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Ready. Willing. Able. And eager, hardworking, bright, and technologically savvy. These are all words that describe interns. With characteristics like that, who wouldn’t wanted to hire one or more interns to help propel their business to the next level?
What’s more — there’s a good chance that your intern will become a full-fledged employee shortly after their internship, saving you both time and money in employee recruitment. Seven out of 10 companies offered full-time jobs to their interns, reports Forbes. In the short-term and the long-term, it is a win-win for you and for the student.
While a built-in supply of eager workers and money savings are important advantages, whatever the size of your business, there are other benefits for starting an internship program at your company. Here is a look at five more reasons to work with interns.
#1. They are motivated. When interns take on a internship, they know it is a chance to impress a potential employer, learn about real world work situations, make connections, and add the first entry onto their resumes.
Because they want a recommendation from you, and possibly a job offer, they’ll put forth a determined effort to complete their duties with a positive attitude, unlimited enthusiasm, and an immense energy.
“Interns have the drive, the passion, the urge to make your company into something more,” Deborah Sweeney points out in a Forbes article. Take advantage of that spirit.
#2. They bring a fresh look at things. Because they are unencumbered with experience, interns are inclined to ask questions about standard operating procedures at your workplace. This new perspective can help you shake out of a dangerous mentality of “we’ve always done it that way.”
#3. They have skills you need. The digital arena is home base for college-age interns. They grew up on social media, email, chat and all things Google. They understand the online world in a way few business owners can. These young people are smart in the ways of Facebook and Twitter, not to mention Pinterest Instagram, Vine, and Google+.
Since it’s part of the culture of their generation, they have the skills to help you by devising social media strategies, developing mobile campaigns, or simply explaining the inner workings of YouTube channels.
#4. They willing do boring tasks. What you give them is what they do, without complaint. They have no frame of reference, unlike long-term employees, who might balk if given tedious jobs. Working with interns gives you a chance to catch up on projects that have fallen by the wayside and get backlogs caught up. Though, it’s also a great idea to give them some challenging projects and interesting tasks to work on.
#5. They bring new ideas from the classroom. You have real world experience running your business so you know what needs to be done, as viewed from the trenches. Interns lack this perspective, but they bring current insights from the world of academia. They have access to new methods being taught, valuable statistics, studies being published, and new contexts for an old business fitting into the digital age.
There is a wide range of benefits for a company when it sets up an internship program. Two final ones to keep in mind are the chance to give back to the community and a way to make a positive difference in the life of a student.
Not sure how to get started with an internship program? The Small Business Administration offers advice and resources to help.
Do you have an internship program at your company? Has it been successful?
