How it Works
For Students
Go to our Startup Tree portal, and fill out the IFM Intern Application. The application will ask you about your skills, the industries & projects you’re interested in, where you’re planning on living for the summer, and a few short essays & a video to get to know you better. Due to the number of students, we’ll be hiring, we do not conduct traditional interviews.
Once you’ve submitted your application and the deadline has passed, you’ll receive a link to our private job board where you’ll be able to research all of the opportunities Innovate for Maine has to offer for the summer. Most years students will get to choose 10 companies/projects that they’re interested in.
After the applicants have chosen their top companies and the committee has reviewed student applications, the applications are sent to each of the companies the students selected. From there, each of the companies will rank their choices and give feedback on their rankings. Finally, the Innovate for Maine team will finalize matches based on the company and student preferences, fit with the projects, and fit with the program. Learn more about the matching process here.
Once the final matches have been made, we’ll notify all students of their status with the program. If you’re selected to participate, you’ll be informed of your company and location, and you’ll be have a few days to accept or decline the offer.
If you’re chosen to become an Innovate for Maine fellow, you’ll be required to attend our 4-day boot camp in May at the University of Maine in Orono. During this time, you will develop a core set of skills that you will put to use and practice throughout your internship placement, you’ll learn about Maine’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and get to know your fellow interns. If you don’t live in the Bangor area, we will house you and feed you during boot camp. Learn more about boot camp here.
After you complete boot camp, you’ll start your internship placement in-person at your host company or at one of our two UMaine locations in Portland or Orono with other IFM fellows. During your internship, you’ll work days within the range of 8AM and 6PM (you are not expected to work that whole time), and you’ll have weekly check-ins with your UMaine supervisors and regular check-ins with your company supervisor. Throughout the summer, we’ll host IFM events, and we partner with Maine Career Catalyst for our students to attend professional development workshops, networking events, and more casual events with other interns around Maine.
