Internships and Recruitment at Loyola

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers(NACE), internships can be defined as a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skill development in a professional setting. Interns should be given significant work to do for the organization, with minimal hours of tasks such as filing and copying. This expectation differs from a part-time hire who is paid for performing whatever tasks the employer assigns, menial or not.

Before hiring an intern, it is important to identify what specific type of work needs to be completed. This will help you better identify the type of position for which you should be hiring. All internships, including virtual internships, must clearly meet the criteria set forth by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (Updated May 2023):

• The internship experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience applying the knowledge gained in the classroom.
• The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
• The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
• There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic coursework.
• There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background.
• There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
• There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Some experiences do NOT qualify as an internship:

• Positions that displace a regular employee.
• Position that are 100 percent commission-based.
• Positions that require door-to-door canvassing, cold-calling, telemarketing, or petition gathering as the primary activity.
• "Independent contractor" relationships that require the intern to set up his/her own business to sell products, services and/or recruiting other individuals to set up their own business.
• Positions in which the student is required to pay the employer for any part of the experience (e.g., fees for training).

NOTE: The list above is not exhaustive and Loyola University Chicago reserves the right to deny any internship that raises a concern with faculty or staff members.

A job description helps students to learn about your organization and the available opportunity. There are several sections to a job description. Here are sample sections and tips for completing the sections.

Job Title
Examples: Marketing Intern, Research Intern, or Museum Acquisitions Intern

Position Type
You will likely want to select Internship – Paid or Internship - Unpaid

Internship Learning Goals
Describe the skills or knowledge learned that will be transferrable to other employment settings.  How will the internship experience relate to the professional goals of the intern?

Job Description
Describe your organization’s mission and what your organization does (you can copy from your website).  You might mention who will supervise the intern. This is your chance to get the student excited about working with your organization. Describe projects or other tasks which the intern will do.

Examples:

• Research trends in healthcare
• Assist other staff with presentations for clients
• Participate in team meetings and brainstorming sessions

Job Function
What area(s) should the student be studying and/or have knowledge in to perform the internship?

Number of Openings
Please indicate how many positions you have available for this specific job

Qualifications
Specific knowledge, skills, and qualities expected/desired

Examples:

• Excellent oral, written, and communication/presentation skills
• An interest in ________ (fill in any job-related interests)
• Preferred GPA, academic major, degree
• Language skills

Hours per week/Days/Times
(morning, afternoon, evening)

Internship Duration
(Loyola’s academic semester is 15 weeks)

Compensation Details
Examples: Paid (hourly rate), unpaid, stipend, other

Resume Receipt
How would you like applications to get to you?

• Email: Sends you an email when a student applies with application materials.
• Accumulate online: Applications will be stored online and you can download them from Handshake.
• Other (enter below): Indicate how you would like students to submit applications.

Ideally, the internship search begins two to three months before the interns are needed. The best starting point is to evaluate your need for an intern and to select the specific projects or tasks that need to be done. Decide who will be the supervisor of the intern and work with the supervisor to identify the skills needed to be successsful.

The internship description should include:

• Description of your organization
• Description of the project or tasks to be assigned to the intern
• Preferred skills
• Required skills
• Learning goals/objectives
• Work days and hours
• Pay or stipend
• Transportation options to work site
• What documents are needed to apply (i.e. cover letter, resume, writing sample, unofficial transcript, media portfolio)
• How to apply
• Start and end date of the internship
• Housing availability or assistance with finding lodging

It is always better to prepare a thorough internship description rather than a brief one. As submitted resumes are received, interviews can begin. Interviews can be conducted on campus, over the phone, or at the organization site. Please keep the applicants informed as to your time frame in making the decision to hire.

To attract the best Loyola talent, please make sure to post the position on Handshake.

