ABLE for Employers/Hosts

• Students apply to the ABLE program and are cleared academically to participate in an internship. During the work site internship experience, students must also complete a three credit hour internship class.
• Students entering internships do not always have professional work experience. You need to be willing to mentor students in professionalism, communication, and teamwork skills. Students may be unsure and will count on you to help them learn.
• Students may choose their internship from a database (Career Connections) of posted opportunities or students can create an internship experience using their own personal network. Internships registered with the ABLE Internship Program through the Perdue School of Business are posted on Career Connections for students to view and to apply.
• The selection of a student intern by a company will be very similar to the selection of an employee. Companies are encouraged to interview students and make an offer of an internship opportunity to the student of their choice.
• The ABLE program does not place students in internships. Students and organizations are encouraged to work together to develop an internship that best meets the needs of all involved. Students must find internships that are relevant to their individual majors.
• An email will be sent to prospective supervisors requesting they complete the employer/host portion of their student's internship application. The employer portion requires an electronic signature on the ABLE Internship Credit Agreement form and the student's learning goals. It's recommended you help students develop measurable goals for the internship. Also required is an appropriate job description which must be completed within the student's application.
• Note: Current students, SU or otherwise, may not supervise ABLE interns.
• If you have questions or concerns about an intern at any time during an internship experience, please contact The Director, Applied Business Learning Experience and or the student's professor immediately. Often, concerns or problems can be resolved quickly through ABLE staff and faculty intervention and coaching.

ABLE Interns:

• Will be at least a second semester junior already admitted to the upper division professional program in the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business.
• Will have completed pre-professional coursework with a minimum 2.6 GPA.
• Will have completed the following pre-professional coursework:
  • Principles of Accounting 1 and 2
  • Macro and Micro Economics
  • Micro Computer Use and Information Concepts for Management
  • Business Statistics
  • Financial Management
  • Principles of Marketing Management
  • Management and Organization Behavior
• Will have chosen one of the following majors, pursuing the appropriate coursework to complete their academic degree.
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Information Systems
  • International Business
  • Management
  • Marketing
• May have little experience in a professional environment. Reinforce professional behavior and cover the basics with them.
• Benefit from a well defined internship.
• Need guidance and open, positive communication with the internship supervisor.
• Will likely be from the Generation Z cohort (born after 1995). “Gen Zers” have a unique set of views about life and work. They are practical, focused and driven with an entrepreneurial spirit and profound knowledge of what is new and trending. Other characteristics typical of many Gen Zers include:
  • Strengths in multi-tasking and embracing change
  • More competitive than their Millennial counterparts
  • Expect personalization; believe workplace should conform to their needs
  • Prefers face-to-face communication
  • Values freedom and independence
  • Desires frequent feedback
  • True digital natives
  
  Sources:
  Ferguson, M. (2018, September 4). What companies need to know about Gen Z. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com.
  Patel, D. (2017, September 21). 8 Ways Generation Z will differ from millennials in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com.  
  Zubiate, B. (2019, October 4). How Generation Z is shaping the future workplace. Retrieved from http://www.educationatwork.org. 

ABLE Students Want:

• Real work!

  Interns want to work and learn! Provide interns with opportunities to gain real work experience allowing them to apply business knowledge learned in class. If you’ve brought on an intern as a recruitment tool, give the intern assignments that will allow you to assess their abilities as a future member of your team.

• Honesty!

  Be honest with your interns about what they can expect during the internship. If the job requires stuffing some envelopes, make that clear. But if you tell the intern she will be researching a project, and she spends 90% of her time doing "grunt work" bad feelings will develop. Honesty makes students feel respected.

• Feedback!

  Remember interns are students and may not have the business skills and experiences you take for granted. If your intern makes an oversight, pull him aside and explain how the situation should be handled in the future.

• To be included!

  Is there a staff meeting they can attend? Can they quietly tag along to a project meeting? Can they be included in staff luncheons? Including them in the daily life of your workplace helps students understand the work environment as a whole and how specific functions fit together within an organization.

• Explanations!

  When you assign work, make sure you give a detailed explanation. While the work may seem obvious to you, it may not be obvious to someone who’s never done it. With proper explanation, interns can produce good work independently.

• A mentor who has time to help!

  Make sure interns have a mentor or supervisor to provide guidance. Mentors should be someone who truly likes to teach to produce the best experience for the intern and the company. Remember, the best mentor in the world is useless if she can’t spend the necessary time mentoring. Mentors need to take time to regularly meet with interns to provide feedback.

• Structure!

  Taking a little time to plan for an intern before he arrives will not only help the intern feel wanted and respected but will allow the intern to begin work on a project immediately. Things to plan include both specific project and task assignments and physical needs such as providing a workstation or computer access. It is disheartening for a student to start an internship and learn there is no place for them to work.

Minimum requirements for internships:

1) 10 hours per week/10 consecutive weeks
2) A structured work/educational experience
3) Work in a professional setting with supervision
4) Approximately 80-90% of the job duties must be applicable to each student’s major.

ABLE Program Requirements:

As a company participant with the ABLE Internship Program you will be required to:

• Complete the employer/host portion of the student's online internship application upon request.
• While we do not expect participating organizations to be fully aware of academic calendars and deadlines, we ask participating organizations be conscientious in completing the necessary electronic paperwork (online application) and evaluations as requested by their intern.
• Provide students with projects and assignments that give them real work experience relevant to their major. The goal of an internship is to give students experiences that will help them when entering into a professional career.
• Assist with evaluating student's professional performance by completing a mid-semester and final performance evaluation. Evaluations are online. An email will be sent to site supervisors both at mid-term and also at the end of the semester. Please complete them promptly. The intern's grade is affected by the completion of these evaluations.
• ABLE students are evaluated and graded based on meeting or exceeding a series of competencies that the Perdue School has identified as important to our students' professional development. These competencies are built into intern performance evaluations.

Rules & Policies
Rules & Policies-effective May 2024

• Interning with/for family is prohibited. Supervisor cannot be related to the student in any way or be a close friend. A current student or a recent graduate, SU or otherwise, cannot supervise ABLE interns. Note: recent grad is defined as within the last 3 years.
• Online/virtual work or in a private residence are prohibited.
• For any business requiring a license [e.g. insurance, real estate], the license must be obtained prior to the internship.
• Company that the student is interning for must have at least five full-time employees who are not contractual or telecommuter.
• Internship cannot consist of door-to-door selling or pure cold calling.
• Internship at a restaurant is prohibited.
• Internship at an organization in which the student is currently working/interning or has previously worked/interned for is prohibited.
• Website of the company and supervisor’s company email address must be provided.
• Physical location of the internship must be provided.
• Internships at medical marijuana and CBD oil facilities are prohibited.
• The site supervisor must provide the school with a job description, by completing the ABLE template within the application.
• Note that the Business School does not provide retroactive credit, meaning a student cannot get credit for work/internship done prior to enrolling in a 490 (or MKTG 497) course.
• Internship at an organization in which the student is currently working/interning or has previously worked/interned for is prohibited.
• Internships at facilities where CBD oil, cannabis and other forms of THC (including medical marijuana) are prohibited.

Getting Started - What do I do?

1. Inventory what you have to offer and develop an internship job description.

   Some questions to consider are:

   • What projects can you offer an intern?
   • Can your work needs be flexible around a student class schedule?
   • Can you offer a least 100 hours of quality work experience?
   • Will the internship be paid or unpaid?
   • Who will be the internship supervisor?
   • Do you have space for the intern to work?
   • Will they need a phone?
   • Will they need web access?
2. Complete the Request an Intern form and have the internship opportunity posted in our campus database. Note: this is to recruit student interns! This form is not needed if you already have a student intern in mind.
3. Review applications and conduct interviews with interested students meeting your internship requirements.
4. Select a student intern.

