If you’re here then you’ve probably seen the previous post from October. In case you haven’t however, I would definitely recommend you take a look at my previous post before reading the rest of this post.
So, it seems like you need more convincing that you should implement an intern program at your company? Or maybe you want a closer look at how? Well then, I’ll dive right in.
Well, that’s a bit of a low standard, but let me explain. The entire purpose of an internship from the perspective of an intern, is to garner industry experience. Here at L+L Printers, that has involved me in everything from signing off proofs, addressing file issues with clients, keeping track of jobs in production, creating job tickets, and working with sales reps. What that means for you, as the company, is that your intern is not a typical potential employee. Enticements such as retirement benefits and pay don’t matter as much if experience is the objective, but there are many other ways your company can entice potential interns.
Let’s first make the point that while pay is certainly not as heavily-weighted for internships as compared with full-time hires, you should consider what your internship entails. If it involves more skilled work, you might consider offering a paid internship. Your company probably won’t have to worry about paying for paid sick leave, nor insurance or benefits, and you won’t have to pay them as much as your full time employees. And for the intern, it helps offset the costs of getting to and from your company which can often be a significant burden. Generally, your overall direct costs of hiring an intern should be very small, but the benefits can be quite great.
You might not think about this aspect at first, but your employees are very used to the tools they use every day, but aren't necessarily aware of other software that can help their organization and productivity. In my personal experience, Trello (an organizational list-making software) had already begun to be implemented into the workflow, but my expertise using the software in school previously allowed me to share helpful shortcuts with the production team.
One of the best things you can do for your company if you're interested in maintaining a strong inflow of interns is to create a relationship with the school programs your company is interested in. By coming to career fairs and making connections with faculty members, your company's name will flow through the halls more than your competitors. People talk, and students who have interned with your company before will refer your company to their peers, and so on. Just like networking, it's all about who you know and who knows about you so go out there and find yourself a couple interns!