Interns provide a valuable contribution to organizations and many organizations are beginning to recognize the value of developing strong internship programs. Internships offer a win-win situation for both the organization and the student while providing the organization with talented students who offer new knowledge and skills to the workforce.
Many employers often use their internship programs as a testing ground for hiring future full-time employees after graduation. The benefit is that employers are able to see first-hand what the intern has to offer should they be hired on full-time. Hiring interns has proven to be a much more effective hiring tool than the regular normal interviewing process.
If you are thinking of developing an internship program in your organization, here are some tips to follow to ensure that your program is a success:
Gain Management Support
Getting a commitment from the management team will help ensure that the organization will be able to focus the time, energy, supervisory and financial resources (if applicable) to developing a strong internship program.
Define Specific Eligibility Requirements
Determine eligibility requirements for all interns, including: currently enrolled college students, GPA, preferred/required major(s), specific skills and experience.
Maintain a Strong Working Relationships with Colleges
Developing relationships with career counselors at various colleges will help to promote your internship program as well as helping to find out what college students are looking for in an internship experience.
Define Internship Benefits as well as any Housing/Transportation/Food Stipends Available to Interns
Determine if the internship will be paid (salary recommendations based on entry-level positions in the field). Some organizations offer unpaid internships but require students do the internship for credit (which can add additional college tuition costs to the student doing an internship for the summer). Depending on the organization, many organizations offer housing and/or transportation stipends for both paid and unpaid internships.
Develop an Orientation Program for New Interns
Provide an orientation to acclimate students to the organization’s policies and practices.
Provide Training, Supervision, and Mentoring to all Students
Provide adequate staff to train and supervise students as well as assigning a mentor to guide students through the internship experience.
Provide Opportunities for Students to Learn
Create quality and meaningful work assignments designed to help students learn and gain knowledge in the field.
Develop Detailed Job Descriptions
Provide students with a detailed written job description outlining tasks and responsibilities of the internship.
Provide Students with Ongoing Feedback
Offer consistent feedback throughout the internship and provide students ample opportunity to provide feedback to immediate supervisors.
Establish Guidelines for Turning Interns into Full-Time Employees
Oftentimes organizations will extend full-time job offers to students after graduation and may use internship programs specifically as a hiring tool for selecting new employees.
