Instructions for Submitting Job Descriptions

Employers may submit internship listings to the Annandale Career Center for Annandale students by emailing them to Careercenter@nvcc.edu. Please note, the Career Center at Annandale is not the clearing house for all internships and this is not a college-wide Co-Op Program. We only provide this service for the Annandale Campus. Should you want to post a position at another NOVA campus, here's the link to the Career Centers at other NOVA campuses. Employers who would like to advertise internships with the NOVA Cooperative Education Office should read the instructions below before submitting position descriptions to the Annandale Career Center.

A Job Description

The college asks that employers write a one paragraph job description and be as specific as possible in the description of the responsibilities you want the intern to assume. I would suggest that you divide the description into three parts listed below.

The Three Components That Job Descriptions Should Address:

1. The actual duties the student will perform:

• Write a summary of the intern’s daily responsibilities.
• Here are some examples from previous internship job descriptions: 
  to assist in the design of in-house publications; respond to ad-hoc requests; to troubleshoot and address Help Desk questions about PCs, laptops and printers; to assist in the writing of press releases and other organization publications; General ledger reconcilement; to complete A/R & A/P data entry, research and update purchase order lists for database; to greet customers in a friendly manner.

2. Any prior knowledge you expect the students to possess:

• List any prior knowledge or skills you would like the student to possess prior to beginning the internship.
• Some examples from previous internships include: 
  support LAN administration duties; understand home furnishings requirements; use Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/Access).

3. Desired characteristics you expect each student to exhibit:

• List those traits you want the student to exhibit during the internship.
• Here are examples that employers have stipulated in the past: 
  Be able to follow verbal and written instructions; have good vision; manual dexterity; possess a team player attitude; demonstrate a flexible approach to managing different situations on a day-by-day basis and be pro-active, as opposed to reactive; practice mature judgment; exhibit strong organizational skills; show good initiative, good attitude, and be willing to learn; be able to communicate with the public in a professional and courteous manner; have excellent written and communication skills and time management skills.

Please note:

• Students may register for co-op if they have met requirements; have submitted documents and have divisional approval when NOVA has a semester in session.
• It is preferable that employers submit descriptions 30 days prior to the college's next semester. 
  If employers submit descriptions outside the 30 day window, positions will be posted for the following session.
• If employers require background checks they must be completed prior to the time when the coordinator registers students for their internships. Click on the following link for dates of NOVA sessions.

Instructions for Submitting Job Descriptions to NOVATrak

Northern Virginia Community College invites you to post your job and internship openings to NOVA at careercenter@nvcc.edu.

The Hiring Process

Before students apply for positions they must submit documentation listed under "Materials students must submit" to the coordinator so she can determine their academic eligibility.

When you decide that you would like to hire a student, you need to email the coordinator, Felicia Blakeney to let her know of your hiring decision. She will then review the job description to make certain that it relates directly to the students’ academic program and confirm that students have completed the appropriate courses that would prepare them for the internship.

Approval of the internship will be based upon the following factors:

• The internship must directly relate to a degree or certificate that NOVA offers and must be approved by the co-op coordinator.
• The student must have attained a 2.0 cumulative GPA; have earned 15 credits and have completed 6 credits which directly relate to the internship responsibilities.
• The internship must relate to the students’ degree program at NOVA.
• The student must register for the cooperative education course while they are engaged in the internship (credit will not be awarded retroactively).
• The Cooperative Education Coordinator will send the employer an agreement and ask that the intern's supervisor sign it and fax it to her at 703.323.3015. If you would like to review a blank copy of the agreement you should email the coordinator with your request.
• Students may do internships during the time which NOVA has a semester in session.
• If you want to hire students after an academic session has begun, the coordinator will complete the agreement for the session that most immediately follows the hiring date and will register the student for the next session.
• All students (with the exception of F-1 students) may begin the internship before the next session, (pending their submission of materials, approval of the internship and academic eligibility), but will be registered for the next session.

If you would like to the student to continue for another internship during the next session the College asks that you submit a new job description to the Cooperative Education Coordinator at fblakeney@nvcc.edu.

Components of the Cooperative Education Agreement

The Cooperative Education Agreement between the college, employer and student asks employers to agree to the following:

• Discuss and review performance objectives that students have set for their internships. These objectives are a list of concepts or tasks they would like to accomplish by the end of the internship. These objectives will serve as the basis for your performance evaluations and as the premise for the interns' assignments.
• Complete a preliminary evaluation during the second week of the internship and a final evaluation at the end of the internship. These evaluations will constitute 24% of the students' final grade.
• Designate an individual to supervise the student and serve as liaison between the employer and the co-op coordinator.
• Provide training experiences for the student through structured learning objectives.
• Contact the credit program developer at the college if students are absent from work at any time; are not meeting your performance standards or if you need to discuss any aspect of the students' work performance.
• Once the agreement has been signed by the employer, student and cooperative education coordinator, the student may begin the internship (F-1 students on foreign visas must first ask the International Student Center to approve their I-20 before they begin their internship).
• Students are expected to participate in their internship; complete their internship evaluations and complete all of the corresponding academic assignments.
• Once assignments and evaluations have been submitted the professor will issue a final grade.
• Students who fail to submit assignments at the midpoint of the semester will be withdrawn from their internships. They and the employer will be notified of this by certified mail.

The Role of the Employer in the Internship:

While interns are eager and ready to learn they may or may not have the same level or degree of experience that your other full-time employees bring to their positions. At the beginning of their internship, students may need more clarification from you about their responsibilities:

• How you want them to proceed on projects and most of all they may need more frequent feedback from you regarding their performance.
• I ask that you be especially cognizant of these needs and that you make yourself available for any questions they may have about their responsibilities.
• If you are experiencing any challenges with interns regarding their performance or have any questions you are asked to contact the coordinator at 703.323.3164 or email her at fblakeney@nvcc.edu.
• The goal of the Cooperative Education Program is to make internships the foundation of a positive working relationship amongst students, employers and the College.
• We at Northern Virginia Community College welcome opportunities to work with the community.

Work and Academic Responsibilities:

• As an employer we ask that you complete a formative evaluation (after the first four weeks of the internship) and summative evaluation (at the end of the internship).
• Your evaluations are worth 24% of the intern's final grade.
• The other 76% of the intern's grade comprises the course assignments.
• Please note that if the student fails to submit the assignments that are due at the midterm of the semester the coordinator of the program will withdraw him or her from the course; notify you in writing and via phone that the student is no longer registered.