Micro-internships: One project at a time

In fall 2023, Aurora University rolled out a new concept among higher education institutions called the micro-internship. Instead of working 200 hours or more on full internships, students take on individual corporate projects, usually involving between 10 and 40 hours of work.

One advantage is that these projects are available to students as early as their freshman and sophomore years, said Leticia La Voy, assistant director of career services and employer engagement. AU is offering the micro-internships through a central online platform managed by Parker Dewey, a Chicago-based organization that contracts with universities and colleges to connect students and recent graduates with employers for short-term projects.

“We realized that many companies and students don’t need an entire semester to audition for a job,” said Jeffrey Moss, CEO and founder of Parker Dewey. “Many professionals in business have short projects that aren’t difficult, but they require perhaps number crunching or data research that they don’t have time for. There are lots of students who would be excited to take on such work.”

Micro-internships are nearly always performed remotely, which helps to expand a student’s reach to companies farther afield.

“These flexible, short-term, professional paid opportunities are a big win for our students,” said La Voy.

Andrea Barron ’25 is the first AU student to land a micro-internship. She began working in January remotely as a communications intern creating the social media calendars for the University of Montana’s forestry and conservation programs. She completed the 20-hour paid internship within a month and was hired to begin a second internship continuing the same work. The position has given her experience using software platforms for project management and content scheduling.

“It allowed me to work at my own pace,” said Barron. “I learned new skills, and I got to build my professional network.”

There are thousands of companies currently posting projects on the Parker Dewey platform, and there are students from more than 3,000 colleges participating. Employers pick up all the costs via the commissions they pay to Parker Dewey. The projects are specific, with the subject and deadlines clearly stated upfront.

“Some companies get to know freshmen and sophomores doing really good work and then make a point of getting to know them better,” said Moss. “These companies use the micro-internship program for relationship-building. And some use it as a feeder system for summer internships.”