Posted by Jess Saba on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 08:28 AM
The Positive effect of interns and where you can find one
If you own a small business you know how much work needs to be done on a daily basis. You may need to address manufacturing, production, marketing, sales, distribution, customer relations, employee relations and pay roll issues all within the same day.
The good news is that with all those topics on your mind, there are students and recent graduates who would love the opportunity to work as an intern to help you out in exchange for a reference and the chance to learn about your business.
There are many benefits to hiring an intern:
- Interns are less expensive to pay per hour than full time employees
- Interns are looking for experience to enhance their resume, make networking connections and receive a good recommendation. Most interns will work hard to receive a positive reference.
- Interns have access to the most cutting edge trend information through their classes, peers and broad range of interests.
- Hiring an intern in the future as a full time employee can save you the money, time and resources of finding, interviewing and training a new employee.
The Process of Hiring an Intern
Determine Expectations:
Before you think about hiring an intern, create an outline of the day to day duties, projects and meetings the student would be responsible for. Be sure to include your expectations of work hours, qualifications, attitude and commitment.
In exchange, be sure to outline which benefits the intern will receive from working for you. Experience? Class credit? Pay? Contacts?
The more clear you are the better chances you have of hiring the right person for the job and managing expectations.
Hire an Intern:
One of the best places to look when hiring an intern is at the closest College or University. Most higher education institutions have a Career Services department which is in charge of placing students in jobs during school and after graduation. Career Services will also be able to help you navigate the process of offering credit as compensation.
When hiring a student it is important to be flexible with hours and to work with their class and exam schedule. Also, about 30% of students simply cannot afford an unpaid internship.
Duration:
Most internships last for more than a month and less than a year. Some internships last for one-semester or for one summer, others may be extended or cut short depending on the relationship between the company and the intern.
Managing your intern:
Once you hire an intern the next step is effectively managing your new employee. This may be their first job experience so it is important to clarify the four following topics on the first day:
Orientate: Introduce the intern to the work environment, the staff, the clients and the culture.
Instruct: Train your intern and state how the student can best complete the tasks you have assigned.
Supervise: Who does the intern report to or ask for help?
Evaluate: Giving feedback during and after the internship is vital to the success of the relationship.
Offering Internships can be mutually beneficial to you as a small business owner and to students looking to gain experience.