Internship Program
Consistently voted one of the “Best Places to Work in Reno” over the past several years, Microsoft Licensing, GP again demonstrated its commitment and value to the University of Nevada, Reno and to the economic health of Northern Nevada by hiring seven university students across multiple disciplines to serve nine-month internships in various departments throughout the organization. This is the fifth round of interns since Microsoft Licensing, GP introduced the program in 2008. The winter/spring class is much smaller than the traditional fall class.
Microsoft Licensing, GP’s rigorous screening, application and interview process began in June. More than 80 students applied, and the eleven chosen interns were notified of their July 18 start date in early July. Despite the tough economy, these eleven students are filling impactful roles in a real business setting, working on projects such as channel management, project management or process improvement. The interns will fill these roles for nine months.
“We give our interns real work – work we would expect a full-time employee to do,” Bill Boyd, Microsoft Licensing, GP program manager and intern program lead said. “We give students a really great business experience they can take anywhere.”
Boyd said the goal of the program initially was to give back to the community by providing students a six-month internship working for a Fortune 50 corporation. The program has expanded internships to a nine-months duration, and Boyd said the quality of the interns coming out of the university is a testament to the quality educational system the University of Nevada, Reno has developed. This has created a bench from which Microsoft has been able to hire several interns into full-time positions, keeping some of the best and the brightest students from the university in Reno. With several university alumni employed at Microsoft Licensing, GP the company continues to provide a blueprint to develop market-ready candidates in the local community.
Microsoft Licensing, GP has worked closely with the university during the company's eleven years in Reno to build a strong academic-corporate relationship and continues to build that relationship by recruiting interns exclusively from the University of Nevada, Reno. Initially, interns were drawn from the College of Business. Jeff Marshall, Microsoft Licensing, GP university relations team lead, University of Nevada, Reno alumnus and former Microsoft Licensing, GP intern, began actively recruiting speech/communication students in 2009, and in 2010 two students from the Reynolds School of Journalism were accepted into the program.
“The success we had with our first interns has added a lot of credibility to the program,” Boyd said. “As students demonstrate their knowledge, passion and desire to succeed, other business units across our site want to participate. This provides additional opportunities for our interns.”
Microsoft Licensing, GP currently offers internship opportunity in the following seven disciplines: Channel Management, Financial Planning and Analysis, General administrative, IT Operations, Operations Leadership, Program Management, and Supply Chain.
