How to run an effective intern program

Summer is coming, and for many businesses that means interns. An intern program can be incredibly valuable for your business, but only if it is executed properly. Great intern programs require a great deal of work, thought, and follow through. Many organizations just kind of slap them together, but this is a mistake, because intern programs can be incredible tools for your company.

Summer is coming, and so are the interns!

Yes, intern programs are hard work to run but they can pay off big time—for both your company and the intern—with the right focus, structure, and execution. Great intern programs all have one thing in common: the organization takes it seriously. Here are the four main things to consider when fashioning and running your program:

1. Set clear goals and purposes. Determine what you want to get out of the program. What are the goals and purposes? Is it recruiting and training new talent? Hiring cheap summer help? Marketing your company?

2. Establish structure and strategies to meet those goals. How will you meet these goals? How and where will you recruit? How are you onboarding, evaluating, and tracking the program?

3. Make sure you get management's support and buy-in. No program will succeed if management isn’t on board. Are the managers of the interns on board with the program? Do they understand the goals? Do they have the proper training and resources to create valuable experiences for both the organization and the interns?

4. Consider what the interns will get out of it. Your interns won’t just work there, they will also broadcast their opinions about your organization, so make sure they say the right things. Are you providing them with a valuable experience? Did you meet their expectations? Would they recommend your organization to other interns or prospective employees? What will they say about you?

Great programs share the same traits. Bad programs do too! Here are the three most common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Mistake 1: Not ensuring your managers are in alignment with the program goals. The people managing the interns are the key to your program’s success. Make sure you choose the right people to work with the interns, have trained them properly, and that they are on board with the program’s goals.

Give your interns real work to do.

Mistake 2: Not providing meaningful work or professional development for your interns. Your intern program shouldn't be about be fetching coffee, it should be about introducing young adults to the workplace in general and your company in particular. They want to learn and make a meaningful contribution, so give them something real to do.

Mistake 3: Being all flash and no fire. This is when organizations spend the summer wining, dining, and schmoozing their interns instead of actually seeing if they would be a good match for the organization. Law firms and Wall Street firms used to be notorious for this. But research shows that there isn’t much correlation between the money spent and the retention it inspires, and lots of firms are rethinking this practice. Find a way to make the internship meaningful to both parties.

How to be a good intern: Nine tips for the successful intern

Internships are a great way to test the waters of a particular field or company. Internships are also a great way to network and make contacts in your field. Plus, internship experience is great resume fodder. More and more organizations consider internships an integral part of career development, sometimes even more so than other summer jobs.


Last week, I wrote about the importance and value of internship programs and how to run an effective one. This week, I want to offer some tips on how to make the most of your internship and how to be a good intern.

If you are entering an internship, here are some tips to make it worthwhile:

•Take your internship seriously—even if your employer doesn’t.

•Dress for success. Try not to look like an intern. Rather, dress as if you already belong there. Dress like you already have the job.

•Think of your internship as a 12-week interview. Stay focused and be professional.

•Be clear about your personal and professional goals for the internship.

•Find out about the company’s goals and find ways to meet them.

•Request meaningful work. Volunteer to work on big projects.

•Make connections. Network and socialize with colleagues and other interns. Take the time to really get to know a wide assortment of colleagues.

•Show appreciation. Write thank you notes and send emails.

•Stay in touch! Follow up with the company.

Summer interns: How to run an effective intern program

Interns can bring new energy and knowledge about the latest technologies into the workplace, and a solid intern program can be an incredibly valuable and important business tool. Summer usually sees an influx in interns, and managing them can pose a unique set of challenges. But with a little effort, you can ensure that your company’s intern program is valuable, effective, and worthwhile, for everyone.

A great internship program covers four elements:

1. Clear goals and purposes. Determine what you want to get out of the program. What are the goals and purposes? What do we want to get out of it? Is it recruiting and training new talent? Hiring cheap summer help? Marketing our company?

2. Structure and strategies to meet those goals. Structure and strategies to meet those goals: How are we meeting these goals? How and where are we recruiting? How are we onboarding, evaluating and tracking the program?

3. Management support and buy-in. Are the right people involved? Are the managers of the interns on board with the program? Do they understand the goals? Do they have the proper training and resources to create valuable experiences for both the organization and the interns?

4. The experience of the interns. Are we providing the interns with a valuable experience for them and for company? Did we meet their expectations? Did they have the experience that we promised in our recruiting? Would they recommend our organization to other interns or prospective employees? Remember, your interns are not just free workers or potential employees; they will also be broadcasting their opinions about your organization. So make sure they say the right things.

Great intern programs all have one thing in common: the organization takes it seriously. Great programs require a great deal of work, thought and follow through. Many organizations just kind of slap them together, but this is a mistake. Here are three common mistakes companies make and how to avoid them:

Mistake 1: Not ensuring your managers are in alignment with the program goals. It is often challenging for managers to take on the additional responsibilities of an intern, but the people managing the interns are key to your program’s success. Make sure you choose the right people to work with the interns, have trained them properly, and that they are on board with the program’s goals.

Mistake 2: Not providing meaningful work or professional development for your interns. This is not about simply fetching coffee; it’s about introducing young adults to the workplace in general and your company in particular. They want to feel they have made a meaningful contribution and they want to learn, so give them something real to do.

Mistake 3: All flash and no fire. This is when organizations spend the summer wining, dining, and schmoozing their interns instead of actually seeing if they would be a good match for the organization. Law firms are notorious for this. They throw boatloads of money at the summer associates trying to lure them. Sounds great, but they aren’t really getting much for their money—research shows that there isn’t much correlation between the money spent and the retention it inspires, and lots of firms are rethinking this practice. Find a way to make the internship meaningful to both parties.