The Office of Information Technologies (OIT) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is sponsoring the UMass Summer Computer Technology Internship Program for 2009.

OIT has identified as a clear priority the need to diversify both its staff and students in technology-related fields of study. Diversity can be defined as “differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation and geographical area.” Our program is intended to attract students of traditionally underrepresented minorities in order to provide them an opportunity to work in a technology-focused environment and encourage people to consider technology-related careers. We are prioritizing students from Massachusetts community colleges who could go on to matriculate at UMass.

The program introduces members of the student population of participating colleges to an inside, hands-on experience in the higher education environment by providing invaluable technical work experience during the summer of 2009. Participants in previous years have helped develop software training materials, tested the interface of a new software program that is used by all students and faculty at UMass, and worked with Computer Assisted Design software for telecommunications wiring systems.

Students who have completed this program have gone on to successful 4 year college careers at UMass and elsewhere, and on to jobs in various fields, with some coming back to work as technology professionals for OIT.

The experience will provide students with the opportunity to develop both technical and organizational skills by working in a large IT organization. OIT consists of approximately 170 employees, with a budget of $18M. OIT functions as the main technology support organization for approximately 26,000 students, 1,500 faculty and 5,000 staff on the Amherst campus.

The UMass Summer Computer Technology Internship Program will fund students from participating Massachusetts community colleges to work in a variety of technical positions within OIT from Monday, June 1, 2009 through Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

Jobs for Summer 2009 are:

• Business Continuity and Emergency Management Intern
• Software Support Consulting Services Intern
• Telecommunications - Cable Engineering and Design Intern
• Telecommunications - Technical Services Intern

Students can apply to up to two internships, but MUST supply a cover letter for each position indicating how the student fulfills the job qualifications listed on the job description.

Informational sessions will be held in February. Our Information Session Schedule will be available in February.

Interns are eligible for three academic pass/fail credits for their internship experience. Interns will be responsible for the approximate $635 in expense for the three credits.

Housing is available to interns starting on Sunday, May 31, 2009 through Wednesday, August 19, 2009. Students will reside in a single room in a residential hall on the UMASS Amherst campus. The program covers the cost of housing and a Summer Value Meal Plan which covers 60 meals. (A non-residential program is also available.)

Interns will receive a stipend of $375.00 per 37.5-hour workweek (paid hourly) for the 12 weeks of this program. Internship positions do not provide benefits such as health insurance coverage.

For compensation details see program FAQ’s .

Applications must include...

• A completed application form PDF 105K | Word 69K
• Cover letter(s) for each desired position indicating how the student fulfills the job qualifications
• An up-to-date resume
• The names and telephone numbers or email addresses of two references (a recent employer or instructor)
• An unofficial transcript

Need help writing your cover letter or resume? See our sample documents to see what we're looking for when reviewing applications.

• Sample Cover Letter (pdf, 60K)
• Sample Resume (pdf, 44K)

For more advice on preparing your application, we recommend that you visit the career advising office at your university. Monster.com (http://www.monster.com) and CareerBuilder.com (http://www.careerbuilder.com) are also great resources.

For compensation details see program FAQ’s .

Deadline & notification
The application deadline is Friday, March 06, 2009 . Applicants selected for interviews will be notified by March 27, 2009. Interviews will be scheduled during the week of March 30, 2009.

Where to submit your application
Submit applications and all supporting materials to UMass Summer Computer Technology Internship Program, OIT, A217, Lederle Graduate Reasearch Center Lowrise, 740 North Pleasant Street, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, 01003 or vern@oit.umass.edu

In this compilation video, some former summer interns describe their experiences in the UMass Summer Computer Technology Internship Program:

• Interns Video Testimonial

Read these five testimonials our interns wrote detailing their summers at UMass:

• I learned so much and did so many different things...
• Internships are an indispensible tool...
• Able to keep my skills fresh and growing in a positive environment...
• Gave me a chance to work in a new environment...
• Truly opened up my mind to unlimited possibilities...

You can help us spread the word about the UMass Summer Computer Technology Internship Program by printing out and distributing our promotional flier (pdf, 105K).

For more information, please contact Andrew Vernon (vern@oit.umass.edu), OIT Help Desk Manager.