   Once you have made your final selection, notify students immediately of the internship offer or that the internship has been filled. It is important to contact students promptly so they can meet registration deadlines or find an alternative internship if they are not selected.

5. Complete the employer section of the student's internship application.

   Initiating the online application is the responsibility of the student intern. However, a student can not register for the three credit internship course (ABLE) until his/her application is completed. As you complete the employer portion, you should negotiate and confirm internship start dates, finish dates, and hours to be worked each week. The minimum requirement is 10 hours per week for 10 consecutive weeks. You may also need to help students with developing internship goals and objectives. Please review the internship job description with your prospective intern.

6. During the course of the internship, complete student performance evaluations.

   As part of the learning experience for students, employers/hosts are asked to complete two performance evaluations during the course of an internship. The first evaluation should occur mid-semester. Employers are asked to share this evaluation with students to help them identify their strengths and improve on their weaknesses. Sharing this information with student mid-semester gives them the opportunity to self-correct any needed behaviors prior to the completion of the internship. Employers are also asked to complete a final evaluation at the end of the internship. These evaluations are included with other course assignments in the students final grade for the three credit class. An email will be sent from the ABLE office with the link needed to complete the student's evaluation. Each should be completed promptly in addition to sharing feedback with student interns.

First, review the minimum requirements for internships:

1. Ten (10) hours per week/10 consecutive weeks
2. A structured work/educational experience
3. Work in a professional setting with supervision
4. Approximately 80-90% of the job duties must be applicable to each student’s major

Please read all of the information listed on this page before completing the intern request form.

Methods for Posting and Advertising an Internship

• Complete the Request an Intern form to initiate the process for posting an internship opportunity in the Career Connections database which is accessible by all Salisbury University students. Note: request form is for recruiting students. It is not needed if an employer/host already has a student in mind.
• Offer to host an informational session on campus through career services, a student organization, or the ABLE office.
• Participate in career fairs held during the fall and spring semesters.
• Participate in the Business in the Atrium series during the fall and spring semesters.

I. Developing Internship Job Descriptions

• Work performed by an intern must be directly related to his/her coursework. Written documentation that the internship is educationally relevant must be completed prior to the start of the internship. Forms to complete this documentation are accessible via the student's internship application.
• The intern must be supervised by one of the company’s staff members who has agreed to complete student evaluation forms. This supervisor should enjoy students and be willing to be a mentor. Current students-SU or otherwise-may not supervise PSB ABLE interns.
• Successful internships are planned in advance and provide a structured learning opportunity allowing students to learn a skill, a process, or about a business or industry.
• employers/hosts should be specific about job duties and company expectations.
• Be flexible in scheduling start dates, finish dates and internship hours. Internship schedules need to work for the employer but also must accommodate a student's class schedule.
• Sometimes specific internships require specific majors. But whenever possible try to create an internship with open criteria. For example, ask for students interested in exploring aspects of marketing instead of asking for only a Marketing major. This could open the door for students of different majors that have skills that will fulfill the needs of a specific internship.
• Be aware that students registering for course credit have registration deadlines. Be prompt with your hiring decisions. Notify all students of your decisions as soon as possible.

II. Paid vs. Unpaid Internships

The Perdue School of Business does not award internship credit based on an internship being paid or unpaid. The decision to pay or not pay an intern is made by the employer. While seeking internship opportunities, students are counseled to apply to opportunities that will offer the best experience and address long-term goals and career objectives. Students are advised against applying to internships based primarily on pay. Likewise, students are encouraged to proceed with caution when accepting an unpaid internship requiring more hours than our minimum.

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS

When employers use unpaid interns, certain guidelines should be followed to conform to the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act applies to all employers, government, non-profit, and for-profit organizations.

