Micro-Internships Help Students Gain Career Experience Remotely
The Center for Career Development has launched a program to connect students with project-based work opportunities during the summer.
A turbulent economy and stay-at-home orders have caused many U.S. companies to cut back on staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many Manhattan College students, this has translated to canceled summer internships. To mitigate the loss, the Center for Career Development has launched a micro-internship program to connect students with shorter term experiences relevant to their intended fields.
“Though many students lost their summer internships, we know that many companies still need their skills and expertise. Through the Manhattan College micro-internship program, we are giving employers the option to create smaller, project-based opportunities for our students, which for many, is easier to accommodate. Best yet, our students still get to have a summer experience and learning opportunity,” says Rachel Cirelli, director of career development.
So far, nine students have been placed with micro-internships. Depending on their major, assignments may include website design, social media content creation, Excel, accounting, finance and Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and Revit drawings for engineers.
All micro-internships are fewer than 120 hours, which are determined by the time necessary to complete a specific project. For instance, posting to social media or writing a newsletter might have a student logging 7-8 hours per week through the summer, whereas a lengthy data report might require 30-40 hours during a two-week period. To supplement the full internship experience that students would normally get in an office, Career Development is offering weekly virtual professional development seminars, which micro-interns are required to attend.
If you are a Manhattan College alumni or friend, or have a career professional in your network with business needs this summer, contact Rachel Cirelli at rcirelli01@manhattan.edu. This program allows you to find short-term help for a range of needs, while also providing our students with valuable professional experiences.