Gig-Training Program

A: The sites participating in this fall program will open their roles via our Hire-A-Niner platform beginning Monday, December 9th, 2024. Roles will close on Friday, January 10th, 2025. Roles will close as they are filled within this timeframe.

A: Most undergraduate students, generally those in their sophomore, junior, or senior years, are eligible to participate, provided there are no specific experience requirements related to their major or class standing for the role.

A: No. Due to University policy, short-term projects are not eligible for academic credit.

A: Pay close attention to your emails (both personal and student)! A member from the Career Center (or selected site) will contact you directly via email to arrange for an interview.  

If selected, you will go through our internal onboarding process. This will require that you coordinate a meeting with HR and bring all appropriate onboarding documents. Please see the Student Employment Website for a complete list of acceptable documents.

After completing onboarding, formal start and completion dates will be arranged and communicated to both the site and the student.

A: This program is facilitated by the Career Center and your best point of contact would be Tyler Calloway.

A: Placements are projected to begin on Monday, September 23rd and all hours are expected to be completed by Friday, December 13th.

A: After completing the Student Employment onboarding process (which will provide you with access to our Web Time Entry system) you will be advised of how many hours you’re permitted to work each week. As the student, you will be responsible for logging your hours each day/week and will be paid on the same schedule as any University employee would be (twice monthly).

A: Roles can be in-person on campus or at an external site, hybrid, or fully remote! The location of each role will be indicated in the Gig Training post on Hire-A-Niner and can vary. Please be prepared to commute to whichever location is identified in the posting if there are in-person requirements.

A: Not necessarily. The answer to this question lies within the post itself. Some roles will have extraordinary flexibility and allow you to work whenever you’d like and others may require that work be completed within the standard hours of operation.

A: In short, no. We want to assure that as many students have an opportunity to participate as possible and to assure that no student is overextended!

A: You get to choose which opportunity suites you best, but you can only select one!

A: Every project will be tailored to the specific requirements of the department or organization, aiming to address an existing or anticipated business requirement.

 

For example:

• Market Research Report: Conduct research on a specific industry or market segment. Gather data on market size, trends, competitors, and customer preferences. Prepare a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations
• Social Media Marketing Campaign: Develop a social media strategy for a business. Create content calendars, design posts, and schedule them for publication. Monitor engagement metrics and provide an analysis of campaign effectiveness
• Business Process Optimization: Identify inefficiencies in a business process (e.g., inventory management, customer service workflow). Propose improvements, implement changes where feasible, and document the impact on efficiency
• Website Development or Redesign: Design and build a website for a small business or improve an existing website. Focus on user experience, SEO optimization, and mobile responsiveness
• Financial Analysis and Forecasting: Analyze financial statements (e.g., balance sheet, income statement) of a business. Create financial models to forecast future performance based on different scenarios. Provide insights and recommendations
• Product Development or Innovation: Research and develop a new product idea or improve an existing product. Create prototypes, conduct market testing, and outline a go-to-market strategy
• Customer Satisfaction Survey and Analysis: Design and conduct a survey to assess customer satisfaction and loyalty. Analyze survey results, identify key drivers of satisfaction, and recommend actionable improvements
• Event Planning and Management: Plan and organize a business event or workshop. Coordinate logistics, manage invitations, and oversee on-site execution. Evaluate event success and gather feedback from participants
• Content Creation for Marketing: Develop marketing materials such as blog posts, case studies, or promotional videos. Focus on storytelling and align content with business objectives and target audience
• Business Plan Development: Create a comprehensive business plan for a startup idea or an existing small business. Include sections on market analysis, strategy, financial projections, and risk management.

As part of the Gig Training Program, we expect students to maintain professionalism and integrity throughout their placement. To ensure a positive experience for all parties, the following guidelines are in place:

Responsiveness:
Students are required to maintain regular communication with both their employer/site and the Career Center. Failure to respond to inquiries or provide status updates in a timely manner may result in disciplinary action.

Falsification of Timesheets:
Any instance of falsifying timesheets or submitting inaccurate hours will result in immediate action. If it is determined that time has been falsely reported, the student will be subject to disciplinary action, including removal from the program.

Proof of Work Completion:
Students must be able to provide proof of work completed upon request. This may include, but is not limited to, work logs, project submissions, or confirmation from the employer/site. If a student is unable to demonstrate that work has been completed, this will be considered grounds for removal from the program.

Disciplinary Action:
If a student is found to be unresponsive, has falsified timesheets, or is unable to provide proof of work completion, they will be immediately removed from the program and prohibited from applying for any Gig Training placements through Hire-A-Niner for the following semester.

These rules are designed to uphold the professional standards of the program and ensure that both students and employers have a positive and productive experience. Please direct any questions to the Career Center for clarification.