We’ve all heard the joke: you and your team are discussing the tasks that need to be done that week, and you’re trying to decide which poor soul is going to get stuck updating a giant list of items into an Excel spreadsheet. Nobody outwardly says it, but you’re all thinking it: “Make the intern do it.” Yes, time and time again, long, tedious tasks get relegated to the domain of the intern, but given this pseudo-stereotype associated with internships, it can make it difficult to know what an intern actually does or, for an organization looking to bring on an intern, how to actually offer an enticing, beneficial internship program.
Designing an internship program with actual practical application and beneficial opportunities isn’t easy. At Payday HCM, we receive plenty of questions from our clients on internships—everything from the more fundamental questions like how long is a typical internship, to more high-level, conceptual ones like how do you structure an internship so that the intern actually gets something out of it? It’s a very good question, and one that is often not only not asked enough, but can also be hard to find the answer to.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll be going over how to create an internship program. We’ll start with some of those more fundamental questions—what is an internship and how do they work—before we dive deeper into the strategies that your business can employ to create a robust, worthwhile internship program. To close, we’ll briefly cover some of the most common questions both businesses and individuals have when it comes to internships.
In this article, you will learn:
What is an Internship?
Before we get into the details on creating your own internship program, we’ll first briefly cover the basics of what an internship is and how it works.
What Are Internships?
Internships are professional learning experiences, typically offered to students, that help the intern gain practical experience in a specific field, typically related to that person’s field of study or interest. Internships are focused not only on providing hands-on experience in a given field, but also on additional knowledge in a specific field.
Usually, an internship will consist of an individual occupying an entry-level position, serving as an assistant to another position, or operating within close proximity to a supervisor. This way, interns can perform their duties in an environment that is conducive to learning. An internship will often leave the door open to future development, including a possible full-time position.
How Do Internships Work?
Internships aren’t much different from part-time jobs, practically speaking. The biggest differentiator between an internship and a more typical part-time position is in the intention: a regular part-time position can offer learning opportunities, but it isn’t its explicit purpose, unlike an internship.
That being said, an intern will often work part-time, or in some instances full-time, hours, with the specifics of their duties usually being limited to entry-level tasks. That being said, a good rule-of-thumb is to ensure your internship doesn’t consist of more than 20 percent of busy-work. An internship largely hinges on real-world experience paired with feedback and mentoring.
How Do You Create A Good Internship?
Now that we have a basic understanding of what an internship is, we can look a little deeper at what kinds of things create a good internship program.
Developing Your Internship Program
Before you start searching for an intern, you first need to conceptualize what your internship program will look like and how it will work. The planning step is crucial to ensuring that your internship program is valuable not only to your organization but, most importantly, to your intern as well.
To start, you want to establish clear goals and expectations for your internship, both for your organization and for the intern. You should expect to devote a good amount of resources to training and mentoring, meaning a direct supervisor should be decided on and clearly communicated.
From here, you can decide on specific job responsibilities—remember, it’s important that your internship doesn’t just consist of busy work. If you find yourself in the conceptualization phase, outlining expectations, and realize the only tasks you had in mind for the internship are largely busy work, you may need to rethink your approach to the internship or whether you need an intern at all.
You’ll also want to think carefully about who your audience is regarding the internship. As we mentioned above, internships are most commonly offered to students. In this case, you should consider whether this is true for your organization and, if so, whether high school or college students, or possible recent graduates, are going to be the best fit.
During An Internship
Once you’ve brought on an intern, it can be helpful to have an open discussion regarding the goals of the internship. What are the goals your organization has set for the internship? What are they hoping to get out of the internship? Aligning your goals with the goals of the person in the internship can ensure everyone gets the most out of the internship.
Feedback is another crucial element that can help ensure the success of any internship program. Assigning a direct intern supervisor or mentor can assist with this, but it isn’t the only step. Ensure a clear procedure and calendar are outlined for providing feedback. Feedback sessions should focus on an intern’s strengths, areas for improvement, and overall job performance.
Common Internship Questions
Now, we’ll go over some common questions that both employers and employees have when it comes to internships.
Do You Get Paid For Internships?
One aspect of internships that separates them from typical employment is that, in certain cases, internships aren’t always paid. This means that employers can offer an internship position without a traditional payment structure that might accompany a typical full- or part-time position. Some internships offer college credit in place of traditional hourly wages.
That being said, internships that are paid are going to be more enticing to those looking for an internship. While internships offer several different benefits, including development opportunities and possible full-time employment, these often are not enough to serve as a complete substitute for a regular wage. To demonstrate the most value with your internship program and to increase its viability as an option for prospective interns, it’s best to offer a paid internship.
How Long Is An Internship?
An internship position is typically offered for a fixed period of time, similar to seasonal employment. The length of an internship will vary depending on the organization offering the internship, but can last anywhere from six weeks to a year. Summer internships are a common offering, usually extending the length of either May or June until July or August.
The length of the internship should be something that is determined during the conceptualization phase. Of course, an internship does not necessarily have to be only for a fixed period of time. However, most prospective interns approach internships with a temporary mindset, so it’s best to either offer an internship for a fixed period or promise more permanent employment after a set period.
Attract Outstanding Talent With An Outstanding Internship Program
Hiring is one of the more intensive processes that a business needs to perform. On top of this, there’s also the question of talent development and nurturing those who are currently a part of your organization to help them grow and develop into new roles. These two things, while important, can be difficult to do. It can be hard to know what kinds of things to look for when hiring and, in turn, what kinds of things you can do to foster and develop top talent. A lot of this can be solved with a good internship program, one that not only entices those with a large amount of existing talent, but also one that can foster and grow that talent. With the information provided in this article, you’ll have a better idea of how to create an internship program that does just that.
Many of the same tools that are used to craft an enticing and substantive internship program are similar to tools and strategies you might use to attract talent for regular full- or part-time positions. Knowing what applicants are looking for in a prospective employer is key to standing out in today’s job market, where applicants are having to sort through a seemingly endless number of job postings. But what is it that applicants are looking for? What kinds of things can employers offer to help attract top talent? Check out our article on the top five benefits employees look for most to find out.
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