Private sector employers need to be familiar with the United States Department of Labor guidelines for legally offering unpaid internships, as most opportunities are actually employment that requires payment. A fact sheet produced by the United States Department of Labor provides general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Loyola University Chicago supports the National Society for Experiential Education’s position regarding paid and unpaid internships:

... to favor paid work positions for students whenever pay can be arranged in work environments that have the potential for meeting the student's goals …Credit is for what students learn; pay is for what they provide to the field sponsor. The two are neither mutually exclusive nor conflicting … (National Society for Experiential Education, 2011)

At Loyola University Chicago, an academic internship connects the internship experience to an academic course in the student’s major or an area of interest. Students must register for an academic internship course in order to receive academic credit for an internship at Loyola.  Since enrolling in a course has implications for the student’s course load, and sometime, tuition costs, the academic internship process is driven by the student’s interest. A student may or may not elect to receive academic credit for the internship. If a student wants academic credit for the internship, it is up to the student to establish this through enrolling in an academic internship course. For more information about the employer’s role in academic internships, please contact the Center For Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship. There should be little difference in the experience between students who receive credit and students who do not. In most cases, an agreement form and evaluation is required for the credit-seeking student. In fact, we recommend the completion of both whether the student receives credit or not.

It is at the discretion of the student’s faculty internship coordinator to determine if an internship is credit-bearing. The faculty coordinator also will give the student his/her final grade. Students can be paid while still receiving credit. (see more details concerning compensation in the next question)

If you are open to a student receiving academic credit for your internship position and if the student chooses to pursue academic credit the opportunity, the timing of your position recruitment in relation to Loyola University Chicago’s academic calendar becomes important. In order to successfully secure a student that is looking to complete an internship for academic credit, it is important to post your position with Handshake at an appropriate time. Many students will begin their academic internship search around class registration time, which can be three to five months before the start of the semester. You can find the exact registration dates (along with breaks and exams) on the Academic Calendars and Schedules website.

Right of Refusal

Loyola University Chicago reserves the right to terminate or refuse the participation of any organization in our recruiting activities, Handshake system, or website links. Reasons may include misrepresentation by providing dishonest information or absence of information, complaints by students/alumni, or evidence of practices of discrimination or racism in the workplace. In addition, the career services staff and Loyola administration reserve the right to remove organizations or job postings that are not a good fit with the Jesuit mission and/or provide any risk to a student's personal or financial well-being.

Compensation

Private sector for-profit employers comply with the United States Department of Labor guidelines regarding compensation. See the DOL’s Fair Labor Standards Act for details.

Compensation details must clearly state if position is 100% commission; base salary if it is partially commission-based, or be clear how the participant will be compensated.

In addition, the following note will be added to commission-based positions posted in the Handshake system:

Career Services Note
As with all employment situations, candidates should thoroughly research an employment opportunity prior to signing a legally binding contract. All contracts should be reviewed very carefully. If you have any questions about a contract, do not sign it until you have discussed it with another knowledgeable party.

“Blind” Position Postings

“Blind postings” are not accepted in Handshake. All jobs, internships, and other positions must be listed under the name of the employer. If you are a third-party organization posting a position, please review the specific policies for Third-Party Recruiters below.

Email

Employers must use valid contact information, including an organizational email account when registering for a Handshake account. Use of a personal email (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) may cause a delay or rejection. Please call 773.508.7716 with any questions.

Franchise, Independent Contractor, Multi-Level Marketing

Employers may not post job or internship opportunities that require students to purchase or rent any type of presentation or sales material/supplies, or pay a fee for training or placement.

We will not accept any positions that would require fines or fees for early termination of an employment contract.

A multi-level plan type organization must ensure than any representations about compensation are clearly stated, including different levels of earnings or compensation received by participants, amount earned by a typical entry-level participant, and time/effort required to reach specific levels of income.

Internships

Internships are "real world" work experience that offer guidance and supervision by a trained professional to students or recent graduates seeking to apply classroom learning and skills. Interns can provide enthusiastic, willing assistance to your business or non-profit, fresh ideas, and the latest trends in technology. They can also increase your visibility and reputation on the Loyola campus. Sponsoring an intern is a great way to give back to your community, evaluate a potential employee, and gain assistance with special projects. Employers may not post job or internship opportunities that require students to purchase or rent any type of presentation or sales material/supplies, or pay a fee for training or placement.

• Paid Internships
  • It is strongly preferred that organizations pay interns for work performed.
  • Private sector employers need to be familiar with the United States Department of Labor guidelines for legally offering unpaid internships, as most opportunities are actually employment that requires payment. This fact sheet produced by the United States Department of Labor provides general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Unpaid Internships
  • If an internship is unpaid, the position description must include clearly stated learning objectives or outcomes that a participant may reasonably expect to achieve from the experience.
  • To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) definition, all the following criteria must be met:
  • As with all employment situations, candidates should thoroughly research an employment opportunity prior to signing a legally binding contract. All contracts should be reviewed very carefully. If you have any questions about a contract, do not sign it until you have discussed it with another knowledgeable party.

