Micro-Internship Impact on NACE Competencies

Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable students/grads to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right full-time role.

Unlike traditional internships, Micro-Internships can take place year-round, typically range from five to 40 hours of work, and are due between one week and one month after kickoff.

Micro-Internships are used by companies ranging from those in the Fortune 100 to emerging start-ups, and go across departments including sales, marketing, technology, HR, and finance. All Micro-Internships on the Parker Dewey platform are fixed-fee, paid engagements.

Micro-Internships can be either on-site or virtual, depending on the specific requirements of the project.  When viewing the opportunity, you will see on the posting whether the organization who posted the project wants the Micro-Intern to work remotely or onsite.

Internships, externships, co-ops, and other similar engagements have a much more significant commitment with limited flexibility. These types of programs tend to last at least ten weeks, are timed around the academic calendar, and require significant oversight to plan and manage.

In comparison, Parker Dewey offers flexibility around project length and timing, and provides students/grads with an assortment of paid opportunities that typically kick off within a few days (if not sooner). This permits students/grads to determine their availability, while allowing the project to be completed according to a client’s schedule and needs.  You will use the knowledge that you have gained through your academic coursework and other professional and extracurricular experiences to complete the projects and will usually work independently allowing you to demonstrate the attention to detail, grit, persistence, etc. that can be difficult for an organization to discern from your resume.

Similar to an internship or co-op program, Parker Dewey provides an excellent way of evaluating an individual’s skill fit with a company, should a full-time hiring need arise. Many companies are using these assignments to introduce their longer-term opportunities to current students, identify high-potential candidates, and evaluate them in an authentic setting.

Furthermore, these mutual auditions allow companies and students/grads to both effectively assess fit prior to committing to an internship or full-time role.

Students/grads should click on this link to register with Parker Dewey as a Career Launcher (it's free!).  Here, students can create their profile in 5-10 minutes and review open Micro-Internship requests.

Each Micro-Internship posting provides details about the project including the expected deliverable, anticipated time commitment, due date, location, and compensation. Students simply click to apply and complete the project-specific application questions asked by the client.

The company reviews incoming applicants and if selected, students will be notified via email of the next steps.

We hope you can join the webinar!  If you have questions before or afterwards, you can contact Parker Dewey directly at partners@parkerdewey.com.