Internships, when youth and experience boost the business together

A couple of days ago, the internet resurfaced a not so old funny internet story on my timeline, with the premise that summer internship season has begun. “Keep an eye on your interns”, it said, or else they could end up being internet famous for sending a “Integration Test Email # 1” message to a portion of the HBO Max support mailing list. The point that the article completely missed, and HBO was kind enough to tweet back when this event happened is that professionals with more experience should help interns through their adaptation process, both to their jobs and to the difficult situations that might arise along the way.

As time goes by the remembrance of our starting days gets diffused and seems like we no longer identify ourselves in the shoes of a newly graduated us, that version of ourselves so full of ideas yet so lost when attempting to read the sector specific social cues. Back when the idea of internships was relatively new, we were taught to silently listen and not bother much. However, the tables have turned, and young professionals are demanding their space in the workplace by accessing it through internship programs that allow them to get a glimpse of what the actual real working environment is and test their knowledge and skills.

So, how can they identify companies worth joining? Well, the ability to read the company culture is almost inherent to younger audiences and has turned out to be a decisive factor in choosing their place to develop. Young professionals need to see they are part of something bigger. They are value driven and like to collaborate on real projects rather than oversee them. And, most importantly, they look for added value whether it’s on the company prestige, the work life balance supporting initiatives, the workspace facilities or the personal development tools offered.

Having innovation as part of our DNA, Getronics spotted this change in paradigm and has been continuously reinventing and adapting its internship program for the last 20 years. Our GetJoin program, enables young talents to engage in innovative national and global projects while understanding the impact of their individual contributions in the context of an international organization like ours. It unveils their true potential and challenges their skills by creating a learning environment strongly sustained by a learning by doing methodology that connects with the key to all learning, emotions.?We believe that integrating a six-step learning (listen, talk, explore, workout, do and share) engages younger professionals more in their job and encourages them to apply their knowledge.

We’ve also complemented their technical training, monitored by internship tutors and mentors with the latest addition of a soft skills training plan, consisting of several masterclasses on communication, time management and upskilling. This results in a full circle experience for both new joiners and team leaders, who also learn from their dynamic, so much so that the retention rate for GetJoin participants in Spain is more than 80%, doubling the market standard.

The secret to a successful internship program is clear to us, connecting with them by using their language and granting them with the ever so demanded skillset training in the IT field that some of us had to learn along the way. Our passion for learning and technology in Getronics is limitless.?