Everything You Need to Know About Hiring an All-Star Intern
The inspiring Hellen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
I couldn’t agree more with this statement.
You can begin a business as a “solopreneur”. But building a Legacy Business absolutely requires a team effort.
To produce All Star results, you need team members to manage different areas of your business so you can be laser focused on doing what you do best.
Although sharing responsibility can be challenging at first if you have become accustomed to doing everything on your own, learning to delegate is a crucial step to breaking barriers and boosting sales in your business. It can also be incredibly liberating.
Of course, you can’t delegate to just anyone. It’s your job as an entrepreneur to make sure that important tasks in your business are being managed by skilled, reliable team members.
When you find employees who add value to your team, you free up time to do whatever you do best, whether that’s selling, training, marketing or coaching.
But how do you find top talent, especially if you’re working with a tight budget?
One strategy I encourage the business owners I work with at Celeste Giordano Coaching to consider is finding an intern.
With summer and college graduation around the corner, it’s the perfect time to think about advertising a summer internship. But you can hire interns all year!
Let’s cover some of the basic internship FAQs:
What exactly is an internship?”
An internship is an opportunity offered by an employer to potential employees (a.k.a. interns) to work for their company or non-profit in a position that interests them for a fixed period of time to gain work experience.
How long does an internship last?
Internship positions can span anywhere from a few weeks to a year in length.
Who seeks internship positions?
Internships are often sought after by undergraduate students or new
grads who want to learn on the job and bolster their resumes.
How much are interns compensated?
Internships are either paid, unpaid, or offered an honorarium.
How does the intern benefit?
You may be wondering why someone would work as an intern, especially in situations where they are unpaid or only paid a small honorarium.
The number one reason people take on internship positions is because they want to gain practical, valuable experience in the industry or position they want to pursue as a career.
An internship is a stepping stone that allows students or individuals seeking to shift careers to apply their knowledge and develop skills that will enable them to reach their professional goals.
A new graphic design graduate may want an opportunity to apply the skills they have developed in a professional setting and build up their portfolio. Completing an internship and having the recommendation of the employer who offered the internship can give them a competitive edge over other candidates when they apply for a paid position in the future.
If someone is willing to complete an internship, does that mean their skills are limited?
Actually, many interns are extremely skilled, capable and driven to learn and succeed. They may have academic prowess in the professional area they want to pursue, be it web development, sales, business development, marketing, accounting or graphic design. What they lack is hands-on experience. They want to immerse themselves in a professional setting, apply the skills they learned in school, fill their resume with some relevant experience and gain confidence.
What kind of work can I assign to an intern?
You can give your intern important responsibilities – just make sure that you give them the tools and guidance necessary to fulfill them to your satisfaction. Create an environment where they can ask questions without fear of reprimand and give encouragement in addition to construction feedback. When you do so, your intern will feel comfortable taking on more responsibility and will produce higher quality work.
How can I find a great intern?
There are plenty of ways to find an intern. Here are just a few:
- Put out feelers when you speak to friends, family and even individuals you meet at networking events, letting them know you are looking for an intern. If someone you trust makes a recommendation, bring them in for an interview.
- Conduct searches using social media, internship.com and on LinkedIn for undergraduates and new graduates looking for internship opportunities.
- Connect with professors at colleges and universities with accredited internship programs or “Cooperative Education (Co-Op) classes”. For example, if you want a marketing intern, reach out to the professor of sales and marketing at your local college or business school.
What qualities do I look for in an intern?
By definition, interns don’t have a lot of traditional work experience. So, what can you look for to make sure you’re hiring an intern with great promise? Look for candidates who demonstrate that they are responsible, trustworthy, and eager to learn. It’s also important to find someone with skills applicable to the role, as well as a positive “I Can” attitude.
What questions should I ask in an interview?
Intern candidates usually don’t have a resume that speaks for itself (that’s why they’re seeking an internship in the first place!). To determine if the candidate you’re interviewing is a good fit for the internship position, you can:
- Ask your prospect to tell you what they are most passionate about and see if your role ties into any of their interests.
- Encourage your internship candidate to tell you about the latest projects they worked on in school or in a volunteer role.
- Determine what skills they have and what they would like to learn during the internship.
How do I get the most out of my intern?
If you want to get the greatest return on the investment of your time and energy training an intern, you have to have a positive attitude and genuinely want your intern to LEARN, GROW, ACHIEVE and PROSPER. The more they get out of the internship, the better the work they will do for you and the greater the impact they will have on your business.
I’ve seen many business owners feel so impressed by their interns performance that they offer them a part time or full time position at the conclusion of the internship period!
At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach the business owners I work with about the vital importance of new talent for a growing business.
To transform your current business into a prosperous Legacy Business, you need to be able to focus on the activities that you thrive at which add the greatest value to your business. The rest of the tasks necessary to keep your business growing should be assigned to members of your team.
By building a team of experts around you, you can accomplish so much more than you can on your own. Many of my clients have hired interns, adding value to their business in an affordable, sustainable way – and you can too!
Want to “Double Plus” your income THIS year?
Don’t hesitate to contact me at celeste@celestegiordano.com to discuss other practical strategies for growing your business.
Up Next: You’re Invited
We invite our local community to visit us on April 27th, 2017 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the 1818 Club for the WGC Atlanta Chapter meeting. “Success Strategies for a Great Next Quarter” business panel discussion led by Shellie Hunt, Jeannie Penland with HGI, Sara Poe with Poe’s Accounting, Terry Son with Forten Media, and Sue Wyatt, Senior Vice President of Brand Bank. Pre-registration for the event is $25.00. Click here to pre-register. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact celeste@thewomenofglobalchange.com.
We are also opening up several other chapters across the United States. I am honored to help launch the Toronto, Ontario Chapter in March, 2017. To become a presenting sponsor or sponsor at this premier Toronto event, contact Celeste Giordano here. For additional information about WGC, please visit our website!
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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