All Articles

The Greenlee School hosted its fourth Jump-Start Internship & Networking Fair on Tuesday at the Iowa State University Memorial Union. The spring fair featured 42 employers from across the Midwest, who wanted to meet with advertising, journalism and mass communication and public relations majors in need of employment for their 400-hour capstone experience—one of the most rigorous internship requirements in communications programs across the country.

More students this year have reported receiving internship offers after meeting with employers at the fair. From October of 2014 to October of 2015, 190 students completed their capstone internships, a 31 percent increase in completed internships from the previous year.

Moreover, Greenlee internships are integrated with competencies of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Across all majors, final evaluations show that students rate themselves highest in ethics (4.88 on the 5.0 scale), as do employers (4.72). In 2014, students rated themselves highest in ethics (4.89) and employers rated students highest in research (4.7). Any rating above 4.0 supports the view that students’ are meeting ACEJMC standards. No final employer-rated competency rated below 4.5. (See table below for complete data.)

The school also boasts “super internships” from the [Scripps Foundation](https://www.greenlee.iastate.edu/scripps-howard-foundation-internship-grants) and [Meredith Corporation](https://greenlee.iastate.edu/internships/meredith-apprentice-program/).

The mix of employers attending Tuesday’s event ranged from agencies such as the World Food Prize Foundation, the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Secretary of State’s office to such organizations as Woodward Communication, the Iowa Newspaper Foundation, Two Rivers Marketing, Weber Shandwick, Grey Dog Media and Cory Family Farms. News media included The Des Moines Register, Cyclone.tv, Iowa Public Radio, Iowa Watch, KCCI, KDSM, and KWWL-Waterloo. Non-profit employers included the Red Cross, Youth and Shelter Services and the Ames Community Arts Council, among others.

Michael Bugeja, Greenlee School director, notes the success of the fair is due in part to the event planning and on-site participation of more than 20 professors, lecturers, staff members and student leaders. He and Associate Director Joel Geske also visit each table and provide additional information to each internship provider.

“Greenlee internships play a key role in our near 100 percent placement rate within six months of commencement,” Bugeja said. Those rates typically average 98-99 percent for advertising, 96-97 percent for journalism and 99-100 percent for public relations.

Greenlee started the internship fair in the fall of 2014 to assist students in connecting with employers. As undergraduate enrollment continues to climb to 900 majors, the school is always looking for new ways to connect with employers the 150-200 students who are looking for internships in any given semester.

**Greenlee provides these services:**
+ Internship advising sessions
+ Resume and cover letter preparation
+ Portfolio preparation
+ Interview preparation
+ Internship requirements and paperwork

**Greenlee provides employers with these services:**
+ Internship and job postings
+ On-campus interview opportunities
+ Free tables at the Jump-Start event

Each company must qualify as an internship provider willing to assess performance via surveys and ensure Greenlee students will be evaluated by an experienced supervisor.

**Internships Secured and Completed by Major**

+ 62 advertising majors and employers (compared with 42 in 2014, a 47 percent increase).
+ 79 journalism and mass communication majors and employers (compared with 84 in 2014, a 6 percent decrease).
+ 47 public relations majors and employers (compared with 19 in 2014, a 147 percent increase).