People Power: Internships Speak to the Future

A well-organized internship program can benefit both the intern and the company.

By C.T. Trivella, Director and KC Branch Manager, NAS Recruitment Communications

Internships are not the cumbersome programs some employers believe them to be. In actuality, they are beneficial both to the student longing for some workplace experience, and to the employer seeking a fresh perspective from an outside source.

Well-managed internship programs should: be an accepted part of an organization’s culture, have a regular presence (consistency), be planned with an objective in mind for what is expected from the student, as well as from the managers responsible for overseeing the intern’s workload, and, above all, be taken seriously by the company bringing interns into the program.

Company leaders need to have a clear thought process for why an internship program would benefit the organization. They also need to think about what the organization has to offer a student. Will there be an equitable benefit to both parties? Does the organization have meaningful work to offer someone eager to develop the needed skills to be competitive in an increasingly tough job market? If the answer is “yes” to both of these questions, an internship program may be the right choice.

Keep in mind that a physical presence will provide campus recruiters with an opportunity for building relationships with students. Also consider that well-defined internship program information posted on your Web site, that outlines expectations and clearly explains the application process will encourage applications.

Internship programs can be large or small. Understand what your organization can manage well, rather than making the internship program more robust than is manageable for the person overseeing the program. Internships can run either in conjunction with a college semester or during the summer break. A well-organized program will have a defined start and finish date. There is no hard and fast rule on length of time; this is purely subjective by the employer, as is the choice to offer a paid or unpaid internship. Are unpaid internships legal? It depends on the net gain to the company. The decision is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. It’s recommended that employers consult an attorney to decide if an intern should be paid.

Click here to read the entire article along with day one, touchpoints and last day internship program tips.