Things to consider include:

• Unpaid interns can not legally be guaranteed a job upon completion of the internship. This ensures a company cannot require a person to work for free in order to get a job.
• An intern can not displace an existing worker or directly take on duties of a fired or laid-off employee. This ensures a regular worker will not be removed and duties re-assigned to an unpaid intern.
• Work assigned an intern should benefit the intern more than the company. Though not easily defined or enforced, the law intends an internship be a learning experience for the student and not a method for an organization to obtain unpaid labor.

Please consult your legal advisor if you have more detailed questions on these issues.

PAID INTERNSHIPS

Paid internship compensation can come in a variety of forms. Employers may provide:

• An hourly wage outlined at the onset of the internship,
• A weekly stipend to cover expenses such as parking, lunch, and driving expenses, or
• A predetermined payment based on a project completed to the employer's satisfaction.

“How much should I pay?”

Determine what you would pay a permanent employee to complete the assigned work, then:

• Pay the student a percentage of that wage
• Percentages range from 70% - 80%
• This formula ensures students are paid a fair wage for work performed while leaving the learning experience the central objective of the internship.
• Career Services may be able to provide guidance regarding pay. T: 410.543.6075

As an intern employer/host you will be asked to mentor and manage your intern. As part of managing your intern you will be asked to:

• Provide a meaningful, practical experience that utilizes the student's education.
• Provide sufficient supervision and make assignments appropriate to student's educational level.
• Evaluate student's performance half way through the internship. This performance appraisal may count toward the student's grade. The ABLE office staff will email you a mid-semester performance appraisal to complete. You should also share this appraisal with your student intern to provide feedback and to give your intern a chance to learn and self-correct prior to the end of the internship.
• Evaluate student intern's performance at the end of the internship. This performance appraisal will count toward the student's grade. The ABLE office staff will email you the final performance appraisal form at the end of the semester. You should also share this appraisal with your student intern to help the student understand his/her strengths and weakness, and summarize the value of the internship.

Performance Standards (Student Performance Appraisals)

The ABLE Program has developed and implemented five standards of quality that represent professional aspects of business performance; Professional Work Ethic, Professional Demeanor, Communication, Problem Solving, and Core Business Knowledge. To receive academic credit for an internship, students must have a performance evaluation, which includes these five standards, completed by their work site supervisor. This performance appraisal is a part of the students final grade and should be shared with students to help them learn more effectively.

Below are the five standards identified and their associated behaviors.

Standard: Professional Work Ethic - Exhibits a strong understanding of the value of work and fairness, balancing personal and professional life, integrity.

• Punctuality
• Engagement on the job
• Efficiency in your work
• Professional ethics

Standard: Professional Demeanor - Consistently demonstrates respect, responsiveness, and professionalism with colleagues, subordinates, and supervisors from all backgrounds and levels.

• Professional Dress
• Professional Attitude
• Courtesy
• Teamwork

Standard: Communication - Ensures key issues are addressed and important information is shared quickly and effectively

• Listening skills
• Writing skills
• Verbal interactions
• Electronic communication
• Technology usage

Standard: Problem Solving - Demonstrates critical thinking and ability to generate feasible solutions to business problems

• Identifying the problem
• Gathering information
• Analyzing information
• Recommending solutions

Standard: Core Business Knowledge - Demonstrates knowledge of core business concepts in the functional areas of business

• Understand the customers
• Understand the revenue source
• Recognize the role of the intern (human contribution)
• Organizational understanding
• Knowledge Foundation

If you have any questions about student performance standards or questions about how to evaluate your student intern, please contact The Director, Applied Business Learning Experience.

What is an Internship?

All business students are required to complete an Applied Business Learning Experience as a part of their undergraduate degree. An internship is an on-site learning experience in a work setting that is related to a student’s particular major and personal interests.

Students receiving credit for their internship experience will need to work at least 10 hours per week for 10 weeks during the semester, a minimum of 100 hours, of on-site work experience which must be completed at the same time students are working on-site with an employer/host.

Occasionally, supervising faculty or the ABLE staff may request to visit an intern's work-site and meet with the intern's immediate site supervisor. On-site visits help increase the quality of the ABLE program, help staff and faculty understand the changing needs of our business partners, and may help increase the productivity of the student intern.

