For Employers and Recruiters
How Butler Students Pursue Internships
Here's how an internship for a typical Butler student plays out:
- You post an internship opportunity on Handshake, our online employment portal. You include as much information as you can, including the anticipated number of hours spent on-site by the student, the nature of the work, and to whom they'll report. (Please see the following "How to Create an Internship" dropdown.)
- A Butler student finds it as they're preparing for the next semester or summer term.
- If the student is looking to receive college credit for completing the internship, they take the posting to Butler faculty/staff members to petition that it count for credit in a specific area of study (e.g., "CH" credit for Chemistry, "JR" credit for Journalism, etc.).
- If they're not looking to receive college credit, they might not consult a faculty/staff member at all.
- Regardless, the student goes ahead and applies to the internship either directly in Handshake or by clicking through to your external application site.
- If you offer the position to the student, they're seeking credit, and Butler faculty/staff feel the internship is missing elements, then they and the student will reach out to you to see if the opportunity can be adjusted. (If not, then the student could in theory still complete the internship—they just wouldn't receive college credit along the way.)
- Whether you want to pay student interns is up to you. The compensation rate must be stated clearly in the internship posting. A typical Butler student earns a minimum $12–15 per hour at their internship. You may find it helpful to read the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines for unpaid interns in for-profit companies.
- If the internship is for credit, you should anticipate being contacted during the term by Butler faculty/staff to gauge the educational experience for the student and how they're developing professionally.
- At the end of the term, if the internship is for credit, Butler faculty/staff will determine a grade for the student's transcript, taking into account your opinions and observations.
What to Look for in an Intern
As you think about the qualifications of an ideal intern, consider factors other than GPA, grade level, and total years' experience. Overly strict criteria could cause you to miss out on the perfect applicant. Read IndianaIntern.net's tips on what to look for in an intern.
How to Create an Internship
Internship Guides
IndianaIntern.net has great resources when it comes to building/improving an internship program:
- Read the article "Building a Quality Internship Program."
- Download Indiana Intern.net's free Employer Guide.
Best Practices
Read an article detailing 15 best practices for internship programs from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
FLSA Guidelines
You can read the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines for unpaid interns in for-profit companies.
Documenting ROI
Your internship program can't achieve return-on-investment if you don't have a clear road map. Read what aspects of your internship program to document on an ongoing basis to help you clarify what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.
What Butler Faculty are Looking for in an Internship
Below are some examples of information needed by faculty and staff in order to approve an internship for credit.
College of Communication (CCOM)
- The name and address of the company/organization.
- What the student would be doing in the internship.
- What skills would the student need for the internship? Writing? Video editing/shooting? Design?
- If technical skills are necessary, what kinds of software or equipment are already in place at the internship site? Our students are not allowed to use our cameras or any other CCOM owned gear for internships. That equipment is only used for class assignments and projects.
- Approximately how many hours per week would the student be interning?
- Does the internship pay? If so, how much?
- What materials should a student include in an application? Resume' and cover letter sufficient?
- Name and email address of the contact person.
How to Create a Project-Based Learning Experience
Project-Based Learning Experiences (PBLEs) bridge academic theory and professional development, affording students the opportunity—while acting as consultants to your organization—to solve real problems being faced internally or in the community.
It's an innovative style of student-professional collaboration that ultimately allows you to dip into the brain trust of student groups, with the potential for future internships or full-time positions.
Building Upon Success
Facilitating the creation of PBLEs is where we come in.
Butler students have already been involved in PBLEs through Summer Fusion, an initiative funded through our office by a grant from the Lilly Endowment called "Butler Advance." As part of the curriculum, Summer Fusion had a community-based project attached to it. In recent summers:
- Students worked with Renew Indy, a nonprofit organization focused on alternative uses for abandoned houses, conceptualizing and designing a response to a real challenge in the city.
- Students also worked on behalf of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to engage neighborhood residents living near 16Tech, identifying community assets and liabilities that might inform funding for the innovation district.
The participants' engagement with various stakeholders informed their teams' responses, which they presented to the community.
Students expressed in end-of-term surveys that the experience was both beneficial to their career development and meaningful. And, community partners expressed their appreciation for and the continued need for ongoing projects that could be mutually beneficial.
Creating a PBLE
Project-Based Learning Experiences can be short (e.g., 2–3 weeks) or last up to a full semester. The teams involved could be a group of students, a student organization, or all students in a particular course.
Students are chosen through a rigorous process that best matches them with an organization.
Possible PBLEs center around:
- Data science/analytics/gathering
- Human resources
- Event planning
- Research
- Strategy consulting for nonprofits
- Web development and technology
- Quick video production for social media
This is a new field in career services and we're just getting started.
Join us.
Please email our Senior Director, Gary Beaulieu, to discuss creating a Project-Based Learning Experience. Or, call him at 317-940-9624.
Career and Professional Success (CaPS)
Who We Are
Serving all students and alumni, from all majors, we create opportunities for you to connect with, recruit, and hire Butler Bulldogs.
Formerly "Internship and Career Services" and "Lacy School of Business Career Development," we're now a single entry point for employers and recruiters called the office of Career and Professional Success (CaPS), located in Butler's new Business Building 102.
Overview
On this webpage, you'll find resources and information to help you build, share, and recruit for opportunities.
For a quick overview of what's possible:
- Download a PDF visual version of our Employer Opportunities flyer.
- Or, download an accessible Microsoft Word version of our Employer Opportunities flyer.
Coming to Campus
Located on more than 300 acres on the north side of Indianapolis, the nation's 15th-largest city, our university is home to both historic buildings and park-like settings.
Get directions to Butler, view maps of campus, book hotels, and more.
Accessibility
Butler University is committed to ensuring its programs, services, activities, and benefits are accessible on an equitable basis to all qualified individuals with disabilities. Read how to submit disability-related accommodation requests.
