Lauren Wynsma was hired after an internship. [Photo: Colin Hackley]

In her last year in business management at Florida State University, Lauren Wynsma realized she needed different work experiences to boost her resume. Through an FSU office, she found a three-week internship with Partners In Association Management, a Tallahassee company that serves as the headquarters for industry groups and professional societies that don’t want the expense of a captive administrative staff. When Wynsma’s three weeks were up in May 2011, she was offered full-time work as a member service coordinator and took night classes to finish her degree.

Partners will hire three to four new workers this year. All of its new hires last year had at least a bachelor’s degree. Many of the staff have degrees in communications or marketing, says CEO Bennett Napier, who had a dual major in political science and sociology and a master’s in applied politics and graduate studies in public policy.