Who are the student interns?

Interns that are a part of the ABLE Internship program will be students at least in their junior year. These students will have decided upon a business major and are pursuing the appropriate coursework to complete their academic degree. Majors in the Perdue School of Business are Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, and Marketing.

Some students will have previous work experience and others will not. Previous work experience is not a requirement for program enrollment. The purpose of the program is to provide work experience within a particular field of study to the student. This program is designed to help the student transfer academic skills to real world experiences.

Will this program work for my company?

Each company is unique and each internship is different. The internship can include routine operations, special projects or a combination of both. To be sure your internship experience will be successful, you should do a little planning before your intern arrives. Determine what you need and what you can reasonably expect from a student intern. Examples of how an intern can help are the creation of customer surveys, customer service audits, policy and procedure manuals, updating of operating procedures, research or current systems available, cost analysis, feasibility studies, or other tasks or projects related to a business major. You will also need to provide any necessary physical accommodations for students entering your workplace, such as a workstation and or access to a computer.

When can I get an intern for my company?

ABLE Interns are available during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students are to begin their internships within the first 2 weeks of the semester. Internships for credit generally occur during one of the following:

• September through mid-December (Fall)
• Late January through mid-May (Spring)
• Late May/early June through August (Summer)

Students may agree to perform internship duties outside of these time periods but only internship hours completed during the recognized fall, spring, and summer semesters will count toward the student's internship credit requirement.

A student and an employer negotiate the exact start and finish dates around the company's needs and the student's schedule. The student intern's work schedule should be decided when the company and the student sign the ABLE Internship Credit Agreement form.

The ABLE Internship Program does not place students in internships and therefore cannot guarantee an intern is available when one is requested. ABLE affiliate companies and associated internships will be advertised within the Perdue School of Business using the Career Services Department's on-line postings. Other options for providing additional advertising of internships to students may be available upon request. For more information about additional advertising, contact the ABLE office.

What is the process for getting an intern?

Companies requesting an intern need to submit a completed intern request form to the ABLE office. When requesting an intern please be as specific as possible about your internship position. Once company internship opportunities are posted:

• Students apply directly to your organization with a cover letter, if requested, and resume.
• Companies contact students directly to schedule an interview and to select the best candidate. Once you have made an offer directly to the student and the student has accepted, contact other candidates to inform them of your selection. This is important so students are not waiting on an internship that will not occur.

Do I pay a student for an internship?

An internship can be paid or unpaid. The decision to pay or not pay an intern belongs to the company offering the position but keep in mind, while students are strongly advised not to accept an internship based solely on whether or not it is paid, students do have many expenses and may sometimes gravitate toward paid internships. Students receive credit for an internship without regard to an employer's decision to pay or to not pay an intern.

What's involved in evaluating my intern?

As an internship site supervisor you will be asked to assist faculty with monitoring the student's internship experience by completing two student intern evaluation forms, a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation. Evaluations are used to identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses for student self-evaluation and self-correction. They are also incorporated into a student's final grade.

The following job descriptions have been approved by the specific department chairs for past interns.

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Information Systems
• International Business
• Management
• Marketing

The following job descriptions were DENIED by the specific department chairs due to lack of information or irrelevant responsibilities for that major.

• Accounting
• Management

If you are interested in posting an internship opportunity for the Business students at The Perdue School of Business for the current academic year, please take a few moments to complete the form below.

• Internship Request Form
• Internship must be at least ten hours a week for ten consecutive weeks.
• Internship must be in a professional setting with supervision.
• 80% to 90% of work completed during the internship must relate to student's major.

Click to view the Online Student Application for Employers/Hosts Tutorial.

Click on the image of the training video you wish to view:

• WELCOME TO A.B.L.E.
• FIRST FEW WEEKS
• SUPERVISING YOUR INTERN
• EVALUATING YOUR INTERN
• EXIT INTERVIEWS