Create A Worthwhile Summer Internship

Interns can seem like a free or cheap source of labor but that shouldn’t be the only motivation for creating an internship program at your company. These young professionals are looking to you and your company to be a mentor for their developing career, and you have the opportunity to create an exceptional experience that goes beyond just busywork. Here are some ways you can organize a great summer internship program at your company.

  • Understand the needs of the students. You were their age once so keep in mind your experience as a young professional when you’re developing the program for your incoming interns. What are the most important aspects of experience they can develop to become successful in this career path long term? Create the internship program around those core processes to give each student a chance to learn the best hands-on tasks for career development.
  • Create challenging tasks that help productivity. Of course part of the reason for bringing interns on over the summer months is to have them take on tasks that need to be completed but take time away from your permanent staff’s concentration. You should definitely create tasks that help your company, but don’t just assign busy work without a reason. Every project should be viewed as part of the larger picture so it can help the intern understand how each piece of your corporate puzzle fits together.
  • Provide feedback throughout the summer. An intern also shouldn’t be viewed as simply free or cheap labor. They want to be part of the team for the summer and you should treat them as if they are. The most important thing you can do is provide feedback to them on their performance overall to help them improve not only their ability to do the job while they’re working for you but to allow them to gain the skills they will need when they enter the professional world.
  • Be available for questions and training. Beyond providing constructive feedback you should also provide your time as a mentor for these students developing their career path. You never know how your paths might cross in the future, and good students could someday turn into good employees. Don’t get annoyed when they have questions along the way and don’t just throw them into the mix without some orientation on your company.

Are you interested in hiring part time help for the summertime? CornerStone Top Staffing Agencies in Dallas can help you so call today!

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