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Internship Toolkit
A successful internship program meets your needs while providing the intern with career-relevant experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing an effective program.
GET READY
1.
Determine your company’s needs.
Evaluate where you need help and what resources you need. Think about workload, timelines, and workspace availability.
2.
Get familiar with compliance and other requirements.
•
State
and
federal
laws regarding underage persons
•
State
and
federal
laws regarding minimum wage and overtime. (Interns working for “for-profit” private sector companies must be paid unless you meet
certain criteria
.)
• State and
federal
immigrations laws
•
Discrimination laws
• Sexual harassment policies (same as standard)
• Termination guidelines (same as standard)
DESIGN YOUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
3.
Appoint an internship manager.
This individual will be the main point of contact. They will also supervise and oversee the intern’s performance and daily/weekly tasks. Make sure it’s someone who either has experience managing people or someone who has been trained to manage people. Interns need to feel welcomed and get significant feedback from their manager in order to succeed.
4.
Create an internship posting.
It’s just like a job posting, with one caveat: It’s important to structure the program around an educational experience while you also meet your needs. List the position’s overall responsibilities and duties as well as the intern’s desired skill set, and be specific about what the intern will do.
Take a look at some examples.
5.
Post the position on several outlets and participate in job/internship fairs.
Start looking for your intern(s) early, because the best candidates won’t necessarily be available at the last minute. Post your position three or four months before you need your intern(s) to start. Most colleges and universities allow internship opportunities to be posted through their career development centers for free.
We've got a list of a few of them
. Ask them about fairs you can attend. National forums such as indeed.com and internships.com typically charge a fee, but reach a larger audience.
GET TO WORK
6.
Select and interview potential candidates.
Treat this like you’re hiring an employee—after all, you might be! Make sure the potential intern is someone who will fit in well with your organization, and wants to do the kind of work you would like for them to do.
7.
Prepare a packet of materials.
Your internship manager should put together information like:
• start date
• end date
• company policy information
• weekly schedule
• responsibilities and duties, including weekly goals and expectations
8.
Hold weekly feedback meetings
.
Talk with your internship manager regularly to evaluate the internship program and make adjustments if needed. (Make sure any changes are okay with your intern’s college or university.)
9.
Get feedback from your intern and staff.
Talk with your intern and the people with whom they work to get honest assessments and help your program improve.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
What if I want to hire a non-immigrant student who’s here on a visa?
Immigration & Customs Enforcement student employment information
Optional practical or curricular practical training for F1 students
Internships for J-1 students
What’s the difference between an F-1 student and a J-1 student?