Original brief version published in Quora
by Jasmine Low
We welcome at least a dozen or so interns from local universities as well as from global mobility programs from Australia and Indonesia annually. Before we accept the cohort of interns, our management team prepares a project that the students will undertake during their internship. In the project brief, there are key performance indicators (KPIs) that the students will seek to satisfy. We find it’s great to assign a co-worker to welcoming the interns, and a key management staff to manage, guide and offer the face time so students can get accustomed to the workplace and feel free to ask ANY question they may have. We take internships seriously, and we see it as a way of ‘giving back’ to the ecosystem. Personally, I enjoy spending time with students as it keeps me grounded how young minds tick. Students also offer us insights into what’s new and what’s cool. Their feedback do matter.
In structuring the internship program at your company, I’d recommend listing down a job scope. Here’s one for design/multimedia/IT/busi
- Research, data mining & data entry
- Cold calling with telephone script
- Setting up of social media accounts
- Social media updates via all relevant channels
- Online community engagement
- Appointment setting
- Account Management
- Design, copywriting, finished artwork
- Business proposal or business plan writing
- Attending conferences / workshops / talks etc
- Taking notes & keeping Contact Reports
And… making a good cup of coffee!
We’ve often brought interns along for meetings, and we find them very appreciative of the experience being involved. It helps when you announce to your client that the intern you’ve brought along is an intern, and will be observing.
Well, in a nutshell, you get out what you put in. So if managers spend valuable time with interns, you’ll also reap the benefits. We’ve heard so many stories where managers send them off making coffee and photocopying, well then.