January Hive Internship Projects

A Guide for Alums, Campus Partners, Employers, and Parents

Hive Internship Projects are short-term, virtual experiences that are designed by unbundling long-term internships and separating out individual projects that can be completed remotely. Students benefit from working on a real-world project for an alumna, employer, parent, or campus partner while organizations gain timely support from students.

The deadline to submit projects is Friday, November 12, 2021.

Students will apply to projects from November 15 to December 1, and hiring should occur prior to December 10. All approved projects will receive further instructions related to this hiring period.

Not a member of the Wellesley Hive yet? Click the Sign Up button below to create one in 10 seconds, and submit your project. For technical support, follow the directions here. 

Design a Project

You can design a Hive Internship Project by unbundling a long-term internship and separating out an individual project that can be completed remotely. Students benefit from working on a real-world project, while your company or organization will gain timely support from students. 

Project Content

Hive Internship Projects should be work that complements, rather than replaces, responsibilities typically completed by paid staff, while providing significant educational benefits to the student. Educational benefits might include building or refining skills, learning about the industry field or project focus, and practicing professional competencies such as teamwork and communication. 

Projects should have a concrete goal that can be completed in the set timeframe. Some examples of project goals are provided in the sample projects listed above (e.g., completing an annotated bibliography).

In addition to the completion of a professional task, Hive Internship Projects are learning opportunities for students, supported through your guided mentorship. Projects should be designed to ensure adequate time for that mentorship to take place. Career Education has written a resource to help you navigate how to both supervise and support the student’s professional development through your project.

Project Schedule

Hive Internship Project opportunities should last at least 40 hours, completed during a three week timeframe between January 3 – 21, 2022. The specific schedule for the student’s work within that time period can be determined according to what works best for you, the student, and the nature of the project (e.g., 14 hours/week for 3 weeks, 20 hours/week for two weeks).

The total number of required hours should be fulfilled through a combination of different activities that will contribute to the student’s educational benefit. In addition to time spent working on the assigned project, some of the hours should be dedicated to activities like mentorship conversations, informational interviews with other members of staff, and shadowing colleagues in meetings or on projects. Hive Internship Projects are educational experiences for students, and these types of activities will help them to practice networking, learn about your industry, and develop general professional competencies.

Project Compensation

Career Education strongly encourages employers to compensate students for their Hive Internship Projects. Paid projects will often get more applications, so employers should include compensation details when listing their project. While compensation is not required for Hive Internship Projects, as currently enrolled students will receive internship credit for the learning experience, employers are encouraged to provide compensate to their interns based on internal policies, practices, and HR guidelines. Compensation offered by the project supervisor will be handled between the employer and the student following the hiring process within The Hive. The recommended rate is $15/hour or $600 total for a 40-hour project. Wellesley College Career Education is not able to provide funding for January HIPs.

Tips for Writing a Hive Internship Project Description

Hive Internship Project descriptions should be as detailed as possible so students fully understand the scope of work, outcomes expected upon completion, and how the project fits into the larger workflow of your organization. Project descriptions should include the following information:

• A brief summary of your company or organization, including details about its mission and core values.
• An overview of project responsibilities, tasks, and projected end goals.
• Desired skills or knowledge students will need to complete the project. Be sure to highlight if you prefer applicants who have particular skills or knowledge.
• The anticipated student learning outcomes upon completion of the project, articulating the skills and knowledge that a student can gain from the experience.

Below you will find two examples of effective Hive Internship Project descriptions as a guide: