Student Information

Find your internship at http://hire.unlv.edu

UNLV Career Services Internship HOTlist  (pdf)

Internship Requirements

1. Fully admitted major in the School of Journalism.
2. Junior standing
3. 3.0 or higher grade point average at UNLV
4. Appropriate course work to prepare you for employment. (See the internship coordinator if you aren’t sure)
5. Application filled out and signed by student, employer and internship coordinator.

• Internship Application (.doc)

Internship Credit Requirements

1. Register with CareerLink, http://hire.unlv.edu
2. Work 150 hours during the semester
3. Attendance at three mandatory class meetings
4. Provide bi-weekly e-mail reports
5. Satisfactory evaluation from employer
6. Final project and oral report

Tips for Students

Step 1 Find a job
This step is easier and harder than it sounds.  Check for job openings posted on the Internship bulletin board in the Journalism office.  Check the Career Services Web site at http://hire.unlv.edu for positions listed there.  You can also post your resume so employers can find you but don’t count on it.  Perform an active job search.  Cold call some companies you would like to work for and ask if internships are available.  Ask your friends, family, professors; anyone who might have an idea or a lead.  You will need:  A resume, a cover letter, work samples and one professional “interview” outfit.

Step 2 Fill out Application
Internship applications are available in the Journalism office (in the wooden forms holder).  And on this Web site. Once you have been hired, fill out and sign the student side of your application and have your new employer fill out and sign the employer section.

HINT: If your employer has never hired UNLV interns before, you might want to check with the internship coordinator before accepting the job.

Step 3 Get Approval
Have the journalism school internship coordinator (Kathy Espin, 895-5126) sign the form approving your internship.  At that time, you will receive a call number for registering in the internship class.  You will also receive instructions on the requirements to receive academic credit for your work.

Step 4 Register
Register for JOUR 499 using the call number you will receive. You and your employer also need to register with UNLV Career Services if you haven’t already done so.  That site again is http://hire.unlv.edu.

QUESTIONS? See Kathy Espin, CDC 923, or e-mail Kathy.espin@unlv.edu or call 895-5126.

Employer Information

Register your internship at http://hire.unlv.edu

Tips for Employers

Internships give university students a valuable opportunity to expand on knowledge acquired in the classroom and employers a chance to identify and groom future employees. A little planning and a good bit of supervision can result in a profitable experience for both the employer and the student.

How to Set up an Internship

1. Determine what job you want an intern to fill.
   Internships should provide valuable work experience for students. The work should go beyond minor clerical work or errand-running. The idea is to prepare students for their first jobs after college.
2. Establish a pay rate.
   There are far more requests for interns than qualified students to fill them.  Offering an hourly wage will make your position more competitive.
3. Appoint an internship coordinator within your organization.
   The students need a mentor to teach them how to perform the required work and supervise their performance. This person also will oversee record-keeping of hours worked and evaluate the student’s performance.
4. Post the available position on the UNLV CareerLink Web site, http://hire.unlv.edu. FOR ASSISTANCE OR MORE INFORMATION ON CareerLink, call Paul Carpino at (702) 895-0612.
   Register and list your position as an “academic internship” indicating that the job will award academic credit. Include as many details as possible about the expectations and job duties. The resumes of students interested in an internship are also available on the site.
5. Contact the internship coordinator at Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies.
   You and the journalism school representative will discuss criteria for the internship, what the requirements will be and how the students will be evaluated. To promote your internship, you might want to provide a flyer to post in the JMS offices.
6. Accept applications and interview potential employees.
   The interview is an important part of the learning process. Make sure the student you hire has the personal and professional qualifications needed for the position.  Please do not assume that any UNLV student who applies is qualified. We do not recruit or prescreen students for your position.
7. Evaluate the student
   At the end of the semester, you will receive an evaluation form from CareerLink.  Please provide an honest and complete evaluation. It is THE most important part of the process.  A verbal evaluation with the student would also be valuable.
   The student will be required to make a presentation before faculty and fellow students on the internship. We would be honored to have someone from your organization attend that presentation.

Things you need to know

• Interns are required to work 150 hours during a semester or over the summer

• Semesters run from the end of August to the first week of December and from the end of January to the first week of May.  Summer sessions run from mid-May to mid-August.

• Interns receive three credit hours for internships.

• Internship credits are pass/fail.  No letter grade is awarded.

• Interns meet regularly with the journalism school internship coordinator.  Feel free to notify the coordinator of any special instruction or tutoring your intern might need.

• Contact the internship coordinator immediately in the case of any unprofessional or disruptive behavior. Many of our students are young but they are still expected to conduct themselves as adults. Require the students to maintain the same standards you do any employee including regular attendance, promptness, professional appearance, respectful and courteous behavior. You will do the student no favor by accepting anything less.

• Pay for internships is not required.  However, many of our students work to support themselves and compensation makes it easier for them to participate in the internship program.

 
Contact:           Kathy Espin                  Kathy.espin@unlv.edu      (702) 895-5126