There may be snow on the ground, but take a look at your calendar and you’ll see that spring is right around the corner – which means that summer internship season is not far behind.
If you’ve never had a summer intern before, there’s no need to be intimidated. Summer internships aren’t just for big companies with brown bag lunches and departmental rotations. We all know that growing companies provide hands on experience, valuable connections and an opportunity to build skills. Now, so do interns.
Ambitious students are using this time to prep for their internship search, so why not also use this time to get the wheels in motion? While you don’t need to formally start your hiring process now, there are several things you can do that will set the wheels in motion for down the road – especially if this is your first time hiring a summer intern.
Make a To-Do List – First, start thinking about the tasks that you could delegate to an intern. Do you have a one-time special project where you’ll need research help? Do you have ongoing weekly or monthly reports that an intern could generate? Start making a list of all of the tasks that an intern could tackle, and don’t edit just yet. Just get your ideas on paper and revisit it often in the coming months.
Do a Skills Inventory – Now that you’ve created a to-do list for your potential summer intern, it’s time to do a simple skills inventory. Take a look at your tasks and create a list of skills that would be an asset to someone who is completing the tasks you’d like to delegate. Think about the level and expertise of the skill level, too. Would someone with a major in accounting be helpful or are you OK with someone who has only taken Accounting 101? Your list of skills will help you plan now, but it will also come in handy when you start reading and evaluating resumes later.
Figure Out Timing – When you’re ready to look at your to-do list again, start assigning how much time you think each task will take your soon-to-be summer intern. Remember that your intern will be more likely to pick up speed as the internship goes on, but your intern won’t be able to complete tasks as fast as you – so give a little extra padding on your time estimates. When you finish timing everything, sort your tasks into weekly and long-term projects. Start seeing how many hours a week you would have work someone.
Look at Your Calendar – Now that you have a feel for how long your internship could last and how much work you are able to assign each week, take a look at your own calendar. You’ll need to dedicate at least some of your time each week to training, with the most time being spent at the beginning of the internship. What start date would potentially work best for you?
Figure out the Logistics – Not only do you need to think about when you bring a summer intern on board, but you also need to think about the logistics. If someone is coming into your office, figure out if you have the space and the equipment necessary. If not, when can you order new supplies and clear out an office? If you opt for a virtual intern, the offices supplies and set-up are less of an issue, but there are other best practices to consider like how often you’d like if you have specific hours you’d like your intern to work and the best ways to communicate, organize, and share information online.
After going through the summer internship planning process, you might realize that you’re ready to take on an intern sooner than you thought! If you’re ready to bring on someone this spring, take the first step now. If not, aren’t you glad you have one less thing to do as you great ready for summer?
Urban Interns is an online marketplace that connects high-growth companies with talented candidates looking for internships, part-time jobs, freelance work and contract positions.
Why?
-Small businesses are growing quickly, but full-time help is often more (or more expensive) than what they need.
-Talented people are looking for flexible, part-time work to gain experience, increase their earnings, or both.
-Technology makes it easy to accomplish many tasks from anywhere, anytime.
-Urban Interns was created to meet the needs of the new job market. The world of work is no longer just “another day at the office.”