Get Great Interns

Interns are an inexpensive resource and a great way to identify new talent. Many small businesses consider interns as cheap labor or are just looking for another pair of hands. But internships are a two-way street. In addition to doing administrative or “grunt” work, interns are expecting to learn valuable professional skills. That is where small businesses have an advantage over larger corporations. While listing a company like Viacom or Apple might provide a prestigious, eye-catching entry on a résumé, smaller companies can offer real-world, hands-on experience in running a business in a variety of roles and departments.

Before You Start

Determine the responsibilities as well as the goals you expect the intern to achieve by the end of the internship. Also decide how he or she will be compensated and how your company will benefit from the internship. Payment can be an hourly or monthly wage, a stipend (lump sum), tuition payments, conference registrations or professional organization memberships, certification fees or a combination of any methods. You can also compensate interns with academic credit. Because each school has different guidelines for awarding internship credit, contact the school’s career services department.

Where to Look

To find the right candidates, publicize your internship through several channels. Look for internship posting opportunities at schools that have distinguished programs of study that match your company’s needs. For example, if you need help with marketing or accounting, reach out to the business and management programs at New York University, Fordham or Pace. If you are looking for an intern that is training in a specific industry or expertise, contact schools specialized in that field. For example, try Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for fashion or Parsons School of Design for visual arts. Most schools have online job boards, campus postings and job fairs where you can showcase your company and meet potential candidates. For a list of schools in your area, go to univsource.com.

Internet sources have the advantage of serving a national (and international) audience, so you can reach students at faraway universities who are planning to be in New York for the summer. Try sites like vault.com, bigapplehead.com  or specialized online job boards like fashioninternships.net or advertisinginternships.net.

Let business associates, friends and family know that you have an internship opportunity in your business. Word-of-mouth is powerful, and chances are that someone in your network knows a deserving student who is looking for an internship.

Make a Match

When you receive potential interns’ résumés, check for the following details:

-Skills that are a “must” for the position (such as knowledge of a particular computer program).

-Typos and misspellings — if a prospective candidate is careless with his own one-page résumé, what quality can you expect from his other professional presentations?
-Beyond the GPA , look for traits that are essential for an effective intern’s training (remember, the GPA is not necessarily indicative of the candidates’ practical abilities but is a sign of how well they learn and follow directions).Check for activities such as volunteer work, sports engagements, etc., that would show leadership and teamwork abilities as well as a high level of energy and involvement.

When you interview candidates, assess their motivation more than their experience. Are they interested and enthusiastic about the position and the business? Do they expect to do only “high-minded” tasks, or are they willing to get their hands dirty? It is also important to assess what the candidates’ expectations are for the internship. Ask them what they want to get out of the experience and honestly consider if what you can offer matches their expectations.

Setting up an internship program takes time and TLC. It is a very good investment if you do it properly but a real waste of time if you don’t.