The Values of Interns and Interning

Photo Credit: http://channel2.typepad.com/uvu/2012/01/interns-wanted.html

 

If you need some extra help at your company but may not have room in the budget to hire someone, why not get an intern? College students and recent graduates need the experience and are more than happy to earn college credit or some extra cash on the side.

In many college programs, students are required to take an internship in order to graduate. Other students or college graduates are looking to gain more experience in their fields. This is a great opportunity for companies to take advantage of.

Internships are a valuable part of the learning experience in addition to what students and graduates learned through college. Although some college courses are designed to teach students how to do things hands on, not everything can be taught in a classroom.

It is important when taking on an intern to delegate meaningful tasks that will help them gain experience rather than just giving them “busy work”. Also avoid using your intern for purely job shadowing because experience is best learned through practice.

Not only will students and recent graduates gain useful experience, but they will also get a sense for what your specific industry is like. Interning with a company provides a sense of the work load, environment, and the expectations of the employees. They will also learn valuable skills such as time management and how to be professional in the workplace.

The benefit of a company taking on an intern is multi-fold. The main advantage for a company is that they can save money since they since companies don’t have the overhead of paying for benefits for a full time hire. Interns can help lighten the work load, they are knowledgeable about modern methods, and they can bring new and fresh ideas to the table.

Inviting someone to take an internship also allows the company to observe their work ethic, growth potential, and dependability. This will help determine whether or not they are a team player and if they are a good fit for the company.

In many cases, companies find their interns to be valuable enough to hire on as an employee once the internship is over. Interns should take their internships seriously, because you never know if it will turn into a career!

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