Steppenwolf Named To TOP 10 U.S. Internships By Vault.com

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce that for the second consecutive year its Professional Leadership Program has been honored as one of the Top 10 Internships in America by leading career website Vault.com. Steppenwolf is joined this year by prestigious companies including GE, KPMG, Google, Inc., Garmin International, Smithsonian Institution, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, J.P. Morgan's Investment Bank, INROADS, Inc. and Capital Fellows Programs.

Vault.com, the web's most comprehensive resource for career intelligence, today announced the Top 10 Internships in America for 2010, as well as the Top 10 internship programs across a number of industries and categories, such as best perks and most unusual experiences - with Steppenwolf also being named among the Top 10 Creative/Liberal Arts Internships. For a complete list of winners, visit www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/topinternship.

Vault.com cited Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Professional Leadership Program as one of the top programs of the 785 internship programs profiled in the Vault Guide. Steppenwolf's program provides hands-on experience to those wanting to learn about the inner workings of professional theater from every angle. Participants work in administrative or production departments while Steppenwolf staff and artists function as mentors, guiding and instructing interns as they make the transition from student to professional. Through daily assignments and duties within a given department, professional development, volunteer opportunities and free tickets to productions, participants are offered the chance to learn from the finest professionals working in theater today.

Steppenwolf's Professional Leadership Program consists of three branches: a nine-month Apprenticeship (September through May), a three-month Summer Internship (June through August), and a two-year African American Fellowship (September through August). For all three professional development programs, Steppenwolf hires 39 individuals as apprentices, interns or fellows each year. For additional information about the Professional Leadership Program please visit http://www.steppenwolf.org/work.

"We are honored to be recognized by Vault.com for the high quality of our professional apprenticeship, fellowship and internship programs," comments Steppenwolf's General Manager David Schmitz. "To be recognized alongside foremost companies such as GE and Google is a tribute to our staff and artists who make this a great place to work for everyone. We are immensely proud of our contribution to the arts in developing leaders of the future, and will continue to work hard to make meaningful opportunities for young professionals at Steppenwolf," adds Schmitz.

Last September, Steppenwolf was also named one of the nation's Top Small Workplaces by the Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces. Steppenwolf was one of 15 winners announced from a pool of 330 initial applicants and 35 finalists.

According to Vault research, 50.4 percent of undergraduate career centers reported that the number of students applying to internships has increased in the past year. With an uncertain job market driving the competition for internships to unprecedented levels, the Vault Guide to Top Internships-released on December 28th-helps students sort through the confusion, and compete more successfully for internships of their choice. The guide provides students with an edge, offering profiles of 785 different internship programs that include employer information, hiring manager contact details, descriptions of the type of work available, application deadlines and tips on getting hired.

"This is the guide that started it all for Vault," said Vault.com Executive Vice President Yazad Dalal. "And now, the Vault Guide to Top Internships has become one of the most important resources for college students and graduates looking to enter a challenging job market. Internships provide the best opportunity to enter the work force and this guide will be the tool that gets you there."

Vault's editors select the Top 10 internships from a pool of hundreds that represent career opportunities and a chance for students to flex their professional muscles. Putting themselves in the shoes of students and young professionals, editors ranked internships based on a criteria they felt mattered most-pay and perks, on-the-job training, unique experiences and resume radiance.

"In this economy, having internship experience on your resume is crucial. No matter what career you want to pursue, there is an internship for you-thousands of organizations, from tiny nonprofits to national foundations, small research centers to government agencies, and small publishing houses to multinational corporations, all offer internships," says Carolyn C. Wise, senior education editor at Vault and editor of the Vault Guide to Top Internships. "The Vault Top 10 Internships represent the programs we feel are the best all around."

ABOUT Steppenwolf Theatre COMPANY
Founded in 1976, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's foremost ensemble theatre. The theatre's workforce includes 77 full-time staff members, 340 part-time/seasonal employees, 60 trustees and 42 ensemble members (the theatre's artistic core comprised of actors, playwrights and directors). Steppenwolf provides exceptional benefits for both full- and part-time employees including a competitive 401(k) plan and healthcare benefits unparalleled in the arts industry. Steppenwolf is dedicated to the training of early-career arts professionals through apprenticeship, internships and fellowship programs, as well as cultivating mentoring and management skills among its junior staff. Additionally, the organization supports its employees' desire to be involved in the Chicago theatre community beyond their commitments at Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Vault.com is the web's most comprehensive resource for career management and job search information, including insider intelligence on salaries, hiring practices and company cultures. Vault features thousands of profiles on occupations, industries, companies and universities, as well as career-related articles, videos, blogs and research tools. The company publishes more than 120 print and online titles, from the best-selling Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms to the Vault Guide to Schmoozing. Vault's clients include Fortune 1000 advertisers and recruiters, the country's top universities and graduate schools.

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