InternshipRatings.com

By A.L. Harris

Freelance publicist and writer

AlHarrisPr.com

The story of this post today is how NOT to treat an intern, and I write this from two perspectives-

1. The perspective of a 4 time ex-intern and

2. The perspective of “Hey, I just hired my very first intern” !

To be honest I just completed an internship not but 3 weeks ago, I terminated myself because I knew that the position was going nowhere.  I figure if the person you are working for, and supposed to be learning from, stops calling you all together, and when you try to check in just to make sure things are “OK” and “status quo” {yet you still receive no answer} then it’s time to jump ship and go somewhere else; if that is how communication is handled in the beginning it only stands to reason that once the person gets to know you better and feels more comfortable, it will only get worse.  After this past internship, regarding my age {29},education level {MBA}, and having had considerable professional positions including Freelance PR & Marketing projects, I figured it was time to stop stalling and go it alone, instead of backpacking from one non-paid position to another.  Yes, I gained knowledge from this last internship, but nothing that I wouldn’t have learned on my own anyway.  I can do that at age 29, “go it alone”, but those who are still in school and still in their teens or early 20’s probably won’t be willing to take that leap, so they stick with the internships, awesome!

Now, to my point. I always read lists and lists of things that interns should and should not do while on the job, but how come I never see lists and lists of things that employers should or shouldn’t do?

In my estimation, as much as you see companies {large and small} looking for interns, the unpaid, coming-of-age, masses who flock to these positions should be noted as importantly as a regular paid employee and treated almost the same {yes, almost…they are still interns so more grunt work will be envolved, but let me finish…}.  Interns are/can be the backbone or eb and flow of a company, they help ease the stress and strain that would most likely be put on an overworked regular employee, and for that reason alone interns should be applauded. This post is not written to say that their aren’t thousands upon thousands of companies out there that don’t treat their interns with grace, but for the few who don’t…this is just for you!  Here is my list of 7 things employers should or should not do to their interns, and why.

1. BE KIND!!

I make this #1 because it is truly to the benefit of the employer to be kind to their interns, lest they find themselves outed on their horrible habits and practices by word of mouth {what? you think interns don’t talk?} and/or social media…check out sites like InternshipRatings.com.  PLUS, it’s just the right thing to do.  Kindness is not synonymous with weakness, so it’s OK to say “Hi” and smile or maybe get your intern some coffee once and a while.

2. Be Open

I was about to say “be flexible” but in all honesty, they are interns so they should bend to your schedule, that’s why they are there.  BE OPEN means, when they are around, and you see they might be having trouble, or they come to you to ask a question…BE OPEN…just like that.  I do not believe in interns having to be afraid to ask anything…save that for the employees who have paychecks to lose and who should already know this stuff, or know several ways to figure it out.  Interns are there first to learn and then to help, so help them help you.

3. Don’t involve interns in petty arguments or gossip

I can’t tell you how awkward it feels to come into an internship and immediately feel compelled to have your guard up against a CLIENT or employee that you’ve never even heard of before, much less met in person, to formulate your own opinion.  Yes, do give interns the skinny on what clients do and don’t like, how to address and greet clients, even how many lumps of sugar they take in their tea…but leave out how clients are hating on other clients, who is a back stabber, who had sex with who etc. If you just can’t help yourself, at least wait until after your intern has had their first day on the job!

4. Give interns “Controlled Choices”

Of course you have a business to run, NOT a daycare…understood. It is also understood that you do not have time or money to waist if you give an intern the controls on a project and they mess up…but, it happens! To avoid this, give your interns “Controlled Choices”.  Controlled Choices are when you know what the outcome will be of either path the intern chooses, and both paths are covered, but you let THEM decided on which path.  Like my mother used to do when my siblings and I were children, she would make dinner and make 2 different vegetables, the point was, we were going to eat vegetables and get the nutrients we needed whether we liked it or not, but we had a choice in which vegetable we wanted to consume…that way everyone wins!

5. C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N

I cannot stress this enough…COMMUNICATION! Everyone else swears by it, why shouldn’t you!  Yes, it does give interns a feeling of accomplishment when they are able to figure out a cryptic message like “Email Sharon”.  Sharon, who??? Do they have a last name, are they in the company directory, is it a client, a cat, WHAT!?When they figure it out, it’s great, but it could help save them the angst and probably save you some man hours if you say “Email Sharon Smith from Company X, tell her to call me”.  Short, fast and to the point…no hand holding involved, just simple communication.

6. Teach

No, the office is NOT a classroom, but there is more to the phrase “on the job experience” than just 4 words.  You can teach while still going about your day. Many of your interns are in school or have at least been through high school so they know how an open forum works…so let your office be one.  Let them talk it out, give them a project and let them find their way through it, just like taking a practical. Interns are smart {more often than not} with a little help they can figure things out, but be sure to add on a little extra info while they work, so they can take that knowledge back to the classrom or use in their next work experience.

7. Understand that Slavery {in America anyway} is over

Since they are old enough to be just out of reach of child labor laws, and since they signed on as an “intern” for a company they would probably die for if someone asked them to, interns kind of slip through the cracks when it comes to knowing the difference between interning and running a free maid service. Most, will do anything because the company is so fabulous they don’t want to ruin their chances of getting a letter of recommendation, or the next big project, or even a job! Sooo, Employeerrrs, knowing that the majority of your interns have that mentality it is then YOUR job as the “matured professional” to act on your professionalism, and not exploit them!  Sure, long hours and grunt work are, and should always be a part of an internship, most interns already know this going in, it’s how you prepare for the real thing, because the work doesn’t get easier once you start getting paid for it! So, yes, send them to go get coffee a few times for 12 people down the street in the rain, and yes, make them scour the Internet for research and stuff 500 Swag bags, it builds character and it’s what makes them great and potential future employees. It is NOT, however, okay to ask them to do all of your work for you while you surf Facebook all day, or have them get your laundry, or help you pack your apartment {yes, I had someone ask me to do that}, you asked them to intern for your company, NOT be a personal assistant…those folks get paid out the WAZOOOO, and for good reason!!- most interns work for free.

By Holly Landau
Leadership expert and CEO
Landau Leadership

You need help building your brand. Enter the ambitious Intern. Now it’s up to you to get the most out of the Mentor-Intern relationship. When seeking an Intern, find someone who fits with your brand. Look for a person who is actively interested in what you do, and who is willing to learn the business – the glamorous side and the not-so-glamorous side.

A small investment of your time as a Mentor can create the necessary structure for a successful internship. Keep in mind that this internship might be an opportunity to groom a future employee, so your level of professionalism will set the proper tone for what could be a long, fruitful relationship.

On your Intern’s first day, it’s important to share your vision. Explain your philosophy, your successes, your challenges, and where their support can help launch your brand. Then, ask your Intern about their expectations and career goals (and listen).

Setting clear performance expectations provides an important foundation to an internship. Meet face-to-face with your Intern to establish reasonable, measureable goals that can be realized throughout the duration of the internship. Instead of saying, “We’ll just figure it out as we go along,” instead say something like, “I want you and I to get the most out of your internship, so I’ve outlined five task areas that I’d like you to focus on. Let’s review each area and then I can answer your questions.”

Establish a schedule for discussing performance (daily, weekly, or monthly) and stick to the schedule. Check-ins could be as brief as fifteen minutes. During the discussions, structure your feedback in a way that’s understandable and motivating. Recognize the positive contributions first by saying something like, “We were all a little panicked last week when we had to gather the shipment for London. Sometimes we have to work fast in this business, and I really appreciate you making that happen in such a short time.”

Mistakes will be made by Interns and it’s up to you to share your observations. When giving constructive criticism, focus on the issues and structure your feedback so it doesn’t seem like a personal attack. Instead of saying, “You totally messed up that project, now it’s a nightmare,” say something like, “When you packaged the shipment without getting my approval, it meant that we had to open all the boxes again to make sure we included the invoice. Moving forward, please get my final approval before sealing the boxes, so we won’t have to do rework. I know you want to get the job done right the first time.”

Although it might be tempting to delegate all of your boring tasks to your Intern (addressing invitations, cleaning, trips to Starbucks), you should also consider some of the areas where your Intern could use some professional development. You can re-frame some of the mundane tasks by saying, “When you’re finished addressing the invitations, I’d like to take you to the Buyer meeting, I think it would be a good opportunity for you to observe the process.” You also want to leverage the skills that your intern already possesses. If you don’t know about their strengths, ask them about areas where they’ve demonstrated results in business or leading school projects. You might also get some innovative ideas from your Intern (maybe your Intern is tech-savvy and can help you clean up your client database, for example).

Remember, your Intern wants to build their resume and build skills, not just be used as a Temp or coffee-fetcher. Sure, some Intern tasks won’t be as exciting as others, so allow your Intern to earn your trust by assigning tasks of increasing responsibility. Allow your Intern to demonstrate that they can handle more responsibility before assigning anything too difficult or stressful. Set them up for success (and prevent someone else on your team from having to un-do the mess if you’ve given them too much responsibility too soon).

