Overview
The Enternship program gives Bentley students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience by working with small, innovative companies, often early-stage startups. Similar to a traditional internship, Enternships are structured, paid experiences where students contribute to day-to-day operations while also gaining exposure to the entrepreneurial process. Beyond building functional skills in areas like marketing, operations, or finance, Enterns develop a deeper understanding of how startups navigate real-world challenges, helping them build both industry knowledge and an entrepreneurial mindset.
What is an Enternship?
An Enternship is a structured, experience that gives students the opportunity to work with high-growth startups and gain hands-on learning beyond a traditional internship. As an Entern, you will (a) work with a start-up during the summer weeks, and (b) get paid for doing the work and participating in the experience. The sponsoring organizations will look for you to engage with their day-to-day operations and assign you specific tasks (in functional areas such as marketing, operations, accounting). However, they will also provide you opportunities to participate in the entrepreneurial process. You will cultivate new skills and a new attitude that will propel you towards your own venture.
Alum Lead
Ready to land an Enternship? All available Enternships will be posted on Handshake. If you do not have an account yet, activate your account.
How it works:
- Search on Handshake. Log into your Handshake account and use the keyword “Enternship” in the search bar to view all current opportunities.
- Review the role. Each posting will outline the responsibilities, expectations, and any required application materials.
- Prepare your application. Submit your resume along with any additional materials requested in the posting.
- Write your essay. As part of your application, include a short essay explaining what you will contribute to the sponsoring organization and how the Enternship will support your own entrepreneurship journey.
- Submit your application. Follow the standard Handshake application process to apply directly to the role.
Search for Enternships Sample Enternship Essay
"If you don't see an opening that fits, you may also propose your own - see 'Find Your Own Enternship' tab."
Can't find a posted Enternship that fits where you want to go? You can now propose your own. If you already know the startup you want to learn from or you're willing to find one - you can approach them directly and bring the opportunity back to us for approval.
How it works:
- Find a startup. Identify a company near where you'll be this summer that meets the Enternship eligibility criteria: 10–100 employees, in operation for no more than 10 years, operating in a high-growth sector such as technology, health, or consumer services.
- Make your pitch. Reach out to the company directly. Introduce yourself as a Bentley student and explain that the E-Hub will cover 50% of your compensation through our cost-sharing program making you significantly more accessible than a traditional intern hire.
- Build the position together. Work with the company to develop a position description that reflects meaningful, entrepreneurially relevant work.
- Submit for E-Hub approval. Bring the startup and position description to the E-Hub for review. We'll vet the company and, once approved, coordinate the formal posting through Handshake.
- You're the applicant. Once the position is posted, you apply as the only candidate.
Are you a start-up?
The E-Hub seeks small, innovative companies that are eager to offer hands-on learning experiences through the Enternship initiative. We anticipate the as a sponsor, the company will foster a creative and entrepreneurial environment where students can actively contribute to meaningful projects and gain practical insight into the startup world.
Eligibility:
To qualify for the program, a sponsoring company should:
- Have between 10 to 100 employees.
- Be in operation for no more than 10 years.
- Operate in innovative and high-growth industries such as technology, health, consumer services, or other verticals.
- Be committed to providing hands-on learning experiences and mentoring students.
If you are interested in sponsoring but your company does not meet all the criteria, we encourage you to make the argument that your company can provide a suitable Enternship experience. This may happen, for example, if your company is starting a new line of business that you will operate like a start-up, your company manages an investment portfolio of multiple start-ups so you can place the student in one of the start-ups.
An Enternship is a 12-week summer experience, similar in duration to a traditional internship, where students work closely with high-growth startups. The program is supported through a collaboration between participating companies, the Entrepreneurship Hub (E-Hub), Bentley alumni, and the Pulsifer Career Development Center.
