5 Basic Principles Of Internship Programs

Internships are the foundation upon which careers are built. But today’s internship model is far from perfect. From the class action lawsuit filed and later settled against Conde Nast to the latest controversy surrounding the overworked interns of the Olsen twins, interns have literally been worked to the brink of exhaustion. And these particular interns claimed to have worked more than 50 hours a week…without getting a paycheck or even college credit.

We aren’t operating sweatshops nor did we go back in time. We owe it to ourselves and our interns to provide valuable experiences so that they make meaningful contributions to our organizations and they will be on their way to becoming well-rounded talent superstars. So what is it that makes an internship beneficial for both parties? Here are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind:

• Keep administrative and personal tasks out – An intern does not mean gopher or coffee fetcher. If you have errands to run, that’s what TaskRabbit is for. An intern is also not an administrative assistant, so don’t make him or her file paperwork or do data entry all day (especially if the internship is unpaid.) 
  

• Respecting schedules - Internships should not interfere with education. Your interns’ hours must be established from the beginning. They in return must abide by the set schedule and complete their work in a timely fashion. But if exams are coming up and they need extra time to study, you need to offer flexibility.

• Do an initial assessment - After you select an intern, sit down with him or her. Determine what tasks would be best assigned to the intern by getting a better understanding of her likes/dislikes and strengths/weaknesses. If you’re molding interns for say, a future web development role, it would make much more sense for your interns to spend more time in Dreamweaver than Excel. This way, the intern will make way more meaningful contributions as opposed to just blindly delegating them projects that nobody else wants to do.

• Communication is key – Your interns need to be able to come to you or anyone on your team whenever they have questions or concerns. You and your team need to be available for your interns, dispensing as much relevant knowledge as you can and of course render assistance where necessary. That also means inviting them to join team meetings as those conversations are rife with potential nuggets of knowledge for them.

• Check in with them on a regular basis – Carve out some time on your calendar for weekly supervision and getting status updates. These meetings will ensure that your interns are learning and are going the right direction with their assignments.

When creating and maintaining internship programs, sticking to the basics will never lead you or your interns astray. It doesn’t matter if your interns turn out to be so exemplary that you will offer them full-time employment upon graduation, or if they catastrophically mess up on day one. Successful interns will become successful business leaders if they have the right environment. Don’t you think so? What are some essential components of your internship program? Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for HR insight, hiring and interview best practices!