Most professionals can remember a time when they were home from college during a summer break and interning in an industry that was likely to become their career after
graduation. These days, internships--or fellowships, or practicums--are as popular as ever, with job candidates and managers alike looking for ways to recruit talent in an
increasingly competitive job market.
These positions, which can run the gamut from part-time, unpaid grunt work to highly competitive trial periods that lead to full-time jobs, are ideal for communications
professionals; after all, young talent is flooding the marketplace, and who couldn't use a few extra (digitally inclined) hands around the office? But, this idyllic picture comes
with a caveat: If not run properly, internship programs could become the Achilles' heel of an organization, as aimless interns with nothing better to do will end up surfing the
Internet on your dime.
With that--and with the summer internship season just around the corner--here are some tips for building a successful internship program that benefits your organization, its
employes and the interns themselves:
*Integrate interns into day-to-day business activities. "At Peppercom, we treat our interns as regular employees," says Alicia Wells, account executive and head of Peppercom's
Intern Committee. "They work full time, are assigned to three to four accounts. Our goal is to provide them with opportunities to be doing work on the junior account executive
level throughout their internship so they can get a true sense of what lies ahead. We want them to learn as much as possible about the industry so they can decide if PR is right
for them, and conversely, if they are right for our company."
So, while it is acceptable to give interns menial tasks, it's also important to show them the ropes by allowing them to participate in meetings and meaningful client work.
*Give them guidance. Because interns are most often green to the workforce, most will not be self-guided, especially in the beginning. In order to get them up to speed and
train them effectively, you must establish an internal support structure before they show up on their first day.
"We have a three-person intern committee that supervises the interns and acts as a liaison between the interns and other employees," Wells says. "Our role is to provide
guidance to the interns and help them work through any problems they may have." She also recommends:
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Helping them with time management;
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Giving them midpoint reviews to discuss challenges and areas in which they excel; and,
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Giving each intern a "buddy" go-to person who would introduce him or her to employees and help them assimilate to the culture.
*Give them benefits. Internships are often taken for school credit and therefore not paid, but that doesn't mean it's OK to treat interns like free labor. If a paycheck isn't
an option, give them a stipend for lunch and transportation; host happy hours so they can mingle with other employees; invite them to company parties; give them a nice working
space; and so on.
*Foster professional development. Internships are all about learning, so don't focus on the skills they already have; rather, teach them something new and relevant to their
areas of interest. Wells points to some of Peppercom's tactics for making this happen:
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Workshops: "The intern committee organizes a pitching workshop and writing workshop specifically for the interns, which are led by senior employees."
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Mock business proposals: "This is an agency-wide project where teams create proposals to pitch a prospective client for their business," Wells says. "The project provides
our interns with senior management visibility, as the final proposals are presented to several members of our management committee."
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Meet-the-management sessions: These involve "sitting down with members of senior management for an informal question-and-answer luncheon, allowing the groups to become more
familiar with each other."
*Hire from within. When possible, hire the interns who excelled during their tenure. This is ideal for a number of reasons: They are already trained, they know the
brand/culture/clients and they have built relationships with the staff. Peppercom counts 14 members of its staff who started as interns--a testament to the success of a strong
internship program. PRN
CONTACT:
Alicia Wells, [email protected]