The Chamber Chair of the Board, Dr. Mike Richie is continuing his initiative of increasing internships for local businesses. He prepared an overview of the benefits of using interns and a primer on the process.
Click Here for Mike’s Full Report. Internships
Here are the highlights:
Colleges and Universities describe an “internship” as experiential learning. We all know an internship is a work experience for college students. Usually in their major field, that they hope will lead to a job after graduation.
In recent years the student’s expectation of a job after graduation has softened. Most college kids not look at an internship as a resume builder, rarely leading directly to that first job.
As a business person or employer in Faribault, you can provide a student with valuable experience.
BUT WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU?
- These are highly motivated pre-professionals
- Visibility for your organization on campus
- Students bring new perspectives
- Flexible, cost-effective workforce with no long-term commitment
- Great recruiting tool
- Enhanced image in the community
WHAT JOBS MAKE GOOD INTERNSHIPS?
- Look at your business critically… Which jobs never seem to get done? What tasks require a skill set your staff lacks? Where is the work overload?
- Areas that often make good internships include: marketing, social media management, human resources, and business office functions including accounting and financial reporting. Quality assurance, compliance, safety and efficiency studies/projects also are well suited to interns.
- If you have recurring jobs/tasks, projects, you can benefit by designing the internship and establishing the supervisory/mentor duties one time, then replace the intern regularly.
The rest of outline provides valuable information on types of internships, steps to creating the opportunity in your business, how to reach out to colleges, legal issues and how the chamber can help.
