Innovate with Us

EMC employs a range of talents across multiple disciplines to address issues directly related to our partners’ needs and interests. Business students lead student production teams and lend marketing skills; Education and Psychology students inform content creation for best learning practices; Game Studio, App Development, Computer Science, Graphic Design & Visual Communication, and Filmmaking students all develop media components for Center projects. Students interested in physical prototyping can also get involved with our affiliated Makerspace and work on collaborative physical-digital projects.

  • student using a drawing tablet
  • a student tests out a mobile game on a tablet at the senior game show
  • student shows child virtual reality headset

The EMC offers you a unique opportunity to get hands-on, real-world experience while still in college. Work at the EMC is paid employment, outside of your academic work, that offers you a stepping stone to the professional workplace.

  • You will apply, enhance, and expand what you’re learning in your major and work in cross-disciplinary teams, just like you will in industry.
  • Using a human-centered design approach and agile development methodologies, you will think critically, take risks, understand process, and reflect on your practice, both individually and in community.
  • You will build workplace-readiness skills (“hard” technical skills and “soft” interpersonal skills) while bolstering your resumé and portfolio.

Note: new opportunities are generally listed in August for fall semester employment, December for spring semester employment, and April for summer employment.

FAQs

  • The EMC hires students with a broad range of skills, from first semester through the summer after graduating. While positions cannot be guaranteed to students without foundational skills in their discipline of interest, the center thrives when younger students can be mentored by experienced employees. This ensures a smooth transfer of knowledge from one project team to another, in addition to providing a unique learning opportunity.

    Sometimes students without much experience, but with enthusiasm to learn, find a good fit in our First- and Second-Year Co.Lab position or a junior-level position.

    You must be a Champlain College student to apply.

    Jobs are offered as work-study, regular part-time employment, and internships.

  • The Emergent Media Center conducts an application and interview process prior to hiring any student employee similar to what you will encounter in the professional workforce. The process starts at least two weeks prior to each semester.

    • Available positions are posted through Handshake, with more information on job descriptions here. Both Handshake and the job descriptions will lead you to the Application Form. These positions are open to all current Champlain students and sometimes recent graduates.
    • Apply as soon as possible. Positions are often filled on a first-qualified, first-hired basis before the end of our submission window.
    • As part of the application process, students will sign up for an interview time. All applicants will have the ability to sign up for an interview. Interviews are held at the EMC or virtually. As good practice, please arrive a few minutes before your scheduled interview time and don’t forget to factor in transportation time.
    • Depending on the position, a second round of interviews may take place, and applicants may also be issued a challenge to complete shortly after the interview.
    • Job offers and rejections are issued via email to every applicant. If hired, students are expected to complete paperwork/HR processes and begin filling their positions as soon as possible.
  • Most, but not all, positions at the EMC require three key pieces: an application, resume and sample work. A cover letter is required for third and fourth-year students and encouraged for first and second-year students. Career Collaborative has a wealth of helpful resources for preparing your resume and cover letter.

    Sample work is required for many positions. The application will show the ability to upload sample work if it’s required. It should include TWO pieces that reflect the applicant’s current skill set and show an investment or passion for learning and growing. These pieces DO NOT have to be polished, finished, published, or portfolio-quality pieces; however, care should be taken not to show content that is fundamentally broken or may be considered offensive. Sample work should be able to open on any computer without specific programs, such as Visual Studio or Unity (jpg instead of psd, exe instead of fla). Keep the file size minimal. Work can either be URLs pasted or files uploaded to the application. Sample work may also include a task issued by the EMC specific to the positions posted.

    Examples of sample work include, but are not limited to: Writing (fiction or non-fiction), games, “vertical slices”, game design documents, audio files, short films, art reels, 2D art (digital or traditional), 3D art, interactive media pieces, mobile apps, motion graphics, code, websites, professional social media and blog posts, digital or print-based graphic design pieces, or anything else that demonstrates your skills.

  • The EMC is housed within the Miller Center at the Lakeside Campus. Shuttle buses run continuously from the main campus to Lakeside throughout regular business hours. You can find more details and directions to the EMC here.

  • We often have many more applicants than we do job openings. Our projects and needs change on a semesterly basis. We hire for fall, spring, and summer semesters. When students are not offered a position, it doesn’t mean that they are unwelcome at the EMC! Always reapply for future positions or come in and discuss other ways to be involved.

More questions?
With questions specific to employment at the EMC, please email us at emc@champlain.edu or call at 802-383-6650.

Applying to and working at the EMC was the smartest career decision I made while at Champlain College. From day one, you’re thrown right into working on real projects for real clients, and I can’t think of better preparation for the industry than working in this bright, healthy, student-driven environment.
Alex Tardif ’13, Computer Science & Innovation Major // Game Programming Minor

Emergent Media Center

Miller Center at Lakeside Campus, 1st Floor
175 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401
Monday – Friday
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM