Facts you should know about Professional Practice

Internship/cooperative education opportunities can be advertised on eRecruiting. The Illinois State University Career Center encourages employers to post available internships and cooperative education experiences or to search for appropriate candidates through the use of this Web-based recruiting system.
Financial assistance through specialized grants may be available to assist in funding a student at your site.
Internships/cooperative education experiences do not require an employer to pay for room and board.

Internships

Consider the benefits of offering an internship or cooperative education experience at your work site.

Why offer an Internship?

Internships have become a crucial element in educational training and personal development. As competition for jobs increase, it will become even more important for students to seek internship opportunities to market themselves to you as a potential employer. Internships can provide the competitive edge that will set students apart from other candidates by providing the practical work experience needed to be successful. When students complete one or more internship, it is an indicator to you as an employer that they have gained exposure to the professional world. Just as important, an internship helps students to build the professional interpersonal skills necessary for success in the job market.

What is an internship/professional practice at Illinois State University?

Professional Practice consists of one or more credit-generating, academic/career related, paid or unpaid work experiences. Professional Practice work sites are located on the Illinois State University campus and with businesses, governmental and other agencies and organizations outside the University.
What exactly is an “internship”?

It is a professionally monitored work or service experience for students that provides intentional learning goals and reflects actively on the learning experience. An internship may be part-time or full- time and, as noted above, may be paid or unpaid.

Internships and cooperative education experiences are a great business (and non-profit) practice, as they allow you to provide students an opportunity to integrate their classroom study within a real-world work environment. In addition to benefiting students, employers who offer these experiences can benefit their organizations through the following advantages:

Ability to screen and work with potential entry-level employees prior to making a full-time employment commitment
Reduced turnover and training costs
Gaining an energetic, enthusiastic, and proficient new candidate pool
Improving the company bottom line (They cost less)
Create a positive view of your organization in the community and on-campus
Increased campus presence, as the students who work for your organization can serve as ideal spokespersons for your organization in front of their peers and faculty members