Hiring an FGCU student for an Internship Opportunity:

We appreciate you offering internship opportunities for our students. Internships allow students to gain valuable experience that validates their education while learning from a seasoned professional in their field of study. Not all students are required to complete an internship in order to graduate, however most programs highly recomend an internship.

To acquire an internship, students access our College Central Network for listings in their field. If a student is pursuing an internship for academic credit, they will meet with the advisor of their college. Each advisor determines the eligibility of the internship for credit and the requirements can vary from one college to another.

If the internship is approved for academic credit or if the student is not seeking academic credit for the internship they will then apply directly to the employer. We encourage students to send a cover letter and resume in application of an internship. The employer will then arrange interviewing times and make a determination for an intern. Students will complete any paperwork that may be required by their college.

Please review these FAQ [.pdf] to determine if your position will qualify as an internship.

We use a free web-based job listing and internship listing system, hosted by College Central Network, Inc. Before you are able to post internships in the system, all employers must register and be approved by the Career Services staff. Instructions for registration are available by clicking here. All employers must have a valid email address to post internships. If you have questions, contact Career Services at (239)590-7946.

Click here for a complete listing of academic programs offered at FGCU.

FGCU Career Services does not "place" students into internships. Interested candidates will apply directly to you, just as they would for a job.

Does the law require an organization to pay its interns?

In order for your intern to qualify as an “unpaid trainee” the intern must pass the 6 factor test:

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainee.
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close supervision.
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded.
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitles to a job at the completion of the training period.
6. The employer and the trainee understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

If any of the 6 factors are not present, the intern is considered an employee and must be paid as an employee.

May we consider our interns to be volunteers?
Individuals who serve as unpaid volunteers in various community services (public service, religious, or humanitarian objectives) are not considered employees for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act provided they meet the guidelines. However, employees may not volunteer at a for-profit employer. Therefore, for most private sector employers, it is not acceptable to consider interns to be unpaid volunteers, unless they otherwise qualify as an “unpaid trainee”.