“Yes, Hi, I’ll have a tall half-skinny half-1 percent extra hot split quad with whip.” We’ve all been there as interns ordering at Starbucks and wanting to add, “But it’s not for me, it’s for my boss and this is part of my job so I have to order ridiculous things with a big smile on my face.”
Yea, there’s serving coffee, lunch runs and the occasional re-painting of the conference room, but interns play a much bigger role in the small business world. In an atmosphere where a few people wear a lot of hats, companies seize the opportunity to lessen the load by hiring educated individuals who want nothing more than to receive prime job experience in return.
Companies are also more apt to hire a previous intern, than an outsider who simply sends an application. Businesses get to know their interns on a personal level, assess their work ethic and get a feel for their place in the company long before an application for employment is ever filled out. Internships create a strong channel to future paid employees.
Businesses that don’t necessarily have the budget for an in-the-loop marketing group can rely on a contemporary intern team for new ideas and authentic criticism partnered with a willingness to learn. Companies are getting to bring in outsiders for a fresh and objective perspective on the way their business policies and procedures are being regulated and executed, all for the lump sum of free.
Having in-house personnel that are able to understand the inner-workings of Facebook and Twitter and how social networking sites can be used to market a business is an asset all its own. These technology trends are sweeping the international business world and those left behind miss out on a boatload of free advertising.
Besides all of the benefits we see on the business side, consider this. Businesses are inviting people from the community to become an insider, something that usually happens only in permanent employment. Companies are saying, “Come in, get to know us and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Think of it in terms of a dating. Would you send someone a list of the things your good at and say “Hey let me know if we should commit to a relationship now?” I would hope not. Internships provide a strong foundation for its interrelationship with the community. Public Relations anyone?
The fact is that college students near graduation need the job experience and networking opportunities to land that first entry-level gig. Companies that pass on this alternative labor force could be passing on the chance to become more diversified, efficient, and profitable.
Nicole Devine
Intern, Propulsion Media Labs
Professional Writing Major, Kutztown University
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