Management School Interns Gain Valuable Experience While Helping Area Companies Accomplish Key Goals

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Each summer, a small platoon of fresh-faced talent marches out into the Western New York business community, eager to exchange hard work for valuable resume credentials.

They are interns from the UB School of Management and their arrival is gratefully anticipated by area business owners and managers who hire the students to complete special projects, gather research or bolster their staffs.

More than 50 undergraduate and MBA students from the school began internships this month at a variety of private and not-for-profit organizations, including M&T Bank; People, Inc.; Dunn & Bradstreet, Xerox, Ingram Micro, the Buffalo Bisons, Catholic Health System, Trico Products, American Red Cross and the Internal Revenue Service.

"We never have had to market the services of our students; positive word of mouth has given us all the business we can handle," says Geraldine Kogler, director of the internship program at the School of Management. "Companies know that our students deliver real value in terms of what they can accomplish."

And because demand for the interns far exceeds supply, Kogler says there is an element of competition involved in hiring the students. Companies offering the most interesting assignments usually win.

The interns' projects this summer include sales and marketing research, database design, development of personnel handbooks, investigation of exporting opportunities and design of customer-service questionnaires.

MBA student Brian Crimi, for instance, is performing a cost analysis for the Catholic Health System. His suggestions for reducing costs and maximizing efficiency already have been implemented by the hospital system.

"Brian has had a big impact in just a few weeks," says his supervisor, Aimee Brace, vice president for primary care. "I'd hire him full-time if he wasn't going back to school."

As an intern with the Buffalo Bisons, undergraduate student Lauren Hartmayer is helping to promote special events, write advertising copy and manage sponsorships.

"Lauren is meeting business community leaders and is developing great contacts," says her supervisor, Jim Mack, a senior account executive with the ball club. "Half of the people who work here were once interns. It's a great entry into this business."

Most, but not all, of the interns are paid for their services by the sponsoring companies. And because each intern earns three credits for completing the internship, the school works closely with company supervisors to make sure that interns perform tasks that are beneficial to their education and career goals. The interns also are required to submit progress reports and a portfolio summarizing their experiences and accomplishments.

"Internship supervisors at the companies are like on-site professors because they play an important role in the student's professional development," Kogler says. "The companies enjoy being in touch with the university and they find it rewarding to be a part of a student's learning process."

Often the internships lead to job offers. Kogler estimates that the school's internship program -- one of the largest in the country -- places more than 300 interns throughout the year. Some years, nearly 40 percent of the students are offered a job by the sponsoring company at the conclusion of the internship, she says.

"The students get references, job leads and great professional experience," Kogler says. "The companies get enthusiastic workers who can accomplish important goals...and they get the opportunity to train their future employees and colleagues. It's a great situation for everyone."