Internship programs are a little like salads; even the bad ones have something good in them. However, it is sad how many businesses miss out on the great asset a properly structured internship program can be.
The mistake an overwhelming amount of businesses make is to assume that internship programs are mere PR exercises, imposed by HR on every department on a whim from management that only translates into a lot more coffee being brewed.
As a result no effort goes into interviewing or recruiting the right kind of interns. Interns are merely tolerated into boredom, especially in IT — where we all get our own coffee, thank you— and and nobody benefits in particular from the program.
Such a routine repeats itself all too often while valuable talent and a research tool are wasted. Ironically even under such undesirable circumstances the company may gain some good will in the community and some potential new talent might get discovered. But so much more can be gained.
Here are some suggestions on how IT can insure it gets the right kind of interns and utilize them in the best possible way. These should make interns welcome additions to your IT crew.
(1) Be Selective
This is very important. You really want to make sure you get the kind of interns that will be great members of your team, even if temporarily so.
If possible, interview the prospects your department will be taking on. If this is not possible, have them write a short essay on what they expect to get or learn from an internship. The idea is you want to make sure there is some connection between what you are planning and what the interns expect to be doing.
I should be careful to point out that your best interns may not necessarily be Computer Science majors. Sometimes majors in other disciplines have the right aptitudes and attitude to be good IT interns.
(2) Plan Far Ahead
Interns are best suited to long-shot tasks that would be too time consuming for regular staff. Be careful though to make sure they lend themselves to easy ramp-up. Also, make sure you have clear goals and proper metrics in place. This not only boots intern morale but helps in determining how successful the program is.
Do not plan on improvising. Have a long list of items on the ready. Nothing encourages commitment and seriousness like a well planned to-do list.
(3) Be Flexible (and realistic)
While many managers are accustomed to getting eight or more hours out of their regular employees, such expectations are unrealistic when it comes to interns. If an intern's agreement specifies eight hours expect no more than seven and a half. Sme interns may have signed up for half a day or even less.
Be strict about quitting time. Many interns leave to go to jobs or classes and may not be bold enough to insist on being released on time. Getting penalized at their next appointment may dampen their enthusiasm.
Whether they work for a small stipend or for free, let them know they are appreciated. A small expense that goes a long way with interns (who are mostly broke college students) is food.
Keep the kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks and give them a free lunch without fail — with many interns, this might be their only real meal. You would be surprised by how much can be accomplished with such a small and relatively inexpensive gesture.
(4) Sandbox and then Sandbox Some More
I remember a certain large corporation, which shall go unnamed, that was brought to its knees for almost two days after an intern accidentally wiped out one of its key databases. This should easily lead us to rule number 1 : do not ever expose interns to production systems, clients or sensitive data.
Remember that, unlike your employees who have signed legally binding NDAs and are covered by your firms professional liability insurance and other legal mechanisms, interns are merely expected to behave themselves within reason. So, sandbox them.
Interns should never have access to customer data. They should never work on any mission-critical system or application. They should never be allowed to sign off on or access any code after it has been signed-off on. They should not participate in any release or communicate directly with clients on behalf of the company. Your legal department will be happy to fill you in on reasons; I will just summarize by saying that you will regret it very much if you don't take these precautions.
- So what can interns safely and reliably do? Well here is a list types of projects that are not only sandbox-safe but are challenging and fun enough to be motivating to both interns and engineers:
- Proofs of Concept
- This type of project is among the favorites of programming enthusiasts and is probably one of the best ways to get quality R&D work done practically for free.
- Code Libraries
- This is safe way in which to get interns to contribute to the shop's products and it gives them something to take pride in.
- QA and Testing
- With the proper precautions and done right, testing can be fun for your interns and extremely profitable for your shop. Some of the less demanding type of testing, such UAT, is ideal for interns whose technical skills are limited.
- Requirements Gathering
- This is another task that many interns will enjoy and that will leave the company with a useful outcome.
- Documentation
- A task that is always left until "later", creating or editing help files and other documentation for software is a task very suitable for interns.
(5) Plan For the Future
As you get ready to sign the evaluation sheets for your interns, plan for the next year.
Mark the interns you would like to have back the following summer. Likewise take not of the ones you would rather not have return. But most importantly, use the experience to compile a list of the qualities that you appreciate in an intern; this will help you in recruiting your next batch.
As it with every asset at your disposal, an internship program can be another way you can gain an edge on your competition. In the spirit of carpe diem, I encourage you to seize the program this year and next.
