INTERNSHIPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
CSEL helps connect students with a diverse set of organizations and leaders to help them: identify or clarify their interests; develop positive professional skill sets; gain confidence and leadership skills; gain a better understanding of course material; gain credit hours towards graduation; and gain a better understanding of their community.
These connections benefits public and private organizations in the state of New Mexico as well. They provide an opportunity to train and mentor the next generation of business and policy leaders. The connections between students and future employers may help alleviate “brain drain,” or the tendency for individuals to leave one state for another in search of better opportunities. It will also help organizations provide essential social and economic services by connecting them with UNM students who possess wide skillsets.
Step 1: Submit a brief job description
For example, what does the internship entail? What will be the intern’s responsibilities? Are there any minimum or preferred qualifications for the internship? How many hours per week will the intern be working? And so on…
Step 2: contribute funding for the position
A goal of UNM CSEL will be to provide as many paid internships as possible, preferably at a competitive hourly wage commensurate with job expectations and required experience. The primary funding sources will be grants from public (e.g. Governmental agencies, non-profits) and private (e.g. corporate partners) organizations.
One of the advantages of this funding structure is that it will allow internship providers to pay students directly without incurring the typical costs associated with hiring (e.g. payroll taxes, benefits, etc.). Instead, companies would send a tax-exempt donation to CSEL who, in turn, would pay the intern an established wage.
These wages would be set by CSEL and would be consistent across all intern opportunities (eliminating any wage competition between internships). All wages will be above the “living wage” and consistent with what UNM pays undergraduate and graduate assistants. In the end, we expect this method to represent a ??% savings to private donors relative to hiring their own intern/employee.
Step 3: Review applications and choose your intern
Who to hire is entirely up to you. CSEL is happy to help anyway we can throughout the process. Interns should be chosen and notified before the semester starts.
Step 4: begin the internship
Internship will begin at the start of UNM’s fall and spring semesters, and will run for the entirety of the 16-week semester. Interns are required to participate in a one-hour professionalism seminar through CSEL in the first week of the internship. At the end of the semester, interns and internship providers will be asked to submit an evaluation to CSEL that reflects on the experience. Among other things, CSEL will use this feedback to improve the program
Feel free to contact CSEL anytime for assistance. We are here to help!