Posted over 6 years ago

Utilizing Summer Interns

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By Kerry FaixEntrepreneur, Real Estate Investor, COO and Founder of Stone Bay Holdings @kerryfaix

A summer intern will be an amazing asset for your business. They bring fresh ideas and different perspectives. Their new way of looking at things will help you get a leg up and push your business forward. Learn how to harness interns and create a win-win environment for both the intern and your business.

Bring Value to THEM

Summer interns should be utilized to help you and your business, however, it is also your responsibility to create an environment for these young adults to experiment with different job opportunities, and to figure out what they want to do in life.

There is virtue in being a teacher and guiding these students as they get familiar with your industry. As a leader, you want to invest in others and pay it forward with the knowledge you’ve accumulated over the years. With an internship, you are helping shape that individual’s life. Know that you are creating a role for someone to thrive, not just for them to kill time. You never know, maybe you will bring them on full time after they complete school. Regardless of what happens, enter into an internship with the mindset that you are privileged to give back and teach to another.

How to Manage Interns

Before an intern begins, like any employee, make sure you are prepared with a defined role for them. Think about what roles, responsibilities or functions they’ll be doing and things you plan on teaching them. Also consider what skills they are seeking to learn or gain experience with. Broaden your scope of what an intern can handle on the job, as these are usually students who have a variety of skills ready to offer you. Keep in mind, some may not know how to create work for themselves around the office where needed. Think ahead and be sure to have a variety of meaningful work, as well as filler work to keep them busy during interims.

Remain flexible with the role of the intern though. After seeing them in action and getting to know them in a professional environment, you may notice skills or interests in them that can greatly benefit a different part of your company. You don’t want to miss out on that opportunity by not paying enough attention to your interns or being too rigid with your roles. When you put an intern first, they become valuable team members who feel appreciated and are dedicated to participating in your business. Interns are a vital component to your organization if you treat them that way, so create the right environment for them to thrive and move your business in a new way.

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Your New Intern Could be a Social Media Post Away

Summer is here and there is an influx of extra help readily available. Lets create meaningful job opportunities for students to gain valuable experience in their desired fields. Be on the look out for family friends or relatives on break from college to pitch in this summer. Ask around or even put it out on social media that you are looking. Great help often comes from unlikely sources!

Remember to treat interviewing and managing like any other employee. Questions to consider when interviewing prospective candidates: