College Internship Placement Service

It used to be that companies offering internships contacted colleges to find students for summer or short-term work. But, in this era, such companies are relying increasingly upon services such as yours to bring them talent. It’s challenging work to find a suitable internship for a student (and vice versa), but you’ll have enough resources from which to choose at your local library. There are plenty of books that detail such opportunities, and there should be plenty of postings for internships through online services or the Internet. You’d have to work pretty hard to exhaust all of the possibilities. You’d be wise to market to the parents of students in addition to the students themselves, since parents are typically the ones with the foresight to see the importance of an internship. You can deliver your service in one of two ways: (1) as a consultant who finds and recommends several internship possibilities for a student, or (2) as the liaison between hiring companies and students, even going so far as to screen applicants and finalize the deal just as a professional recruiter would do. You will obviously make more money with the second option.


You’ll need to have at least $1,500 for your computer system and another $1,000 or so for advertising in your first six months. If you choose to do internship placement for hiring companies, you will need to network with several such companies in order to get their business. Contact management software would be a good investment for this type of business.


Your work will be different every day, and the challenges will present themselves on a regular basis, too. Sometimes you’ll work with folks you simply can’t seem to please, or who don’t come across as highly motivated. Remember that part of your job is to sell students on the importance of choosing the best internships.


Approx. cost of start-up:$1,500 to $3,000


Approx. potential earnings:$20,000 to $50,000


Typical fees: $75 to $175 (paid by student/parents); hiring companies may also pay from $75 to $150 per listing if they want to post openings


Where to promote: College newspapers, campus bulletin boards, direct mail to parents, Web site with internship offerings and capability for students to apply via e-mail


Qualifications: Background in placement services would be helpful


Things needed: Computer with printer, Internet access, fax


Required staff:No


Hidden costs: Insurance, Internet Service Provider fees