Whether your business is large or small, with a long history or just a few years under its belt, interns can provide tremendous value to your operation and the development of new ideas and projects.
If you are considering hiring interns for the first time or have had limited success with interns in the past, here are some questions and answers that may help you evaluate your internship program:
- What do colleges and universities require of internship programs?
Most colleges and universities in the state of Maryland require students to earn credits through an internship experience. Typically, three credits, or 120 hours, of internship work is required. Laleh Malek, Director of Professional Experience for the College of Business and Economics at Towson University, said that an internship is defined as professional experience in the student’s field of study.
“We typically want the student to find something directly related to their major,” she said. “That means the clerical work required of the student should be limited. We understand there is bureaucracy and filing tasks involved with every position, but that should be limited to about 10 to 15%.”
Malek suggested developing one major project or several smaller projects for the intern to work while they are with your company, as well as asking them to help with other day-to-day tasks.
- Should the internship be paid or unpaid?
Malek said whether an internship is paid or unpaid depends on the employer and their resources. If you do opt to provide a paid internship, the range is typically $8 -20 an hour. It is acceptable to provide a stipend to the student in lieu of an hourly wage. If paying interns is not feasible, there are some rules regarding the amount of time the student is allowed to work. Some of the rules require that unpaid interns can only work a maximum of 120 hours—the amount to fulfill the college credit, the intern cannot displace a regular paid worker, and there must be an understanding between the employer and the intern that the internship is unpaid. Click here to read a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor about unpaid internship programs.
- When and where should the search for interns begin?
If you are looking for a fall intern, working September – December, you should post your position by June. If you are looking for a spring intern, working January – May, you should post your position by October. If you are looking for a summer intern, working May – August, you should post your position by March.
Career centers for local colleges and universities often provide services and websites to post available positions. Online job boards are also a good place to post positions.
- What should be included in the job description?
A good job description for an internship should include a bio of your company. It should specify that it can be for credit, whether it is full or part time, and if it is paid and unpaid.
The job description should be specific about the expectations of the intern and the tasks they will be performing. Avoid using words such as “assist,” “learn,” “observe,” and “shadow,” because they are nonspecific and do not convey what the intern will actually be doing.
- What will make the internship successful for both the employer and the intern?
Malek said that for the internship experience to be a success for both parties, communication is vital. The intern must understand the requirements of the internship and their role in the company. It is also important to establish whom the intern should report to and who to ask questions.
“Some interns can become intimidated if they perceive their supervisor as too busy for them. It is important to establish an open-door policy, if that’s what you’re comfortable with, so the intern can approach you if needed,” she said. “The professional relationships the intern develops during their time with your company is just as important as the experience they gain while there.”
Other important points are to make sure to get periodic updates on the status of projects, and to provide specific due dates on each task. And, again, be specific on what the results of the projects and assignments are and what’s expected of the intern. Also, provide feedback to the intern, and create a way for them to provide feedback to you about their internship experience so that it may be improved upon for future interns.
For more information about starting an internship program, writing or posting job descriptions, and where to find interns, contact Laleh Malek at lmalek@towson.edu.
