IMMERSE Start-up Internship Programme

Published: 3 Feb, 2022

What is IMMERSE?

IMMERSE Start-up Internship Programme matches upcoming student talent, for a period of summer placement, with upcoming business talent. This period of paid placement is carried out by a student from TU Dublin, for a 8-12 week period this summer.

What are the benefits of getting involved?

The IMMERSE Internship offers several benefits to your business including:

• High quality work.
• Introducing fresh ideas and new ways of thinking.
• Opportunity to recruit for a specific task (e.g. product testing, market research, etc.).
• Provision of specialist skills.
• Early access to TU Dublin students before Graduation, for future recruitment opportunities.

How can IMMERSE support your business?

The IMMERSE start-up internship is designed to provide maximum flexibility to meet your business requirements. The internships are flexible allowing your business to source a specific competency or skill and to structure the internship work programme around your specific needs:

1. Project work: You may wish to scope a particular project or task that the intern will undertake. The project work may require application of skills that relate to the intern’s university programme. It might also form a major part of the intern’s work, for example, the intern may assist with a system implementation project or establishing an online business presence.
2. General work: This may be ad hoc work that gives the intern a better understanding of day-to- day operations in your business and in the workplace more generally. It may involve assisting colleagues with routine tasks, which could help give the intern a better understanding of how the company operates.
3. Reactive work: This might involve helping out with non-planned work that needs an urgent response. Dealing with urgent issues is an important part of working life so it can be valuable experience for the intern and a valuable additional resource for your business.

Our students areas of expertise:

Given the wide range of disciplines at TU Dublin, IMMERSE provides a wide scope of work areas that can be selected from in designing and recruiting your specific internship requirement, for example:

• Business lead generation / business development
• Product testing
• Market research and Marketing
• Software engineering
• Copywriting
• Business analyst
• Social media marketing / digital marketing
• Content marketer / creator / developer
• Client service & operations
• Research and operations analyst

How does an IMMERSE internship work?

• The IMMERSE Internship is designed as a summer internship, meaning that the intern will work with your business for an 8-12 week period. The internship is a paid placement with payment to the intern by the start-up.
• Interns will be assigned an in-company mentor who will support them, provide meaningful guidance, and to assist them throughout their time with the start-up.
• Participating start-ups are required to provide an open line of communication, a safe work environment, challenging and meaningful work, supervision, and feedback regarding the intern’s performance. Your company is also required to have the appropriate insurances in place.

How will TU Dublin support your business?

• Designing the internship TU Dublin will assist you in designing the internship opportunity in a way that will be attractive for potential applicants and allow you to target specific competences and skills.
• The recruitment process TU Dublin will promote the opportunity to all eligible TU Dublin students. Applications will be received by TU Dublin, checked for eligibility, collated, and sent to you. Interviews can be conducted online or at your business location, TU Dublin can also arrange access to a suitable space. TU Dublin will provide guidance on the interview process to support you.
• Pre-internship orientation for mentors All intern mentors will be provided with a handbook to support their participation in IMMERSE. They will also receive a briefing from TU Dublin which will focus on advice to achieve business and student objectives from their participation.
• Pre-internship student intern preparation: TU Dublin provides all interns with pre-internship training that prepares them for working in the start-up environment, and sets out clear expectations with regards to their obligations during the internship.
• Support during the internship: Throughout the internship the students are monitored by the IMMERSE Internship Coordinator, who is also available to the mentors where issues arise.

How to get involved in IMMERSE?

Contact the IMMERSE Coordinator at gloria.rull@tudublin.ie to express your interest.

See IMMERSE Start-up Internship Programme information flyer .

Key Dates

• Closing date for internship opportunity submissions - 07 March 2022
• Launch of advertisement campaign to students - 14 March 2022
• Closing date for applications from students - 04 April 2022
• Candidates shortlisted for interview and interviews completed -  over the Easter Period
• Interns receive pre-internship preparation and training at TU Dublin - late May.
• Internships commence - from late May/early June.

The IMMERSE Programme is an initiative of the TU Dublin Partnerships Directorate and GROWTHhub. GROWTHhub is supported by the Higher Education Authority Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3.