Internship Story Arcs

Internship Story Arcs

Eric M. Stauffer, M.Ed., ACC Guest Speaker - R1 Landgrant University July 30, 2025

Strategic Educator, Data Storyteller, and Systems Thinker

I’m an experienced leader at the intersection of education, data, and technology. With a background in instructional design, coaching, and program leadership, I specialize in transforming complex information into clear, actionable insights that support student success and institutional strategy. I’ve led large-scale learning and assessment technologies, built cross-functional partnerships, and brought structure to systems across higher education and corporate learning. I thrive in roles where data informs action, and where collaboration drives meaningful change.

Eric M. Stauffer, M.ED., ACC

I turn data into direction — building clarity, connection, and impact across people and systems.

CONNECTING PASSION WITH PURPOSE

Why This Role Aligns with My Purpose & Strengths

This role brings together everything I care about: using data to drive student success, building systems that make work more efficient and meaningful, and collaborating across teams to move strategy forward. I’ve always been drawn to roles where information can become insight — not just reporting outcomes, but translating them into action. Supporting career development through technology, assessment, and smart reporting feels like a natural extension of my purpose and expertise. Your commitment to student impact, data-informed decision-making, and collaboration across units speaks to the way I lead. I bring deep experience managing learning technologies, coaching stakeholders, and designing scalable solutions. I’m equally comfortable diving into data as I am guiding conversations across departments. I see this position as an opportunity to contribute at a high level — helping Career and Professional Development tell powerful stories and make strategic choices that benefit students and the institution.

When the right systems, tools, and people align — real progress happens. That’s the work I love most.

Thinking Like a Storyteller

Exploring Story Arcs in the Data

Before diving into the data, I wanted to be thoughtful about how to approach the story. The First Destination Survey covers a wide range of outcomes, from employment and graduate school to career services usage and student reflections. I started by exploring several potential paths, each with the goal of uncovering actionable insights that connect student experience to post-graduation outcomes. Rather than trying to analyze every variable, I focused on what would be most relevant to this role — data that not only tells a compelling story, but also suggests strategic opportunities for Career and Professional Development.

Guided by Purpose, Clarity, and Impact

My Approach to Data Analysis & Reporting

My process aligns with models like CRISP-DM and Kirk’s storytelling approach, but I’ve adapted it to higher education contexts where human impact and clarity matter as much as rigor. I always start with inquiry, explore ethically, and communicate insight in ways that support action.

Match the Message to the Medium. Use clear, audience-appropriate visuals. Avoid clutter. Every chart should answer a question or spark a conversation.

Start with a question. Let inquiry shape exploration. Every analysis begins with a focused question grounded in the audience’s needs.

Clean and Respect the Data. Handle missing values, filter irrelevant records, and preserve integrity. Transparency about limitations is key.

Humanize the Findings. Data represents people. Contextualize results and avoid reducing students to datapoints — insight leads to impact.

Think in Layers. Explore the data broadly, then dig deeper into meaningful intersections (e.g., by major, demographic, or outcome).

Validate and Share Responsibly. Double-check results. Share findings in ways that are accessible, equitable, and actionable.

First Destination Survey data 2024

Fields to Consider for Reporting & Visualization

Academic & Demographic

Career Experience

Compensation (Optional)

Post-Graduation Outcome

• Outcome
• Employment Category (e.g., Full-Time, Part-Time, Still Looking)
• Employment Type (e.g., Internship, Fellowship)
• Job Function (optional – if populated)
• Continuing Education School
• Continuing Education Major

• Internship
• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918273: Did you use career center resources?
• 918275: Would you do anything differently?

• Annual Salary
• Bonus Amount (if populated)

• Recipient Primary Major
• Recipient Primary College
• Recipient Gender
• Recipient Ethnicity
• Recipient First Generation

Undergraduate Outcomes (2024)

Career search oUTCOMEs

Continuing Education

Not Seeking

Military

Additional Items

Additional Items

918266: Where did you get advice about graduate or professional school? Check all that apply.

