How to Hire CLA Interns

CLA students are actively seeking ways to gain work experience through internships with employers in the Twin Cities and beyond.

CLA Internship Toolkit for Employers

Whether an experience is remote or in person, for academic credit or not, we offer CLA’s Internship Toolkit for Employers as a guide to creating successful internship experiences.

Remote Internships

Remote internships can provide meaningful learning opportunities for students. Consult our guide, Remote Internships: Tips for Success.

Micro Experiences

Micro experiences are short term experiences that give initial insight into a position or career of interest. They offer another way to provide meaningful experience, develop talent, and get work done.

Project-Based Experiences
Project-based micro experiences are short-term, professional assignments similar to those given to new hires. Unlike a traditional internship, these experiences range from 5 to 40 hours of work, take place year-round, and are most often offered remotely. Assignments can range from copywriting and market research, lead generation, and data cleanup to web updates and user testing.

The University of Minnesota offers two options for employers to post project based work opportunities. If you or someone in your organization is an alumni, post on Projects from the Maroon & Gold Network, the UMN’s online networking platform where you can connect exclusively with UMN students. Employers can also post projects on Parker Dewey, a third party vendor, open to college students across the nation.

Externships
An externship is an opportunity for students to engage in practice-based learning and observation in a specific field of interest. In its most simple form, it is the opportunity for students to shadow a more experienced professional in the industry. The duration of an externship is much shorter than that of an internship, typically occurring for about a week.

CLA Pre-Internship Projects

Pre-internship projects are professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. Projects are short-term (1 week) and are completed by a small team of students. Organizations will need to have a project concept and designate an industry expert mentor for the groups of students who are working on the projects. CLA staff offer extensive support throughout the project to ensure a mutually beneficial experience for students and employer partners. 

Learn more about Pre-Internship Projects and get connected by contacting Tonny Yang, Coordinator of Employer & Alumni Engagement at yang8949@umn.edu.