Traditional campus recruiting activities like career fairs and info sessions have long been integral parts of connecting with college students. Campus recruiters also often host resume review sessions, offering students valuable feedback on their resumes and sharing insights about their organizations. While resume review sessions allow you to briefly assess candidates, meet students, and offer guidance, they often have limitations: They often offer only a snapshot of a student's potential, lacking the opportunity to gauge their skills and growth potential for specific roles. This is where Micro-Internships come into play.

In this article, we'll explore how Micro-Internships complement resume review sessions and provide a step-by-step guide on how to integrate both approaches effectively.

Understanding Micro-Internships

Micro-Internships are short-term, project-based work experiences that enable students to gain hands-on exposure to specific tasks within your organization. These opportunities typically last from a few days to a few weeks and offer numerous benefits for both employers and students.

Skill assessment: While resume review sessions provide insights into students' qualifications, Micro-Internships allow you to assess their skills in real-world scenarios. Students can actively contribute to projects, showcasing their abilities.

Deeper engagement: Resume review sessions are relatively brief interactions. Micro-Internships, on the other hand, create deeper engagement, allowing students to experience your organization firsthand and build lasting relationships with your team.

Cost-efficient recruitment: Micro-Internships are cost-effective for both employers and students. You can assess multiple candidates without the commitment of long-term contracts, and students gain experience without the financial burden of a full-time internship.

Give back to students: Micro-Internships offer practical, real-world experience that strengthens a student's resume. This hands-on experience is a valuable addition to their qualifications.

Integrating Resume Review Sessions and Micro-Internships

Let's explore how to integrate resume review sessions and Micro-Internships effectively:

Step 1: Identify Micro-Internship Opportunities

Before hosting a resume review session, identify specific projects or tasks within your organization that can be transformed into Micro-Internship opportunities. It’s also useful to identify the top skills needed to work on the project ahead of time.

Step 2: Pre-session promotion

Promote the upcoming resume review session, highlighting the opportunity to discuss resumes and learn about Micro-Internships. Create awareness among students about both aspects, and be sure to highlight that your resume review session is an opportunity to get feedback on how they might adjust their resumes to apply to your Micro-Internships! 

Step 3: Engage during resume review sessions

During the resume review session, introduce the concept of Micro-Internships. Explain how these opportunities offer practical experience and encourage students to consider them as part of their career journey. The resume review session is also a great opportunity to talk to students about specific roles and departments at your organization. 

Step 4: Offer guidance on how to adjust resumes for specific Micro-Internships

While reviewing resumes, provide students with feedback not only on their qualifications but also on how Micro-Internships can enhance their resumes. This helps students understand the value of combining traditional education with hands-on experience. Because you’ve already identified some of the top skills you’re looking for (see step 1!), you can help students understand how to best highlight their skills before applying to your project.

Step 5: Post-session communication

After the session, follow up with students who attended. Share information about Micro-Internship opportunities that align with their career interests. Encourage them to explore these experiences to further develop their skills and add experience to their resume.

Integrating Micro-Internships into your campus recruiting strategy alongside resume review sessions offers a comprehensive approach that benefits both employers and students. It allows you to assess candidates' skills in real-world contexts, build deeper relationships, and offer valuable hands-on experiences. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively combine these two approaches, setting your campus recruitment efforts on a path to success and strengthening your organization's talent pipeline.