I had never heard about micro-internships myself before working at the Center for Career Development, but they are great ways to build industry skills during a short-term experience. During the Spring 2023 semester, I was looking for some ways to add experience and skills to my résumé but didn’t have time to add another part-time job to my already busy schedule. The partnership between the Center for Career Development and Parker Dewey gave me the opportunity to focus on skills specific to the marketing and communication fields in a flexible and accessible manner.
What is Parker Dewey?
Parker Dewey is a platform that helps you build industry skills, explore career opportunities, and get paid for the projects that you complete. These projects can be on-site or remote, and usually ask for 15 hours of work for a $300 payment. There are plenty of opportunities for students of all majors and industry interests, and you can search for specific industries or jobs by keyword. After applying for a position, you will receive an email if you are selected and will receive more information about the project you applied for.
When you complete a project, payment is sent either as a physical check in the mail or through direct deposit, and you will need to create an account with their payroll system. It is important to note that you will need a Social Security Number (SSN), Employer Identification Number (EIN), or a valid Individual Taxpayer ID Number (ITIN) to participate and receive payment for the projects you complete. For more information about the payment process, check out Parker Dewey’s Payment FAQ page.
The Experience
I applied to an experience where I was asked to create a social media content calendar with a month’s worth of social media content based on information that the company would provide. After I received the notification that I was selected for the project, I also got a message through the Parker Dewey platform from the company asking to have a phone call to discuss in further detail. During that call, I spoke with the project supervisor, and she shared her ideas for content, brand guidelines and other useful information.
After being selected, I had about three weeks to complete the project, and I split up my hours based on when I had availability. The flexibility of the hours was especially helpful since I was also completing schoolwork and working at two other jobs. To help keep myself on track, I recorded my hours to make sure that I did exactly the 15 hours of work that I was contracted for. I did about 12-13 hours of work (creating graphics, writing captions, and scheduling them), then sent the prepared materials to the project supervisor to make sure that we were on the same page. After receiving feedback from the supervisor, I made adjustments and marked the project as complete on the Parker Dewey site- this is important as it will prompt the project supervisor to confirm so that you can receive payment.
Overall Takeaways
To support students participating in the micro-internships, each project supervisor can provide feedback which you will have access to under “Completed” opportunities. They provide responses on a set scale for Overall Satisfaction, Timeliness, Communication, Quality/Accuracy, Presentation, and Skill Level, and are also able to leave both public and personal comments.
“Lily was a pleasure to work with. She was professional and communicated sporadically throughout the project. Her social media posts were professional.”
-Supervisor for Parker Dewey Micro-Internship
Overall, I really enjoyed this opportunity and appreciated the ability to gain real work experience in a flexible environment. While it was not the traditional type of internship experience, I was still able to develop and strengthen communication and marketing skills in ways that were similar to past in-person internships I’ve had. One piece of advice I would give to students interested in participating in one of these experiences is to make sure that you keep track of your hours and how much time you spend each day- if it’s five hours a day for three days, or three hours a day for five, it’s important to record how much time you spend to make sure you’re working the full 15 hours.
For more information on micro-internships and other virtual experiences, visit our Gain Experience page on the Center for Career Development’s website.
