged in real work, completing their assigned duties efficiently and effectively, and striving to improve performance.
- Have regular one-on-one meetings to assist the student in critical thinking and problem solving.
- Evaluate your intern’s progress and provide feedback often and in a constructive manner.
- Provide opportunities for increased responsibility as the intern displays their ability to do so.
- The intern should generally be treated as a “regular” employee, although with closer supervision.
Internship Job Description Sample
Center for Career and Professional Development (Organization Overview)
Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD), reporting to the Division of Student Success, is the university’s centralized career planning and employment assistance service for USF students and alumni. The programs in the CCPD are designed to help students and graduates assess, explore, develop, and implement their career goals, gain employability skills and career-related experiences, prepare for a successful transition into graduate/professional school or the labor market, and connect with employers to obtain part-time jobs, internships, cooperative education, and professional employment. The CCPD holds the values of community, excellence, integrity, service, and well-being at the core of all they do.
Industry to Campus Connection Student Intern (Job/Intern Title)
At the conclusion of this internship, the intern should develop: (Expected Intern Learning Outcomes and Competencies)
- Learn how to identify and engage potential employer for student recruitment (Competencies: Professionalism, Communication, Leadership, & Critical Thinking)
- Enhance written and communication verbal skills through interaction with employers, students, and career team (Competencies: Communication & Teamwork)
- Develop skills in data entry, analysis, and reporting to support employer engagement strategies (Competencies: Technology & Critical Thinking)
- Develop the ability to build and maintain professional relationships with employers, students, and colleagues (Competencies: Professionalism, Teamwork, & Equity/Inclusion)
- Gain experience in handling inquiries and providing customer service to students and employers (Competencies: Technology, Communication, Professionalism, & AI)
Job Responsibilities of the Industry to Camps Connection Student Intern (Intern Responsibilities)
- Input and track employer engagements data, including event attendance and student placement information
- Assist in the planning and organizing of career fairs, networking events, and employer information session
- Promote employer-related events and opportunities to students through various communication channels.
- Respond to inquiries from employers from the Recruit USF email inbox
- Attend Industry to Campus Connection Team meetings
- Assist in reviewing and approving/declining job postings/employers
As an Industry to Campus Connection Student Intern (Internship Benefits, Qualification, Requirements)
- Will be reporting to Director of Industry to Campus Connection
- Someone who is motivated and a self-starter
- Student must be a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior
- Student must have Federal Work Study
- Can work up to 20 hours week
- Will be compensated $15 per hour
- Can serve in the Internship role for Fall Semester (Can continue to through Spring term)
Application process (Application Procedure)
- Student must apply through Handshake
- Student must submit a Resume
- Student must submit a Cover Letter
- Student must submit a copy of their Financial Aid Award Letter (Showing Federal Work Study)
- Student must apply prior to application closing on July 31st
- If selected for an interview, the interview will be
- Present to the Industry to Campus Connection on the subject of recruiting new employers
- Once presentation is concluded, will receive questions from the Industry to Campus Connection Team
- Once concluded, will meet one on one with Director of Industry to Campus Connection