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Orientation Internship Posting

University of Alabama at Birmingham

May 11-August 7, 2026 (dates flexible)

Training ideally will begin earlier over Zoom (dates TBD)

 

Job Description: Work as a paraprofessional member of the orientation staff team by sharing responsibility for the supervision of 20 student Orientation Leaders. Participate in behind-the-scenes planning and evaluation of orientation programming for freshmen, transfers, and parents/family members. Take an active role in presenting mandatory information directly to incoming freshmen. Work closely with professional staff to shape this experience to the orientation-specific professional skills you seek to develop. Additional benefits include opportunities to observe/network with staff from other departments on UAB’s campus as well as other regional university campuses during the summer. 

 

We are proud of the program we offer! Our 2023 Intern won the Outstanding NODA Intern Award at the 2023 annual conference. She said about her experience, "From my first interview with the UAB NSO staff, I knew Birmingham was where I needed to be for the summer! My summer was perfect —thanks to the amazing team of professionals and student leaders I had the opportunity to work alongside. Gaining countless experiences with public speaking, large scale event implementation, supporting the development of student leaders, and thousands of other skills, this internship experience has guided my development as a well-rounded incoming professional! The closeness of our smaller team allowed me to witness the immediate impact of my contributions, making me feel genuinely valued in every orientation session. Here at UAB NSO, you know you will be supported, valued, and loved every day. Thanks to this internship opportunity, I feel confident in my skills working with students, families, and professional staff members.”

 

A past Intern said about her experience at UAB, “When I was pacing around my office wondering what to do about this summer, I simply could not picture myself saying no to UAB. And my gut was right. The staff became a family for me, and I am positive that I got the better end of the deal with my orientation team. I only hope the orientation leaders learned as much from me as I learned from them.”

 

Another former intern stated, “My time as the Orientation Intern with Blazer Beginnings was one of the biggest opportunities for growth I have had throughout my graduate and undergraduate experience. I was able to lead my own orientation sessions, create and lead trainings for Orientation Leaders, network with many offices on UAB’s campus, and overall have responsibility that gave me first-hand experience on what it is like to be a full time orientation professional. The Orientation team at UAB is such a fun and warm group of individuals to work with, who welcomed me and made every effort to make Birmingham feel like my home for the summer. This internship is so unique in the way I was able to have autonomy over my projects, build strong connections with my students, and really feel valuable as part of a small team. The culture of the office is upbeat, exciting, and the team spirit was genuine and uplifting to work with. Because of this internship, I feel confident in my skills to work in an orientation office in the future, and am proud of the impact I made in shaping students’ lives.”

 

Responsibilities include:

  • Serve the New Student Programs Office as a paraprofessional member of the orientation staff
  • Assist in the training of the 17 undergraduate Orientation Leaders (OLs) and 3 Orientation Leader Coordinators (OLCs)
    • Assist in the final preparation and implementation of Orientation Leader training 
    • Assist in developing spirit/morale-boosting activities 
    • Provide mid-summer workshop(s) for the student staff that align with your skills and interests
    • Serve as a role model for student staff
  • Participate in the day-to-day administration of the orientation program with concurrent parent/family programming
    • 15 2-day, on-campus summer orientation sessions for first-time freshmen 
    • 5 1-day summer orientation sessions for transfer and non-traditional students
      • 4 on campus and 1 virtual
  • Assist with the preparation and evaluation of each freshman and transfer session
  • Help to coordinate various aspects of the orientation and Orientation Leader program
  • Create the duty roster for each orientation session, outlining that session’s responsibilities for each Orientation Leader
  • Coordinate the Student Organizations and Services Expo
  • Develop public speaking skills by presenting a portion of the mandatory learning material at each freshman session
  • Assist in providing a welcoming experience for students and their families
  • Assist with New Student Programs social media content as needed
  • Collaborate with New Student Programs staff to develop new ideas and accomplish any duties not specifically assigned

 

Opportunities extend beyond UAB orientation. The intern will have the opportunity to:

  • Shape this experience to the orientation-specific professional skills which they seek to develop coming into the internship
  • Build on-campus network/contacts through working relationships and individual professional development meetings
  • Observe and network with other regional university campuses by observing another university's orientation program
  • Attend the NODA Spring Learning Conference as a member of the UAB orientation staff, if available. UAB will cover the cost of registration fees, hotel, and travel (from Birmingham to conference in Tampa, FL). Note: Intern must be hired by UAB before the date of the conference for UAB to cover these costs.

 

Remuneration:  Hourly pay of $10.00 per hour, 40 hours per week (Pay will be taxed.)  

Meals provided during on-campus orientation programs 

$250 meal stipend for additional on-campus meals

Housing is included in a fully furnished on-campus residence hall which includes cable, internet, and an in-suite kitchen and bathroom. You will likely have a suitemate, but bedrooms are private.

 

Other Benefits: Free Parking

Recreation Center Use

Dedicated work space

 

Qualifications and Experience: Candidate must have completed a Bachelor’s Degree by the start of the internship. Applicants should be proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. The candidate must possess strong communication skills, an attention to detail, and a positive attitude. Orientation experience is desirable but not required.

 

Institution Location: Birmingham is Alabama's largest city with a metropolitan population just under one million. Concerts, sports, cultural events, great restaurants, and unique shopping are available a short distance from campus. Because UAB is centrally located, you do not have to go far from campus to hit the highlights. We are only 3.5 hours from the beach, 3 hours from Nashville, 2.5 hours from Atlanta, and 5 hours from the Smoky Mountains. UAB continues to attract the best and brightest students from around Alabama, the nation, and more than 100 countries around the globe. The student body is nearly 69 percent full-time, and more than 70 percent of freshmen live on campus. The average ACT score of entering students continues to trend upward, consistently besting state and national averages.

 

Enrollment and Points of Pride: 

  • UAB has a population of about 21,000 with 12,000 of our students being undergraduates. 
  • We’ve been named a Diversity Champion by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. UAB is one of only 16 colleges and universities in the nation identified as a champion. We are also one of just 13 institutions ranked as national leaders in racial and gender diversity representation in leadership, according to a 2021 report by the Women’s Power Gap (WPG) Initiative. 
  • UAB received $774.5 million in research grants and extramural awards in 2023 and consistently receives more National Institute of Health funding than the rest of the state’s universities combined. 
  • Forbes named UAB one of the top 3 America's Best Large Employers for 2023, putting us near the top of a list of more than 500 public and private corporations, hospitals, universities and more across dozens of industries.