You might think that with summer gone, so is intern season. Not so.
Now that colleges are back in session you may have a better chance at finding a good match — that you don’t have to bring on full time. Many students are looking to supplement their classroom learning with some real-world experience.
For an afternoon or two a week, you can introduce them to the wonderful world of corporate Finance and take some much-needed items off your to-do list.
Intern use up 3.7%
If you’re thinking about adding an intern (or starting even an informal program), you’re in good company. A recent survey showed employers plan this year to increase their internship rosters by 3.7% over the year before.
It’s not just for the job-hunting set, either. The majority of college students now complete at least one internship before graduation.
The good news? Many universities are now working harder to place students in internship positions, so it won’t be a one-side prospecting expedition. Some even have an internship requirement for graduation.
Yes, you’ll want to contact the business schools in local colleges and universities. Monster.com even has a division strictly for internships.
One caution: Warn staffers not to simply unload a metric ton of grunt work on any intern your department does secure. This is supposed to be a learning opportunity for students (and turn them on to later careers in Finance).
So while there may be some data entry into the master vendor file, be sure there are other chances to do some more thought-intensive tasks. Even let them participate in a departmental brainstorming session — they just may bring a fresh perspective you hadn’t thought of.