Finally, you want the internship to end on a positive note. Express your sincere gratitude to your Intern for their hard work. Know that when he/she leaves the internship, they take with them some insider knowledge of your brand and your work style. Interns contribute to the buzz about your brand – and you want it to be positive. When you take your Mentor role seriously from the beginning to the end of the internship, you’re ultimately contributing to the positive buzz about your brand and helping one ambitious person get closer to their career goals.

Holly Landau is a leadership expert and CEO of Landau Leadership, an innovative consulting firm providing customized training solutions to boost individual and team productivity and improve communication. www.landauleadership.com. Contact Holly: hollylandau@landauleadership.com

This article was originally published on Nolcha.com.

This article provides insight about building a meaningful internship program. Internship opportunities can often arise through the due diligence of motivated students. Build a network, and a great internship, all at the same time. The Total Internship Management book presents a best practices model that builds on the research of over 50,000 students. Using the book, you can create a worthwhile and exciting experiential education.
–Richard Bottner, President, Intern Bridge, Inc.

By Heather Huhman
Entry Level Careers Examiner

In every internship (or job) search, it’s always best to create a plan that identifies two or three ideal geographic locations and 10 “I would do anything to work there” organizations within each city. That way, you’re not blindly blasting out your résumé. But, what do you do if one or more of the organizations on your list doesn’t have formal a internship program? Propose one.

Perhaps not an entire program—just focus on yourself for now. The book “Total Internship Management: The Employer’s Guide to Building the Ultimate Internship Program” by Richard Bottner, president of Intern Bridge, Inc., would make a great read to start formulating ideas (plus it would make a great gift to the organization that takes you up on your offer down the road).

When contemplating a program, organizations should conduct internal audits to assure the internship is mutually beneficial, according to Bottner. (I agree!) So, while you can’t answer all the questions he puts forth because you are not yet an insider, researching a few of the key points and organizing the results in an expanded cover letter could get your foot in the door.

“Does my organization have meaningful work for interns to complete?” This is key—for both you and the employer. Research the organization; its products, services and clients; and what it’s currently doing (or not doing) where you might be able to help. From that, write up a position description—example projects and activities, the department(s) in which you would work and potentially to whom you might report.

“What should the duration of individual internships be?” Typically, internships last approximately 12 weeks, but you can outline in your cover letter the exact timeframe you are available. Be sure to also include the number of hours each week you would be available—possibly even a suggested schedule (i.e., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

“Will my organization be able to afford to pay a salary to interns? If so, how much? What remuneration, instead of salary can we provide?” If an organization does not already have an established internship program, I wouldn’t get your hopes up for the position to be paid. However, Bottner raises a number of good alternative compensation ideas:

* Free/subsidized parking
* Discounted/free organization merchandise or services
* Transportation stipend
* Fitness center membership
* Meal allowance
* Sporting event/theater tickets
* Partial/complete housing/relocation assistance
* Commission on sales (when applicable)
* Tuition reimbursement
* Opportunity to attend professional development seminars/workshops
* Offsite organization functions

So, how should you approach the organization with your ideas? “The proposal can simply be an expanded cover letter along with your résumé,” said Shane Mazzella, director of U.S. programs at The Fund for American Studies. “In the cover letter, describe your qualifications and desired internship parameters such as available dates, number of hours each week, department of interest and compensation—an unpaid internship is always easier secure. Be sure to stress how you can add value to that specific department as well as the overall organization.”

Mazella recommends e-mailing as a PDF attachment (or snail mailing) both your résumé and expanded cover letter.

And, just like you typically would when submitting an internship application, follow-up! (Read my article about following up on a job application for some ideas.) Mazella also adds you should “be prepared with a 60-second elevator pitch of your proposal.”

As an employer, I would be floored by the amount of thought you’ve put into the needs of my organization and how you would be a value-add to my team. Is it possible to take this idea one step even further?

“Consider creating a legacy once you have the internship by proposing an established program or role,” said Mazella. “Start by noting ways of formalizing the internship, note tasks and projects that can be delegated just to interns, identify departments or areas where interns can be of assistance and suggest means of growing it into a program that you can pitch to key decision-makers. Be sure, though, that you are not neglecting your own internship work in this process. Your actions and behavior are more convincing than a nice proposal and big speech.”