Contest-Guide

Category 1: Email Etiquette

Interns must know how to write professional emails with proper grammar, punctuation and use of language. Employers need to trust an intern can write a message appropriately on behalf of the business or organization.

Instructions

Read the scenario below. Then you will write an email based on the scenario using the Rubin Propel email etiquette tool.

Scenario: Applying for a summer internship

A friend sent you a flyer about a summer internship at a popular local tech company. The flyer includes the following information:

Do you want to spend your summer working on tech projects with a fast-growing startup? The FutureProof company offers a month-long summer internship to two high school students. The internship runs from June 30th – July 31st.

If interested, please email Ms. Amy Walker for more information at awalker@futureproof.com.

What to do next

Compose an email to apply for the fictitious internship. To write the email, visit this page and use Rubin Propel, a special tool that teaches email etiquette. Use the password given by your teacher to unlock the page.

After you enter the password, select “Employer” and “Internship/Job” from the boxes provided. Then, click “Continue to Email Writing.”

Follow the guidance from the right-side column to draft every part of your message. In your email be sure to include information about your own achievements, which can include leadership positions, part-time jobs, certifications and various skills you have learned.

When you finish each section, click “Next.” When you finish the final writing section (sign your name), click “Submit.”

Propel will analyze your email and provide green light bulbs with suggestions. Make corrections to earn the highest score possible out of 100.

Once you finish revising your email, copy and paste the email to the contest submission form under Category 1.

Category 2: Research and Critical Thinking

Interns must know how to think critically about develop questions that show they care about the work that goes on at a company. That level of engagement will impress employers and often allow interns to take on greater responsibilities.

Instructions

You will watch sample videos from Rubin Aspire, a library of career exploration videos. The person in the Aspire videos is Scott Kaufman-Ross, executive vice president of media distribution & partnerships at the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The other people in the videos: Rubin Founder Danny Rubin, a sign-language interpreter and Rakshana Damodaran, student from Fairfax County Public Schools (Virginia) who won the 2025 America’s Next Great Intern contest.

After you watch the videos, you will develop two questions to ask Mr. Kaufman-Ross about his job if you interned on his team.

The video clips (90 seconds in length, on average) will stop at designated times.

• Mr. Scott Kaufman-Ross’s introduction

• Why is it smart to begin your career outside of sports before working in the sports industry?

• Why did you become an expert in sports betting and fantasy sports?

• Can students intern for the NBA?

Develop two questions based on Mr. Kaufman-Ross’s answers. What do you want to learn more about? What questions would impress him?

Put your two questions in the contest submission form under Category 2.

Category 3: Ethical Dilemma

Finally, an intern must know how to act in the face of a difficult decision or ethical challenge.

Instructions

Read the sample ethical dilemma from Rubin Emerge, a library of employability skills activities. You will then provide a response as to how you would act in the situation.

Scenario

You and your friend, Jessica, go to a professional networking event to meet potential employers. You are not sure what types of employers you want to meet and are open to making any connections. Jessica wants to meet someone involved in social media marketing. 

After some time, you and Jessica are separated at the event. Someone approaches you to start a conversation, and you find out the person has an exciting social media marketing opportunity available. You look around for Jessica, but you don’t see her. You know Jessica would love a chance at the social media opportunity, but the job sparks your interest as well. You set a follow-up conversation with the employer and decide not to tell Jessica about the opportunity yet. You determine that Jessica had just as much of a chance at meeting this person at the event as you did.

Should you have told your friend Jessica about the social media marketing opportunity? Why or why not?

In your answer, you must provide your decision and the reason why you made the decision. Put your answer in the contest submission form under Category 3.