Additional Items

Military Branch

Specialization

Military Rank

Not Seeking Options (gap year)

Undergraduate Outcomes (2024)

Career search oUTCOMEs

Still Looking

Volunteering

Working

Additional Items

Still looking option

Additional Items

Next Slide

Job Position

Job Function

Undergraduate Outcomes (2024)

Career search oUTCOMEs

Working

Additional Items

918260: Regarding the job you accepted: Which best describes the way you first made contact with this employer?

918264: If you learned job search skills, where did you learn them? Check all that apply.

918262: Do you consider your job to be related to your career goals?

918265: Which best describes the extent to which you learned job search skills during college? I learned...

918261: Do you consider your job to be related to your college major?

918263: As best as you recall, how many job offers have you received?

918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?

918270: How many unpaid internships did you have?

918271: How many paid internships did you have?

Unpaid & Paid internships 2024

How Many Internships Do Students Have on Average? Are They Paid or Unpaid?

Unpaid Internships (n=494)

Paid Internships (n=1,788)

8.72%

16.44%

23.33%

48.60%

67.95%

34.96%

On the surface, it appears that most students who complete an internship report having only one. However, a substantial portion report having more than one: approximately one in three students with unpaid internships (n = 493) and about half of those with paid internships (n = 1,782) report having completed two or more. Additionally, there is a notable difference in the number of students who have had paid versus unpaid internships, with significantly more students reporting paid internship experiences.

to what extent are students mixing and Matching UNpaid and Paid Internships

Top five Internship Combinations

87% of students who report having had an internship, fall into one of these five internship experiences .

To make sense of internship outcomes, I began by identifying patterns in the raw data. After cleaning and combining responses across paid and unpaid internship types, five distinct experience profiles emerged. These five categories account for 87% of all reported internship combinations — providing a strong and focused lens for further analysis.

Info

Where Do They Go? Outcomes by Internship Experience

Once I identified the five most common internship combinations, I looked at how each group fared after graduation. The patterns reveal a clear story: students with more paid experience are more likely to secure employment. However, students with unpaid or mixed experiences more often pursue graduate school — or report still seeking an outcome at the time of the survey.

How Experience Pays Off: Salary by Internship Pathway

While the most common internship pathways offer solid starting salaries, they don’t represent the top of the pay scale. The highest-earning students consistently report three or more paid internships, often paired with additional unpaid experience. This contrast highlights a key insight: depth and frequency of paid experience drive earning potential — not just participation.

Top 5 Most Common Internship Combos (high-volume)

Top 5 Highest-Earning Internship Combos (regardless of frequency)

More Than One and Done

How Experience Volume Affects Earnings

1. High Earnings Are Strongly Linked to High Volume of Paid Internships

• Every combo in the top-earning group includes “Three+ Paid”

• More paid internships = more career capital, better outcomes, and better pay

“The clearest driver of salary in this dataset? Repeated paid experience. Students with three or more paid internships consistently report the highest earnings — often exceeding $80,000 annually.”

2. Unpaid Experience Can Add Value — But Only in Combination

• In the #1 combo, students had One Unpaid + Three+ Paid — and earned the most
• Other high earners also include mixed unpaid + high paid volume

“Interestingly, unpaid internships don’t drag salaries down when paired with robust paid experience. They may serve as entry points — a foot in the door that leads to better opportunities.”

3. The Most Common Paths Aren’t the Highest-Paying Ones

• While “One Paid” is the most common, it doesn’t lead to the top salaries
• Students need multiple experiences to fully benefit

“A single paid internship is common — and helpful — but not transformational. It's when students stack experiences that the salary impact becomes dramatic.”

~$69,000

11%

Who's Not Getting internships

Starting Salary

First-Gen Experience: Only 11% of first-gen students reported completing three or more paid internships — the category most strongly tied to top salaries.

Gender Gaps: In the most common internship pathway — one paid internship — men outnumbered women by 145 students. That’s not just a participation gap. It’s an access gap with financial consequences.

While paid internships are clearly tied to higher salaries and outcomes, not all students have the same access to them.

158 / 15 / 25

70 vs. <5

Racial/Ethnic Disparities: White students held 158 of the top-tier “Three+ Paid” internships — compared to just 15 Black and 25 Latino students. That’s a 6-to-1 ratio of White to Latino students and a 10-to-1 ratio of White to Black students.

