Student Internship Opportunities

Are you a tech-savvy undergraduate or graduate college student looking to gain hands-on experience in the information technology career field? The Upstate Medical University Information Management and Technology Student Worker Assistance Team (SWAT) program provides a unique opportunity for students seeking a specialized internship to gain vital job experience and knowledge.

A Backstage Pass to IT Careers:

Here is what you can expect to gain by working with us during your internship:

A Resume Differentiator:

Enhance Your Resume: Having an internship on your resume is a game-changer. It shows future employers that you're serious about your career and can give you a competitive advantage in the job hunt. Once you’ve started your job search, you’ll very quickly learn that the year(s) of experience you’ve gained while in college will set you apart from your peers as many entry-level positions require a certain amount of previous work experience.
Industry Insights: You'll learn things about the IT career industry that you won't find in any textbook, like industry trends, company culture, and the day-to-day operations of IT departments. This firsthand exposure can help you make more informed decisions about your future career goals and interests.
Real-Life Learning: Internships are like your backstage pass to the professional world. You get to apply what you've learned in the classroom to actual work situations. This practical exposure allows you to apply what you’ve learned in your college courses to actual workplace situations - bridging the gap between academic learning and practical application.

Networking & Mentorship:

Meet the Pros: You'll make friends in high places – professionals who've been there, done that. Adding these connections to your network can be a huge help when you're looking for a job or some career advice. If you do well during your internship, you'll have some solid references for future job applications.
Guidance Galore: We are fully invested in ensuring that you gain practical and relevant experience during your time with us. Your supervisor and team understand why guidance and advice from experienced professionals will help prepare you to navigate the complexities of the workplace.

Growth & Confidence:

Skill Boost: Think of internships as skill boot camps. You'll learn a bunch of practical stuff – technical skills for your field, industry-specific tools and software, but also very important soft skills like communication, teamwork, and time management.
Career Test Drive: Internships are like test-driving different careers. You get to peek into the day-to-day of different jobs, helping you figure out what you love (or don't love) about a field.
Personal Growth: Internships are not just about professional growth – you'll grow as a person too. You'll build confidence by having opportunities to tackle real challenges and contribute to meaningful projects.

Internship Opportunities

We currently offer two types of internship opportunities:

Individual, department-assigned internships: Work in department that aligns with your desired career interest.
SWAT team: Team of students working together to tackle larger interdepartmental projects.

About the Individual, Department-Assigned Internships

Individual departments within the IMT department can request a student worker to assist their team throughout the year. If you are looking to gain valuable experience in a specific area that aligns with your career interest, this internship option might be best for you.

About the SWAT Team Model

The SWAT team model will expose students to a well-rounded view of the internal workings of an innovative IT department. If you enjoy working on a team and want to be exposed to various projects to help you decide what aspect of IT interests you the most, this internship opportunity will be a good opportunity for you.

What SWAT Team Members Can Expect:

Time Commitment: We expect a minimum of 5-10 hours per week from SWAT project team members. This means, on average, one or two hours per day. Students are limited to 29 hours per week. Students are expected to fulfill this commitment, though hours can be concentrated during a particular part of the week to avoid conflict with class work.

Teamwork: With supervision from a dedicated IMT Team Manager, project teams will largely self-manage assigned projects to completion. We expect students to be dedicated to the project at hand as well as to their fellow teammates. Weekly status meetings with the IMT Team Manager will occur to ensure project progression is tracking and provide the opportunity for the team to raise issues/questions. The IMT Team Manager will be fully engaged in responding to questions/concerns as they come up outside of dedicated meeting times.

Expectations: SWAT team members must attend meetings of the team, as well as meetings with the project client and IMT Team Manager when team members are expected. We expect project team members to prioritize project work as second only to class work or military duties.

Compensation: SWAT team members are paid positions within Upstate Medical University. Students will also gain valuable experience working on real projects that can be listed as real work experience on their resume. SWAT team members will hold the title of Student Assistant at Upstate Medical University, and Upstate will verify this employment for future employer background checks.

Eligibility

Active/Matriculated Students: Students must be matriculated into a degree program at a local University with active status in order to become and maintain a status as a member of the IMT SWAT program. We will accept applications from both graduate and undergraduate students. Our focus will be on applicants who we determine will benefit the most from this opportunity for their future career goals/academic interests.

Application Process

Individual, Department-Assigned Student Worker Application Process:

Where to Apply: A job posting is created in conjunction with sponsoring department. Available positions will posted on Upstate's Career page.
Application Timeline: Onboarded at the beginning of each fall/spring academic semester.

SWAT Team Application Process:

Where to Apply: Job postings for Student Assistant positions within the Information Management and Technology team at Upstate are available on the Upstate Careers page.
Application Timeline: Typically, teams are formed at the beginning of the academic semester with the goal of completing a project within the timeframe of one semester, though some projects may extend beyond that timeframe. However, we accept student applications year-round to meet the arising needs of new projects. Some time periods/projects require more students than others, but there is no deadline for application. We hold all applications for review when any project team opening occurs.
Selection for a Project Team: Our teams are staffed on an as-needed basis. Therefore, we may not have an opening on a team at the time you apply. However, all applications are reviewed, and students are placed on project teams based upon their interests and qualifications. Some project team roles will require experience in certain areas. Other roles can be more general, or they can be for students with little or no experience in a particular area. We try to mix students with more or less experience in order to establish a peer learning environment. Students are interviewed for positions on project teams.