A few goals for my company for 2010 were; I wanted to make a video and add plus size to my size chart. I also thought I would hire an intern for the summer when we were scheduled to work on these 2 goals. My thoughts were that a design or business major or recent college graduate might get something out of being an intern to a start up successful small business.I spoke with other business people I knew and got a mixed bag of reactions. Some had great experiences and some did not. I heard from several sources to be sure to check the applicant’s Facebook pages, references and be very thorough in the interview process with your and the candidate’s expectations.
I called a couple of colleges and made my requests and told everyone I knew that I was looking for in an intern. I got several responses and did my homework on pre-screening and set my interview questions. I set up interview times and called and emailed the candidates that passed the pre-screening.
Two did not show. One never got back to me and the other gave an excuse. One came 20 minutes late, another chewed gum and told me she was not willing to work many hours and needed extreme flexibility. I did not hire an intern. I was discouraged and now wonder about other business owners and their experiences with an intern?
A big non-profit organization I volunteer with always has a few summer interns. I asked one of the interns about her experience and got exactly the ideal. She loved the experience, learned more than she expected and was able to clarify her career goals from her experience. With her enthusiasm in the back of my mind, I may try again next summer for a summer intern. Who has advise?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0_F-hxr5o8
2 comments:
I feel your pain! I think you are on the right track with getting an intern from a local college or university. Here are a few additional steps you may want to try.
Find out who teaches the advanced coursework in topics most closely related to your needs.
Contact those professors personally, and share the details of the internship. Have the professors promote during the relevant courses.
Good luck!
I understand your frustration. I have some advice:
1. Have a CLEARLY defined role for the intern, and a LONG list of projects. Many interns complain that they aren't given enough work "to do".
2. You have to SELL the internship to the intern. Did you let them know that you're a successful business owner? How long you've been self-employed? Why you company is a market leader? What they'll learn from your internship that will be a valuable, marketable skill and something to put on their resume when they complete the internship?
3. Did you consider hiring a "virtual" intern? I don't know about your company, but is it absolutely necessary for the intern to be in your office each day, or does email, IM and phone suffice as a communication tool (all of our interns are virtual, even our interns who live locally).
Those are just a few tips, but we have PLENTY more on our blog at http://www.InternProfits.com/blog
Also, join our mailing list, as we'll have a new product coming out soon showing business owners like yourself exactly how to set up, create, and staff a successful internship program.
Good luck!
Justin Lee
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