When we disaggregate the data, early patterns suggest disparities based on gender, race/ethnicity, and major. This points to a critical opportunity: using data not just to report outcomes — but to design interventions that expand opportunity and close experience gaps.

Academic Major Disparities: Business and Engineering majors held over 70 of the top “Three+ Paid” internships — while most Humanities fields had fewer than 5 students in this high-value category.

Solvable Barriers

Item 918273. Top Five Reasons Students Did Not Complete an Internship

While some students gained experience elsewhere, many faced barriers to accessing internships that are solvable with better support and outreach.

These top five reasons highlight challenges we can address. CPD can increase visibility of search tools, offer flexible and off-cycle internship options, validate alternative experiences, and deliver just-in-time skill development. Each barrier points to a solvable problem — and an opportunity to expand access.

What is working with internships

1,963 of 3,814 respondents report having some type of intership experience.

Top 10 Majors by Internship Combos (Highest Volume)

Internships are happening — and they’re happening often. Across top majors, students are repeatedly engaging in paid career experiences, indicating that Career & Professional Development infrastructure is connecting students to high-impact opportunities. This success offers a strong foundation to build even more equitable access across all disciplines.

Over 50% of all students have had an internship experience during their academic careers at the university

While the process of data analysis often centers on cleaning, modeling, and visualizing data, its broader purpose should not be overlooked. Data analysis is a cornerstone of strategic decision-making, and it typically falls into five core categories.

What is the story we want to tell

• Descriptive – What happened?
• Diagnostic – Why did it happen?
• Predictive – What is likely to happen next
• Prescriptive – What should we do about it?
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) – How can machines optimize and automate decisions?

Each layer builds on the one before it. In this presentation, my focus was on descriptive and diagnostic insights — but these foundations can support predictive modeling and long-term strategic planning.

Thank You!

Eric M. Stauffer, M.Ed., ACC

ericmstauffer@gmail.com

www.skylinetalentdevelopment.com/

Collaborative Coaching

With a background in consulting, adult learning, and leadership coaching, I build strong partnerships and help teams navigate technological change with confidence.

NotSeeking

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

Item 918269: Internship Participation During College (N = 3,414)

1,968

Number of Students (Frequency)

922

524

By focusing on these five core pathways, we can ask better questions:

• Which students follow each route?
• What outcomes do they experience?
• How can we design support around these known patterns?

Military

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

Item 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("Paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend.) (n = 1,788 responses with no blanks)

Number of Students (Frequency)

Working

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

Systems Thinking

Whether managing a CRM (Handshake) or coordinating with IT and assessment teams, I thrive in roles where I can bring people and processes into alignment.

Still Looking

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

Item 918270: Number of Unpaid Internships (n = 494 respondents who provided a valid answer)

Number of Students (Frequency)

Data Storytelling

I use tools like Power BI, Tableau, QuestionPro, SPSS, SQL, and Excel to uncover patterns, clarify trends, and shape strategy. My focus is on turning data into decisions.

Volunteering

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

continuing education

Additional Items

• 918267: Did you have any type of career-related experience during college?
• 918268: You said you had career-related experience during college. Please check any of the types of experience listed below that you had. (Separate question about internships is next.)
• 918269: Did you have any type of internship during college (including paid, unpaid, or both)?
• 918270: How many unpaid internships did you have? ("unpaid" meaning no monetary compensation, such as wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918271: How many paid internships did you have? ("paid" meaning monetary compensation, including wage, salary, or stipend)
• 918272: You said you did not have any internships during college. Please check any of the following that are applicable to you.
• 918273: As you recall: During college did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center (Career and Professional Development)? (could include advising, workshops, publications, website, Handshake, employment interviews, books, etc.)
• 918275: If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
• 918274: If yes, please check all that apply. I wish I had...

Strategic Leadership

I’ve led cross-functional teams and built scalable systems across universities and organizations. I focus on clarity, cohesion, and results.

At Genially, we use AI (Awesome Interactivity) in all our designs, so you can level up with interactivity and turn your content into something that adds value and engages.

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