Best practice guide to build a successful internship program.

1. Building an Internship Program
for Your Small Business
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2. Defining an Internship Program
 This document will help you build an annual
internship program at your organization (vs. simply
recruit one intern for one semester/summer).
 An Internship Program includes, the plan,
resources, and processes to bring on an intern(s)
Fall, Spring, and Summer that can contribute to
the organization’s goals, accomplish pre-defined
tasks, and receive experience, supervision, and
expertise for their time and energy
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3. Benefits for Employers
 Buildcapacity and bench strength
 Access to new expertise, trends, and
educated talent
 Opportunity to evaluate and screen
students for full-time positions
 Consistency of intern(s) each semester
 Fresh ideas and energy
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4. Top Intern Positions
 Social media
 Online and other marketing
 Research (grant, market, trends)
 Graphic design
 Programming (web and application)
 IT support (desktop)
 Sales support
 Administrative
 Copywriting
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5. Benefits for Students
 Job and workplace experience
 Resume builders – project-work
 Class or internship credit to graduate
 Various financial incentives
 Build a network/get exposure to industry
 Potential for increased starting salary
 Faster ramp-up with first full-time job
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6. Processes Recommended
 Establish program parameters and goals
 Set expectations and define interests upfront
 Complete orientation and onboarding
 Create discrete projects intern can complete
 Have a Mentor or Buddy for the intern
 Conduct performance reviews/feedback
 Develop training and development opportunities
 Assign a single supervisor/manager
 Perform regular checkpoints
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7. Internship Success Factors
 Eliminate “ just an intern” mentality
 A formal welcome for intern to the organization
 Clear roles, responsibilities, goals and tasks
 Intern commitment and management support
 Explain how internship relates to business goals
 Find the proper incentives
 Schedule time for transition & documentation
 End of semester presentation/wrap-up
 Staying connected after the internship
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8. Available Incentives
 Performance bonus
 Commissions
 Class credit (students will know the process)
 References/connections/networking
 Mentorship
 Professional development
 Unique experiences
 Unique contributions
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9. On-boarding Checklist
 Welcome announcement to all employees
 Discuss start and end dates
 Define work hour and on-site expectations
 Provide dress code and day 1 directions
 Provide buddy and supervisor information
 Define list of projects & owners/contacts
 Ensure intern has proper supplies/resources
 See Sample Orientation Outline for more
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10. Daily Operations Checklist
 Orient students and get them started on
assignments
 Explain bigger picture – why project matters
 Provide regular training and development
 Meet weekly to provide feedback/check status
 Have them document their work/processes
 Have them develop a transition plan
 See Sample MOU for an Internship
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11. End of Program Checklist
 Have them present their findings/projects
 Transition the role and material to new intern
 Conduct an exit interview
 Identify improvements to your internship
program and make revisions
 Have the intern Complete Employer Eval
 Complete the Student Eval
 See Sample Exit Interview for more
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12. For More Information
 If you have any questions, contact us at:
info@campus2careers.com
 To find any of the forms referenced in this presentation check
out Internship Forms on our Employer Resources page at
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