HACU National Internship Program: Application Instructions

Version Date: 7 November 2014

Read these instructions carefully before starting your application.

Contents

1.0 Getting Help: FAQs and Help Desk

1.0 Getting Help: FAQs and Help Desk

The HNIP FAQs are located at http://www.hacu.net/hacu/Frequently_Asked_Questions2.asp.

If you need to contact HACU for assistance in completing the HNIP Application, please complete the
Help Desk form at http://www.hacu.net/helpdesk. Be sure to include as much detailed information as
possible.

2.0 UserID and Password Issues

Your UserID will be the email address that you submit during registration. Be sure to use an email
address that you will have long-term access to because once you are entered into the application
system, that e-mail address will be associated with your social security number and you will not be able
to create another account.

If you forget your password, go to the login page (http://www.hacu.net/applicantportal), enter your
UserID, then click “Login.” Your password will be sent to the email address submitted during registration
(also reflected as your UserID).

Note: If you have applied to any HNIP session prior to Fall 2010, your previous UserID and password will
not work in the new application system. You will need to complete a Help Desk form to retrieve your
new UserID and password.

3.0 Required Documentation

Please plan accordingly! We recommend that you work on obtaining a valid enrollment verification and
a valid set of transcripts (to later be scanned and uploaded to your application) before you begin the
entire process. This can be the most laborious section of the application to complete as many
institutions take several weeks to process requests for official documentation. Click here for a
comprehensive set of guidelines on what makes the aforementioned documents valid.

DO NOT have your school mail your documents to the HACU office!
4.0 Application Instructions

To access your application, visit the following URL: http://www.hacu.net/hacu/Apply_Online.asp.

The application consists of seven parts. All of the information requested in this application serves to help
us match you to internships that best suit your goals, interests, and qualifications. The sections are as
follows:

1. Basic Demographics
2. Emergency Contact
3. Educational Background
4. Resume
5. Work History
6. Essay
7. Required Documentation Download and Survey

You can always save and close your application to return to it at a later time. When you come back to
complete your application, go into the last section you completed. At the bottom of the page there is a
button titled ‘save and advance to next section’, click there in order to continue to the next section.
However, please do not use the “back” button on your web browser while you are in the application.
Doing so will corrupt any information you’ve entered and delay the processing of your application.

4.1 Basic Demographics

In this section, you will be asked to include an email address (which will serve as your UserID) and create
a password. You have the option of filling out additional information about yourself, including, for
example, whether or not you have undergone a security clearance.

When entering your address, the “City” field will be pre-filled for you when you enter in the first few
letters of the city name. You may have to wait a few seconds for a list of cities to appear.

After you select the name of your city, the state and country will be pre-filled for you. If your city is not
listed, you may also type the name of the city, then manually select the state in which your city is
located.

4.2 Emergency Contact

If you are selected for an internship, this person will be our primary point of contact in case you are
involved in an emergency situation.

When entering your address, the “City” field will be pre-filled for you when you enter in the first few
letters of the city name. You may have to wait a few seconds for a list of cities to appear.

After you select the name of your city, the state and country will be pre-filled for you. If your city is not
listed, you may also type the name of the city, then manually select the state in which your city is
located.

4.3 Educational Background

You will be asked to provide a list of colleges and universities that you have attended and/or are
currently attending. The earliest a Fall program applicant may graduate is December of the year of the
internship. The earliest a spring or summer program applicant may graduate is May of the internship
year.
When entering the name of the school, the “School Name” field will be pre-filled for you when you enter
in the first few letters of the name of the institution. You may have to wait a few seconds for the list of
institutions to appear. The search will generate a list of schools that contain all of the words you have
typed in. For example, entering “California" will generate a list of ALL schools that have “California” in
the name such as “University of California at Berkeley”, “California State University Fullerton”, etc. Also
note that the name of the institution may be in Spanish and may have accents or other special
characters.

If your school is not included in the list provided, please contact the helpdesk at
www.hacu.net/helpdesk . If your major is not included in the list provided, please choose the major
most closely related to your field of study.

4.4 Resume

You are not required to upload or mail in your personal resume.

There are seven parts of the resume section that you will need to complete. This information will help us
match you to internships that would best meet your needs and interests.

1. Career Objective (required): You are allowed to write 255 characters relating to your career
goals. Your career objective should be simple and direct. Use any reference materials to help
you develop this section of the application.

2. Work Field Experience: Choose from the list of work experience fields. You may choose multiple
fields.

3. Basic Study Fields (required): Choose from the list of academic fields. You may choose multiple
fields.

4. Special Skills, Volunteer Work, and/or Certifications (required): This section should include, but
is not limited to, your computer, communication, laboratory techniques, and research skills.

5. Languages: Make a selection (or selections) from the list of languages provided.

6. Affiliations (required): Include any student clubs, national organizations, etc. with which you are
affiliated or awards/scholarships you have received in the past.

*Please note that you are not required to include any organizations that may indicate your
religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, or ethnic, racial, or national identity.

7. Advisor Name (required): HNIP requires at least one advisor email from you for our records.
This should be a staff or faculty member from your campus.

4.5 Work History

Work history can include jobs, significant volunteer/community experience, or research experience.
Though similar to the “resume” portion of the application, this section allows you to speak more
specifically and at greater length about past jobs or volunteer efforts.
4.6 Essay

Please write an essay of 500 words at minimum addressing the three questions below:

1. What is your personal motivation for applying to the HACU National Internship Program?
2. What are your academic and/or career goals?
3. What skills can you bring to an employer and what skills would you like to focus on throughout
the internship?

Note: Naming a particular agency or corporation with whom you'd like to work is not recommended as
we will be referring your application to all agencies through whom you might gain meaningful work
experience. Specifying agencies with whom you’d prefer to work could reduce your chances of being
selected for an internship.

4.7 Required Documentation Download and Survey

Before you submit your application, you must scan and upload a valid set of the below documents as
PDF, JPG, or TIF files; other file types will not upload properly. Please click here for a comprehensive set
of guidelines on what makes the following documents valid.

1. Enrollment Verification
2. Official Transcripts (or transcripts issued by your institution on heat-sensitive security paper)
3. Letter of Recommendation from a department chair, professor, or academic advisor

Note: Do not mail your enrollment verification, transcripts or letter of recommendation to our office.
Most school libraries or office resource stores (e.g. Kinkos) already have the tools and capabilities
necessary to scan and upload documents to your application. If you have your own scanner and need
FREE software to generate PDF documents, you may find it at the following site:
http://www.cutepdf.com/.

The survey in this section is used to help improve HNIP’s recruitment efforts and will not affect your
application in any way. Once this section is complete, be sure to click the “submit” button beneath the
summary of each section of the application (top of the page)*—this is the final step of the application
process.

*Be advised of the following three things before submitting your application:

1. You should not submit your application if one or both of the required documents do not
follow the aforementioned validity guidelines.

2. You will not be able to edit your application after it has been submitted.

3. Withdrawing your application means that you no longer want to be considered for an
internship. Do not withdraw your application if you want to edit it. Once submitted, the
application cannot be edited. Only click the “Withdraw” button if you are no longer available
to participate in the session for which you applied.