TCS welcomed its very first intern, and can I say she’s simply amazing! In addition to being a huge help, she’s also full of great ideas and insights! One of the great advantages is also that through her, I get to revisit what it means to successfully work with interns, especially with your first intern.
I remember being an intern in college and having so many unanswered questions at the time. While I’ve worked with interns during my corporate career and now in business, it's always refreshing to stay updated on what it really takes to do so successfully.
Here are 7 tips from my corporate experience to my entrepreneurial hustle to build powerful experiences with your interns:
- Know the law!
Before you start working with an intern, you want to make sure that you’re on the right side of the law. While this may be taken care of by your organization, it's always informative to read about the legal side of internships.
Internships, especially when unpaid, are slightly different from traditional work arrangements. You can consult the Department of Labor regulations for what qualifies as an unpaid internship, and how to go about it.
2. Align your goals with that of your intern
Working with your first intern (and subsequent ones) is a great way to share your goals. It's also the perfect time to learn about their goals and what they're looking to get out of the experience.
The more you can align your goals with theirs, the more enriching it can be for both parties.
3. Make teaching your priority
Internships are first and foremost learning opportunities. Although there certainly is work involved, the priority should be to impart knowledge and experience. Whether it's about the industry, the company or the job at hand, make sure to strike a healthy balance between actual work and teaching on the job.
4. Be open to learning from your intern
One of the reasons I've always loved working with interns is the fresh perspective they bring with them. Be open to learning about different ways of working, or even pick up a few advanced social media or Excel tricks here and there!
5. Be mindful of their learning style
Different people learn differently. For interns whose experience in the professional world or in your particular industry may be limited, this is even more prevalent.
Is your intern more of a visual learner? Does s/he thrive with on-hands task? Learn about the way they learn best and try to keep them engaged.
6. Communicate clearly
One of the most common obstacles to successful internships is poor and unclear communication. After all, your intern most likely has very little, if any, exposure to your industry or line of work.
Make sure to keep the lines of communication as clear as possible:
- Have an orientation at the beginning: This will help get a picture of your industry or business, clarify your goals and set the tone.
- Prepare as many procedures as possible: Consider preparing and sharing procedures describing your main processes to speed up the learning process.
- Write down detailed instructions: Even if you're better at giving instructions verbally, consider writing down detailed instructions for your intern. This will minimize the miscommunication risk and the frustrating back-and-forth.
7. Show, Don't Just Tell
When it comes to working with your first intern, lead by example. Whether it's through displaying integrity or demonstrating how the work is done, show, don't just tell!
What other advice would you add to this list?
To your success,
The Corporate Sis.
