NU StEP

A Northeastern University Student Employer Project (NU StEP), also known as a Micro-Internship, is a short-term project that can typically be completed within 10-40 hours and is due within a few days to a few weeks. These projects require no on-boarding and can be completed by a student with minimal instruction. These are important but low-risk tasks that aren’t the best use of your time.

There is no cost to create an account or post a NU StEP.  You set the price for each project, and you only receive an invoice once you have selected a student for your project. All projects are fixed-fee, and most are listed between $200-$600, typically implying $20-25/hour based on estimated hours of work.  90% of this fee goes directly to the student upon completion of the project. 

NU StEP administers the project and directly pays the student.  Outside of the fixed cost of the NU StEP, there are no obligations or other fees even if the relationship turns into an internship or full-time role.

• Employment: Students completing your NU StEP are not your employees, contractors, interns, temps, or freelancers. Similar to working with a consulting firm or any other service provider, you are engaging Parker Dewey LLC to complete the assignment, and each individual you select is a contractor or employee of Parker Dewey. You can still directly interact with them as much or little as you would like, and always have the opportunity to hire them directly without any costs or fees.
• Liability: Parker Dewey is mission-driven and believes in the power of creating opportunities. That said, Parker Dewey takes on all the liability. Not happy with the work product? Parker Dewey will give you a full refund or you can work with an alternate student. 
• Work Product: All work product is owned by you. 
• Confidentiality: While most projects involve public-facing information of a non-sensitive nature, both Parker Dewey and all students sign strict NDAs to protect your information. In addition to the standard provisions, the students understand that they are risking their academic transcript or expulsion for any violation of confidentiality.
• Background Checks: Given the short-term nature and structure of these assignments, we do not conduct background checks. While companies are always welcome to conduct a background check directly, the nature of the specific assignments and lack of a direct relationship with the individual who is selected has caused most organizations to defer the background check until after an NU StEP is completed and a student is offered a traditional internship or full-time role.

An NU StEP is not meant to replace traditional internship programs but rather complement and even supplement them. Due to its short-term nature, an NU StEP can be used year-round to find on-demand project support while simultaneously allowing you to engage and evaluate potential talent.

An NU StEP can be either on-site or virtual, depending on the specific requirements of the project. We typically suggest remote, as this provides more flexibility and accessibility.

At the start of the project, the organization's project manager (typically the NU StEP submitter) will clarify specific expectations and share the information/materials necessary for your student to complete the project. From there, they can engage the student in whatever way works best, whether that be email, Zoom, etc. Because NU students have core skills and are highly motivated to exceed expectations, they require minimal management.

When you are posting your NU StEP, you can select as many students as you wish.