Recruiting at James Madison University offers employers access to a talented, diverse, and highly motivated pool of students ready to contribute to their organizations. JMU is consistently ranked for its academic excellence across various disciplines. The university offers highly regarded programs in fields such as business, health sciences, education, engineering, communications, and the arts. Students graduate with a strong foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills that make them ready for success in the workforce.
JMU emphasizes experiential learning, with many students gaining practical experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. Employers benefit from recruiting students who have real-world skills and are accustomed to applying classroom knowledge in professional settings. Students at JMU are known for their dedication to making a positive impact both professionally and personally. Many students are passionate about giving back to their communities and bring this same commitment and drive into their careers. Employers who recruit from JMU are likely to find motivated individuals who are eager to add value to their teams.
According to National Association of Colleges and Employers, an internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting (across in-person, remote, or hybrid modalities). Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore career fields, and make connections in professional fields. In addition, internships serve as a significant recruiting mechanism for employers, providing them with the opportunity to guide and evaluate potential candidates.
As you look to create an internship or structured, short-term work experience designed to give students or early-career professionals hands-on exposure to a particular industry or role, you should consider the following steps in creating a program.
- Define Objectives: Decide what you want to achieve with the internship program (e.g., fostering talent, completing specific projects).
- Outline the Role: Develop a job description, including tasks, skills required, and learning outcomes.
- Identify Supervisors: Choose someone experienced to mentor and support the intern.
- Determine Duration: Set a reasonable timeframe, such as 8–12 weeks, that aligns with the academic calendar or the project's scope.
- Plan Compensation: Decide on pay or stipends, if applicable, and ensure compliance with labor laws.
- Recruit Candidates: Partner with schools, career centers, or online platforms to find suitable interns.
- Evaluate and Improve: Gather feedback from interns to refine and enhance the program for the future.
An internship can be a win-win arrangement, offering value to both the intern and your organization while contributing to industry growth and innovation.
V-TOP has created a series of online, self-paced modules for employers that review the best practices for developing an internship program. Each of the modules offers fundamentals for getting started, time-saving resources, and strategies for successfully developing and implementing an internship program. The modules are a free resource for employers but modules 2, 3, 6, and 7 are required for any employer wishing to utilize the staffing agency services or receive matching funds.
Developing an Internship Program
To navigate the platform, follow these short instructions to learn more.
V-TOP also offers a Virginia Employer Readiness Toolkit which serves as a guide for employers across the Commonwealth to either improve their current work-based learning program or launch a new program.
We support the National Association of Colleges and Employers on internships. View our Recruiting Policies for policies regarding internships.
We encourage employers to offer students paid internships. Some organizations routinely offer unpaid internships only, and they must meet the Fair Labor Standards Act criteria. Unpaid internships limit your applicant pool; though all internship offer students experience, provide a paid internship makes your opportunity competitive and increases the number of applicants. If you're interested in learning more about the impacts of Unpaid Internships, NACE has a collected data on them and their statements can be found here: https://naceweb.org/unpaid
What is The Fair Labor Standards Act?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law under the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the United States Department of Labor. This law includes standards for private sector employers in regard to internships.
If you are a for-profit employer offering an unpaid internship, you must meet the following criteria outlined by the FLSA:
- The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
- The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
- The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
- The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and the employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship. (Source: WHD Fact Sheet #71)
Most students at JMU can receive credit for an internship, though the majority of students are not required by their major to complete an internship for credit. Students must pay for internship credit(s) like they pay for other academic courses; therefore, offering students the ability to use the internship for credit hours, if applicable to their major, is not equal to paying them and should not be viewed as an incentive. You may contact an internship coordinator in the department from which you hope to hire an intern for more information.
What is the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement?
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an established agreement regarding student participation in out-of-state internships and other educational courses for academic credit. Member states join SARA, while colleges and universities operate under SARA, and follow its nationwide policies and standards on accredited internships.
How Does SARA Relate to JMU Students’ Internships?
James Madison University joined SARA in June 2015 and implemented SARA’s regulations for accredited internships in spring 2016. JMU students may now intern in other member states of SARA for credit.
How Does SARA Impact Employers Hoping to Hire JMU Interns?
An employer’s headquarters must be located within a member state of SARA in order for their JMU student intern to receive credit. If an employer’s headquarters is not located in a participating state, their JMU student intern may not receive credit. See the JMU and State Authorization website for a current list of participating states.
While all JMU students are encouraged to participate in an internship, students that need an internship for completion of their academic program requirements may seek out employers located within member states.
Questions?
- Please visit the JMU Office of the Provost’s website on JMU and State Authorization for more information.
Posting your internship on Handshake is the best way to connect JMU students with your internship opportunities. The following are tips for a successful internship posting that appeals to JMU students:
- Select “Internship – Paid” or “Internship – Unpaid.” This must be one or the other, as students want to know if they will be paid or not. Keep in mind the information above, which explains that offering internship credit hours does not equal paying students, as they would in turn be paying for the internship credits. Our office encourages employers to pay students for their internship work.
- Provide a detailed internship description. List as much information about the internship as possible, especially the internship tasks and if the internship is in the fall, spring, or summer. By doing so, students will have a better understanding of your opportunity and will more likely apply.
- List the compensation in the “Salary” section. If an internship is paid, students will take this information into account. They also may be deterred to apply if the salary is not provided, when the internship is listed as paid.
- Include the internship location. Location is a major factor that students take into account when searching for internship opportunities. Indicate whether the position is open to remote or hybrid work for students. As students will intern in and around Harrisonburg, VA during the academic year, but in the summer, students are open to internships elsewhere.
Our office can assist you in promoting your internship to JMU students, just simply request a consultation with our staff to discuss best ways of reaching JMU students.
Our UCC Media Team provide direct marketing support for our employer partners, click here to learn more about the UCC Partners Program.
If you have any questions about internships, please don't hesitate to contact our Employer Services unit at handshake@jmu.edu.
