How to Find an Intern to Work for You

Having an intern can be great. An enthusiastic student adds energy to the workplace while they are doing valuable work. Interns can spread the word that your company is a great place to work. Interns can also be nurtured and mentored so that you want to hire them full-time when they finish school. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify a project that you want an intern to do. The best ones are specific and have a beginning and end. The person who will supervise the intern should be involved in this description.

2. Make a list of the local schools that have programs in the field that you need knowledge in. You can find the list from college guides or any local directory.

3. Contact the career or job placement office of the school and ask if they have job postings for interns. Some schools have internship coordinators.

4. Post your internship and follow up with all candidates. You want to make a good impression at the school with everyone who applies. If you don’t reply to students or don’t treat them professionally word will get around and students won’t want to apply for your internships.

5. Develop a relationship with someone in the placement office or the internship coordinator. Invite them to see your workplace and learn more about your company. If they think it’s a great place to work they will refer students directly for your internships.

6. Volunteer to guest lecture for a class. Choose the subject matter that meets your needs for an intern. Once you are in front of a class you can see students in action and ask them individually or as a group. If it meets the needs of a class you could also offer to hold a class at your company and give the students a tour.

7. Identify schools in other geographic areas that place interns for specific types of work or summer positions. Again you start with a guide to colleges where you will find schools that have work or internship requirements. The school you went to is also a good place to look.

Tips & Warnings

• Find people at work who graduated from the schools that you’re contacting. They can be great ambassadors to potential interns particularly if they are recent graduates.
• Don’t overlook community colleges or 2 year schools. These schools often have specific programs geared towards industry with students eager for experience.
• Keep in touch with interns even if you don’t hire them after they graduate. They can be good sources for referrals for future interns or employees.

[grouch]

on 1/10/2008 Internships are great for all parties. It allows people to gain experiance in the field they are intrested in and it allows you to teach a new person how to do something. Interns are not as set in their ways or have developed as many bad habits yet. Thanks for the information.