The Better Way to Attract and Hire Talent

    Micro-Internships let you engage, assess, and hire college students and recent grads more effectively, on-demand, and without adding to your workload.

     

    Get Started

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    Find Your Path,
    Launch Your Career

    Get in the door with paid Micro-Internships designed so you can explore career opportunities, demonstrate skills, and build relationships — all on your schedule.

     

    Launch Your Career

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    Before

    • Hours spent doing candidate outreach, flipping through resume books, and conducting phone screens
    • Budgets wasted marketing to students who don’t open your email or to show up to your events
    • Candidates missed who haven't heard of your organization, don't attend your target schools, or have preconceived notions about your industry
    • Hiring managers frustrated with unfilled roles, candidate quality, or wasted time
    • HR leaders upset with difficulty achieving diversity, conversion, and retention metrics

    Now

    • Engage millions of college students across the country with a single platform
    • Improved reach, diversity, and conversion, with lower cost per hire
    • Candidates excited to learn about your organization and demonstrate their skills
    • Hiring managers delighted to get on-demand support, less commitment and risk for all involved
    • More equitable, inclusive, and accessible
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    Featured Employers
    Trane Technologies
    Microsoft
    HubSpot
    Farmers National Bank
    Fleetcor
    Open Avenues

    Micro-Internships by the Numbers

    Through strategic engagement, Micro-Internships modernize early-career recruitment to deliver immediate, scalable results.

    INCREASE DIVERSITY

    80%
    More than 80% of talent hired for Micro-Internships come from underrepresented backgrounds.

    LOWER COST

    40-80%
    Per-hire recruiting costs are cut by 40–80%, while a pre-screened talent pool reduces the time spent qualifying candidates for future positions.

    EXPAND REACH

    5.7K+
    Micro-Interns hail from over 5,700 academic programs, including more than 600 partner colleges, universities, and non-profit associations nationwide.

    Real-World Results

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    Learn how Smith+Nephew, a medical technology company, has leveraged the Parker Dewey platform to knock down barriers between their recruiting team and the untapped talents of a diverse candidate pool.

    70%

    Lower cost-per-hire

    900+

    Candidates engaged

     

    Read the Full Story

     

    Answers to your frequently asked questions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A.

    Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that enable Career Launchers to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks. They can take place year-round, typically require 10 to 40 hours of work by the student, and are due within a few days to a few weeks.

    A.

    Unlike traditional internships that are tied to the academic calendar, Micro-Internships can be used year-round to provide on-demand support for short-term projects (usually requiring a total of 10-40 hours of work). They can be performed remotely and require minimal oversight and commitment. Micro-Internships are utilized across industries and roles, as a precursor or alternative to traditional internships, and as skills-based hiring auditions.

    A.

    Representing all backgrounds, majors, and degree levels, Career Launchers are U.S.-based college students and recent graduates who are motivated to gain professional experience as a way to demonstrate their skills, build relationships, and explore career pathways prior to a summer internship or full-time role.

    A.

    There's no cost for professionals to post Micro-Internships or for Career Launchers to participate.  The only cost is what the professional sets as the price of each Micro-Internship, of which the selected student receives 90% upon completion. In addition, should a company want to hire a Micro-Intern for a full-time role, summer internship, or anything else, there are no additional costs or fees - as a mission-driven organization, we love when this happens!

    A.

    Micro-Internships are comparable to those assignments typically given to new hires or summer interns — things like conducting market research, performing financial analysis, and assisting in lead generation. Companies partner with us to provide services across a variety of departments, industries, and organization sizes.

    That fulfilling, just-accomplished-something-big feeling?
    It’s mutual.

    When early-career talent connects with busy professionals through project-based experiences, everybody wins.
    For Employers & Busy Professionals
    Identify, engage, and assess college students and recent graduates.
    For Employers & Busy Professionals
    “We saw her work ethic and skills, and got an inside track on hiring her” - Adam H., Microsoft
    For Students & Recent Grads
    Demonstrate your skills while building your professional network.
    For Students & Recent Grads
    “I went in wanting to gain some professional work experience, and I got that and more.” - Melanie G., Wesleyan University
    For Colleges & Universities
    Support career exploration for students in need of alternatives.
    For Colleges & Universities
    “I believe this is the best program for those who have packed schedules but want to gain job experience on their time” - Daniella F., John Carroll University
    For Non-Profits & Associations
    Create accessible pathways to professional opportunities.
    For Non-Profits & Associations
    “The old models do not work for the majority of today’s college students.” - Todd P., Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

    Insights & Resources

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    Blog

    Hire Learnings to help you advance your career, bolster your recruiting efforts, and support equitable change in the workplace.

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    Upcoming Events

    Stay in the know about live, virtual and in-person events.

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    Resources

    An all-access pass to project templates, job search advice, and more tools that’ll help you get the most out of the Parker Dewey platform.

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    Ready to become part of the country’s largest Micro-Internship network?

    Reach out now to learn more about how project-based experiences can help you achieve your business initiatives and professional goals.

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