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US Employer Guide

Brown students

In addition to their outstanding intellectual credentials, Brown students are known for their creativity and initiative. They view the world through a lens of possibility and opportunity to improve the world they encounter. Past employers of Brown students praise the way Brown students blend their knowledge and ideas with tireless energy and a strong work ethic to re-imagine problems and execute assignments.

Benefit to you

Interns from Brown will bring to your organization an eagerness to learn and a fresh perspective. They will be effective and diligent members of your team, taking on specific summer-long projects or assisting your staff with any assignment. Brown students are motivated to become productive members of your organization while producing excellent work during their internship.

Process for creating an internship

Step 1: Define specifics

  • Start and end date, as well as length of position - Summer internships are generally 8-12 weeks. Note that the duration of the internship should be sufficient for your students to achieve expected outcomes.
  • Compensation - Internship pay varies depending on the industry and location of the opportunity. The Center for Career Exploration recommends that employers consult with NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) guidelines for suggested intern pay. Unpaid Brown internships at for- profit organizations should be consistent with the six criteria for internships defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Training and supervision - Identify a manager who will provide appropriate training and supervision for your intern.
  • Hours and workplace - A workstation and system for keeping track of hours worked should be defined prior to the internship start date.
  • Nature of the work - Ensure the intern will work in a professional setting while performing tasks conducive to his/her education.
  • Work environment - Provide a safe workplace free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Employers should consult the US Department of Labor for guidelines on equal opportunity in employment.

Step 2: Post your position, market to students, and conduct interviews

  • Connect with the Center for Career Exploration - Begin by completing the BrownConnect Internship Form. Center for Career Exploration staff will follow up to help with the development of your opportunity and to ensure it is quickly posted to our Job and Internship Board.
  • Promote your opportunity - The Center for Career Exploration's employer relations team will develop a plan for marketing your internship opportunity to students. This can include an on-campus information session, advertising in student publications, and/or connecting with student organizations and academic departments. In an effort to maintain a fair and equitable recruiting process, Brown University Staff adheres to the Ethical and Legal Standards in Student Hiring. While we are unable to refer specific students to employers, we are happy to connect you to students with special academic and co-curricular interests. Many factors influence students’ internship plans and this makes it difficult to predict application numbers. The Center for Career Exploration will promote your opportunity and make every possible effort to fill it, but cannot guarantee a specific number of applications or that any given position will ultimately be filled.
  • Interview candidates - The Center for Career Exploration can help you set up interviews on campus. We can also provide space and a computer for video (e.g. Skype) interviews, or interviews via telephone. Note that interviewing for internships generally occurs between February and April.

Step 3: Complete and evaluate the process

  • Report back to Brown - When you extend an internship offer to a student, or a student accepts or declines an internship offer, please notify the Center for Career Exploration so that we can keep track of the progress of our students.
  • Evaluate the experience - Complete an evaluation with your student at the end of the internship. The student should provide the employer with a self-appraisal, and the employer is encouraged to provide an evaluation highlighting accomplishments, quality of work, and recommendations for further growth/development. The Center for Career Exploration will also ask the employer to complete a brief evaluation of our job posting and hiring process.

The Center for Career Exploration will provide support for all phases of an internship from posting a position to evaluating the student and employer’s experience after the internship. Please feel free to contact the Center for Career Exploration at any time at brownconnect@brown.edu or 401-863-3326.

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