For college students wrapping up their semester, learning has just begun. Summers ford the opportunity for internships, where students can put their class knowledge to the test and gain real-world experience that’s not just helpful, but essential. As 95% of employers seek candidates with prior experience, a solid internship paves the way for a successful jump into the career field.

Do your business (and the future workforce) a favor, and design an airtight internship program with these helpful steps:

1. Identify an intern’s need. What kind of internship are students hunting and hoping to find these days? Check out your competitors to see how they use their interns, and reach out to schools’ internship coordinators to understand what it will take for a mutually beneficial relationship.

2. Identify your org’s need. Students are equipped for more than data entry and office tasks. Pinpoint where your business could use assistance, and create a set of objectives and requirements as you would for any entry-level position posting. Their classes will have given them the basic knowledge to address the challenges you need them to tackle.

3. Get support from the whole team. Adding an intern to a team that’s already thin on projects can create friction between your student and your employees. Explain your goals for the intern, and open dialogue from the team to create an atmosphere where all parties feel prepped and excited for the incoming help.

4. Structure the program. Creating overarching objectives, daily duties, projects both short- and long-term, mentor assignments, and evaluation procedures will help you make the most of both your team and your intern’s time. Specific design yields trackable, specific results.

5. Assign positions from within. If you plan to have your intern dabble within a couple of different departments, establish a point of contact for each team to eliminate confusion and allow your employees to manage their time accordingly.

6. Specify a start and end date. Saying you’ll pick up an intern “for the summer” leaves room for procrastination in interviewing, hiring, and training. Select a date for each step of the process to maximize the time your intern gets in the office and the deliverables your team gets as a result.

7. Leave room for flexibility. The real-world experience your intern receives with your team is invaluable. Ask them during the interview process what skills they’d like to gain or hone, and adjust your objectives and tactics accordingly. As their time with you progresses, periodically check in with them to see how they’re doing, where they feel successful, and what they’d like to test out.

Your internship program is a win-win all around. To find your right-fit intern, let Skywalk Group help you in the hiring process!