Everyone is encouraged to create accessible versions of informational flyers and materials for digital distribution. Read how to create accessible documents in Microsoft Word.
For further reading (including info on imagery and video captioning), please read Butler's Accessibility Standards guide.
Recruiter Information Breakfasts
Typically held at the beginning of every fall and spring semester, our Recruiter Information Breakfasts provide employers with more details about Butler's campus structure, CaPS' programming, and the student experience.
Invitations are sent to contacts through our database in Handshake, Butler's online employment portal.
Policies and Laws
Cancellation, Nondiscrimination, Wages, and More
Please read our Official CaPS Policies for more information about working with Butler. We also ask that organizations be aware of the following:
- Butler's Employment Non-Discrimination Policy
- the University's Sexual Misconduct Policy
- Indianapolis' Non-Discrimination Law (Sec. 581 of the Municipal Code)
- the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines for unpaid interns in for-profit companies
Important note: Our office reserves the right to remove or deny access to any organization or refuse to post any position that violates equal opportunity provisions. In addition, Butler University prohibits postings that are in violation of any state or federal laws or those positions it deems a safety concern for its students or alumni.
Connecting with Students and Alumni
Post Internship and Job Opportunities
Our online employment portal, Handshake, is utilized by most of the smaller colleges/universities within Indiana. After being approved to join Butler's network, you can post internship and job opportunities to students and alumni directly.
We have two primary means of posting opportunities to Handshake:
- You're welcome to create a free Handshake account for yourself and, if needed, your employer.
- You can also submit available internships and jobs via our web form (which we then post to Handshake on your behalf)
If you run into any programs, please feel free to:
- Explore Handshake's Help Center for employers and recruiters.
- Or, email our Employer Assistant, Joey Wohlhieter, any Handshake questions.
Attend Fairs and Events
Career development fairs and events are vital to connecting you with Butler faculty, staff, and students. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that more than 95 percent of employers and recruiters use career fairs to recruit candidates for internships, co-ops, project-based learning experiences, and jobs.
View our calendar of events for the upcoming year.
Invitations, registration requests, and fees are handled through Handshake.
Staff an Info Table
Every week, we bring employers and recruiters to campus to talk with students face-to-face. One way in which they do so is by staffing an information table in our student union.
The basics:
- Info tables get the most traffic between 11:00 AM–1:00 PM.
- Based upon availability, we book you at either the alcove table inside our campus Starbucks or the table inbetween Butler’s bookstore and cafeteria. Both are located in Atherton Union.
- When we schedule these events, on our end we also submit announcements to the student Butler app, as well as the internal faculty/staff news center.
- You park in the Sunset Ave. Parking Garage at 4682 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208. See the listing of parking costs. The walk from the garage to Atherton Union requires 5–10 minutes.
- If you have signage or bulky items that you’d like to drop off at the building before parking, you can temporarily park by the yellow curb on Hampton Dr. near the entrance to Atherton Union. Just be sure to have your blinkers on.
- Helpful tips:
- Bringing a tablecloth helps you to stand out.
- We encourage you to bring a sign that indicates the type of opportunity you have available and can be easily seen by students. For example: “Part-time Job!” or “Seeking WordPress Intern!"
- We recommend arriving to campus at least 20 minutes early to allow for drop-off of items (if needed) and parking.
- If you bring food/candy to distribute, it must be individually wrapped (per health code).
- You are welcome to bring swag to hand out!
- In case you’re hungry, you're welcome to grab something to eat in Starbucks or the second-floor cafeteria.
There is no charge to hold an info table.
Please email our Employer Assistant, Joey Wohlhieter, ranges of dates and times for an info table that work on your end. We'll alert you to the availability in the system, confirm with you a final date/time, and then book the space for you.
Submit One-Page Flyers
If you have a one-page flyer about job, internship, or service opportunities, we can review, stamp, and post up to 16 copies around campus for you. Please do one of the following:
- Bring physical copies to our office, Business Building 102
- Or, email a digital version to career@butler.edu and we’ll make print outs for you
Sponsor Activities, Events, and Groups
If you're interested in sponsorship opportunities on campus—whether financially or in-kind—please email sponsorship questions to Employer Assistant, Joey Wohlhieter. He'll connect you with the appropriate team lead.
Join our Career Communities
We've created industry-based groups of alumni, employers, family, and friends who help deepen students' knowledge of and experience within fields of interest. Take part and:
- Build your brand on campus and strengthen your talent pipeline through active engagement of interested students and alumni
- Connect with students and alumni about common career interest areas
- Share career information and build relationships on campus while keeping your brand name in the forefront of active students
- Connect with students through meaningful dialogue that could potentially transcend their professional success
Read about our Career Communities.
Or, email our communities coordinator, Sierra Mathews, to discuss hosting site visits and more.
Join Wisr
If you're an alumnus, we invite you to join Wisr, our new online network connecting students and alumni in need of help with alumni who can provide it.
It's simple, yet powerful—and free to all Butler students and alumni.
Please email our Employer Assistant, Joey Wohlhieter, for your alumni directory invite code.
We're Here to Help
In addition to utilizing the resources above, please don't hesitate to reach out at any time:
- drop by our office, Business Building 102
- email our Employer Assistant, Joey Wohlhieter
- email our general inbox at career@butler.edu
- call us at 317-940-9383
Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter. These bi-weekly emails include:
- career opportunities
- upcoming events
- tips for professional development
Social Media
Connect with us online. We can be found on all of the following platforms:
BU Be Well
Our office supports the Career and Life Skills dimension of BU Be Well.
We help students and alumni focus on building and maintaining successful skills for future or current careers, including internships, employment, financial planning, graduate school, and gap year/service programs.