The E-Hub manages the process of sourcing opportunities, working with startups, and matching students with Enternship roles. In addition to applying to existing opportunities, students also have the option to take initiative by identifying a startup they are interested in and proposing their own Enternship experience. In these cases, the E-Hub reviews the opportunity, works with the company to ensure it meets program criteria, and facilitates the formal process. The program anticipates offering a limited number of Enternships each summer, ensuring a focused and high-quality experience for both students and participating organizations.
Student (Entern) Responsibilities
The student, once hired as an Entern, is responsible for ensuring that they participate in the Enternship experience well and fully as laid out in their agreement with the sponsor. During this time, in addition to (a) the work tasks they will engage in as a part of the Enternship, and (b) the mentoring they will seek from the sponsoring company about their own startup, the students will also:
- Maintain a weekly journal of activities and reflections (suggested length 3-5 sentences)
- Participate in mid-summer email or phone call or zoom call discussions with the E-Hub or others at Bentley (if asked)
- Prepare a summary of your activities and reflections at the end of 10 weeks (suggested length: 1 page)
- Upload the summary of your activities and reflections
- Create and upload a video describing what you learned, liked, found challenging (suggested: 2-3 minutes as a zoom recording).
- Write a thank you note to the alumni supporting the initiaive (if asked)
Sponsor (Company) Responsibilities
The sponsor, once they hire one or more enterns, is responsible for (a) ensuring that meaningful tasks and activities are assigned to the entern, (b) periodic mentoring such as discussions and guidance about the startup the entern is building, and (c) timely payment of Enternship wages to the student as laid out in their offer of enternship to the student. In addition, the sponsor will also:
- Submit monthly invoices to Bentley for reimbursement based on the cost-sharing agreement
- Respond to requests for feedback and progress from the E-Hub (if asked)
E-Hub (Coordinator) Responsibilities
The E-Hub will coordinate with internal stakeholders at Bentley (Pulsifer Career Development Center, Bentley Finance, and Advancement) to ensure that (a) the sponsoring organizations are supported during the posting of enternship opportunities, (b) the students are supported during the search and offer/acceptance stages, and (c) the ongoing enternships are monitored for both, the sponsor and the student. In addition, the E-Hub will also ensure that the cost-sharing reimbursement mechanisms (committed to the sponsor) are honored in a timely manner.
An Enternship is primarily an experiential learning opportunity. The E-Hub encourages the students to consider the Enternship not only as a stepping stone to full-time employment within the startup but rather, an opportunity to learn by participating within this startup. Startups participating in this program are, therefore, committed to fostering an environment, where they can benefit from the expertise of the student, and help the student take first steps in the start-up world (without the expectation of offering jobs afterward).
A high-quality enternship experience in a start-up actively integrates the student into the real work of building and growing the venture. The entern is treated as a junior contributor rather than temporary labor: they are exposed to decision-making discussions, entrusted with well-scoped but meaningful responsibilities, and encouraged to apply their skills, curiosity, and judgment to real problems the company is trying to solve. The experience emphasizes learning, ownership, and impact while recognizing that the pace and ambiguity of a start-up environment are themselves part of the educational value.
Some examples of a good internship experience (not a comprehensive list):
- Participation in team meetings, customer discussions, or strategy conversations, with context provided so the student understands why decisions are being made.
- Ownership of a defined project or problem (e.g., market research, prototype testing, data analysis, process improvement) that contributes directly to the start-up’s goals.
- Work aligned with the student’s skills and strengths, with opportunities to stretch into new areas under guidance.
- Regular feedback, mentoring, and informal coaching from founders or senior team members.
- Exposure to multiple aspects of the venture (product, customers, operations, fundraising, or growth), not just a single narrow task.
Some examples of experiences that are not appropriate (not a comprehensive list):
- Assigning the student primarily to clerical, errand-based, or personal tasks (e.g., photocopying, running errands, making coffee).
- Repetitive busywork with no clear learning objective or connection to the start-up’s mission.
- Excluding the entern from discussions and context, treating them as invisible or interchangeable labor.
- Lack of supervision, feedback, or intentional learning goals for the internship period.
