So, you think you’re ready to welcome an intern into your small business? No offense, but this is kind of like getting your first puppy, and there’s a lot more work involved than you think. First of all, similar to hiring an employee, not every intern is going to be a great match for your business or the task at hand—you need to dig to find the perfect match. Kickstarting an internship program isn’t something that should be taken lightly, but it can be a great mutually beneficial relationship when done right.
First, know that you won’t be guaranteed a smorgasbord of Ivy League students even if you only advertise on Yale or Harvard campuses. You might be disheartened by the lack of response, or get tangled up in the red tape of a campus’ career services departments' goals. On your end, it’s tempting to just jump in and just learn as you go. However, your intern is doing the same thing, (they have to!), so it’s the blind leading the blind.
Here are a few ways to know you’re ready and how to get a program started:
1. Define, (and refine), The Internship Description
An intern isn’t cheap/free labor, your gopher, or a person you can dump all the grunt work on. They can walk away even easier than actual employees since they don’t, “need,” this, "gig," (internship), in order to make ends meet. Your job is to provide a rich learning experience for them, peppered with realities of the job. Yes, one of their tasks might be making coffee each morning, but that’s to understand how a company hums—not to make sure you have a fresh pot waiting upon arrival for your own comfort.
2. Get On The Right Turf
Once you’ve written down the potential intern’s job description, tasks, and your idea of the perfect candidate, it’s time to reach out. If you imagine a Cambridge student because the campus is convenient to your office, or it’s your alma mater, be sure to connect with the right department of the university. This is your internship program, and you should start by fishing in your preferred ponds.
3. Choose An Intern Manager
This could be you or someone else at the company. However, an intern manager can easily become a full-time job in itself. You might need to bump up a part-time employee to full-time, reassign tasks, and otherwise make sure you’re not just piling a bunch of other work on top of an already over-worked employee. This goes for yourself, too. This manager also needs a fresh list of job descriptions.
4. Define Goals With Your Intern
Remember: This arrangement is mostly for the intern, not for you. And let's face it, you hope once you get them trained, they will want to join you. You can have goal setting as part of the interview—which is a great way to see if their goals match what you already need/want done at work. For example, if an intern really wants to learn event planning and oversee parts of a major event, and you have a number of them each year, that might be a great pairing.
5. Training, Training, Training
What seems obvious and easy to you might be brand new to them. Never assume your intern knows anything about the day to day office grind. You’re the teacher, and training them well, and thoroughly from day one is crucial. With technology, this might mean bringing in a consultant or expert—and the entire office could probably use a refresher course in WordPress, Microsoft Office, or PhotoShop.
In an ideal situation, both your company and your intern could benefit greatly from this kind of arrangement. However, internships are sometimes not ideal. Heed, Business Insider’s warnings of intern horror stories, but don’t let that totally scare you off. With the right outreach, planning, and training, you will be able to stumble upon a diamond in the rough.