Career Center Note
The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

• Academic Internships
  • In order for a Loyola University Chicago student to receive academic credit for an internship, the internship site and internship position description must be approved by a university faculty/instructor, prior to the student being granted “academic credit” for an internship experience. Note: Each academic department’s internship program has specific guidelines and requirements which the student must review with the faculty/instructor.

Examples of experiences that do NOT qualified as internships

• Positions that displace a regular employee.
• Positions that are 100 percent commission-based.
• Positions that require door-to-door canvassing, cold-calling, telemarketing, or petition gathering as the primary activity.
• "Independent contractor" relationships that require the intern to set up his/her own business to sell products, services and/or recruiting other individuals to set up their own business.
• Positions in which the student is required to pay the employer for any part of the experience (e.g., fees for training).

Non-Discrimination Policies

Loyola University Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Each candidate shall be considered on the basis of qualifications, without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disabilities, sexual orientation, or veteran status. All recruiters must comply with the nondiscrimination requirements of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) standards, and State of Illinois employment laws.

Political Activities

Loyola University Chicago facilities and resources may not be used by or on behalf of an outside organization or individual whose purpose is to further the cause of a particular candidate or political party. For example, a meeting on campus with an organizer for a particular candidate that is focused upon recruiting students as campaign workers for that candidate would be prohibited.

Such organizations:

• May attend career fairs recruiting interns, employees or volunteers, but no campaign activity may be conducted and no campaign literature may be included on their table.
• May post positions in Handshake to recruit interns, employees or volunteers, but no campaign activity may be included in the posting.
• May not staff information tables in campus buildings.
• May not host on-campus "information sessions."

Career Services will not reserve information tables or arrange information sessions or other events for political campaign organizations.

Pre-Employment Testing

Any pre-employment tests administered on campus must meet our Non-Discrimination Policies (above).

Professional Conduct

Loyola University Career Services  requires that recruiting organizations adhere to and refer to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Professional Conduct for Career Services Employment Professionals.

Third Party Policy

In accordance with NACE Principles for Professional Conduct for Career Services and Employment Professionals, Third-Party Recruiters are defined as"agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs." Organizations or individuals recruiting services for a fee must post all positions under their own organization or agency name, rather than that of their client.

Examples of Third-Party Recruiters

• Employment Agencies: Entities which list positions for a number of employers and receive payment when a candidate they have referred is hired. The fee for listing a position should be paid by the employer with the opening.
• Search Firms: Entities that contract with a client to find and screen candidates to fill a specific position. The fee for this service is paid by the client employer.
• Contract Recruiter: Organizations that contract with an employer to act as the employer's agent in the recruiting and employment function.
• Resume Referral Firms: Organizations that collect data on job seekers that is provided to prospective employers.
• Temporary Agencies: Organizations that contract to provide individuals qualified to perform specific tasks or complete specific projects for a client organization. Individuals perform work at the client organization, but are employed and paid by the agency.

Unique Job Qualifications

Information in the Job Qualifications field of a job posting (e.g., must be over 21, valid driver's license, CPR, etc.)

Work Authorization

Loyola Career Services no longer permits the use of work authorization, visa status or citizenship data in Handshake. This action is in compliance with a U.S. Department of Justice determination. More information can be found at Department of Justice.

Examples of experiences that do NOT qualify as internships:

• Positions that displace a regular employee.
• Positions that are 100 percent commission-based.
• Positions that require door-to-door canvassing, cold-calling, telemarketing, or petition gathering as the primary activity.
• “Independent contractor” relationships that require the intern to set up his/her own business to sell products, services and/or recruiting other individuals to set up their own business.
• Positions in which the student is required to pay the employer for any part of the experience (e.g., fees for training).

Loyola University Chicago Resources:

• Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship
• LUC Academic Calendars

 Additional Resources:

• 15 Best Practices for Internship Programs
• Organizational Audit for Internship Programs
• Fair Labor Standards Act