Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Seattle 2.0, and imported to GeekWire as part of our acquisition of Seattle 2.0 and its archival content. For more background, see this post.

By Nathan Parcells

Editor’s Note:  With many students facing a difficult job market,and some programs requiring internships to graduate, the quality ofinterns has never been higher.  The following is a guest post fromInternMatch co-founder Nathan Parcells on getting the most out of anintern.  Internmatch helps match employers with student interns.
 
Nathan ParcellsI know that for most startups, decidingwhether or not to hire an intern is a tough question.  When youwork every waking hour to get your business off the ground, adding newdimensions can be risky.  

The biggest question is usually whetherthe benefits of an intern are worth the investment.   Otherareas of uncertainty relate to the potential value, office compatibility(if there is an office), training, supervision, and compensation ofthe intern.  Below I offer answers to five questions that can helpframe the decision-making process for entrepreneurs.

Can an intern really add that much valueto my business?

    In response to this question you need to think carefully about where in your business the intern could have the most impact.  Whether this is building marketing collateral, creating a social media strategy, or helping to film a new homepage video, an internship experience is most dynamic with a specific project in mind. 

    Another way to think about this is to reflect on how many times as an entrepreneur you have had to wear some entirely new hat, in order to go to product.  In these situations an intern can be a true game changer – allowing you to bring on board a skilled individual who can perform a set of tasks better and more efficiently than you.  At InternMatch, our intern Gabe was able to use his graphic design background to build some incredible student marketing collateral and teach us advanced Photoshop skills along the way. 

    However you should refrain from recruiting an intern where you have zero expertise at all, as part of the pact you are making is to educate the intern in their field of interest.

How do I get the most out of trainingan intern without losing too much time?

    Give the intern an orientation day.  The first day with your new intern you may want to take a step back and spend time explaining how the company operates and diving into details such as dress, email protocol and other office standards.  A brief upfront time investment here, will overcome a lot of the potential red flag moments that people fear in bringing a new intern on board.

    Mentorship: The most important thing you can do is to clearly assign one individual to be the intern’s mentor and to schedule regular weekly meetings (note that this person can change during the internship).  This relationship reduces communication issues and ultimately will make working with your intern incredibly efficient.  Pick a day weekly where you plan to sit for an hour and have coffee with your intern discussing the company as a whole and how their work is integrating into the bigger vision. 

How do I manage an intern anyway?

    Assign project benchmarks and deadlines.  Most interns are used to aiming for set deadlines in their collegiate work.  Take advantage of this structure and assign deliverables leading up to a final product.  For example, if they are building some new marketing collateral, ask for three distinct early design mock-ups.  Then in evaluating these products you will create an organic education situation while still building towards a powerful final product.

How do I make sure the intern has agreat experience?

    Make the experience fun and engaging.  There are plenty of easy ways to reward great work at a start-up. Some good ideas include introducing your interns to new situations (perhaps speaking a few lines at a work shop or presentation) or bringing them to meetings with team members and advisors who may be useful contacts for them in the future. 

How should I compensate my intern?

    It’s important to understand the benefits of payment.  Given how seriously students want internships, you have the opportunity to attract top notch students to your business. By choosing to pay minimum wage or more you are not only ensuring compliance with the law but also positioning yourself to attract the best talent. Another option is to use the Washington State work study program which will compensate you two-thirds of an intern’s salary.  That means you can bring on board capable students at a fraction of the cost.  You can also ask intern candidates whether their university accepts internships for college credit.

Ultimately, whether or not an internmakes sense for your startup depends on both your needs andwillingnessto engage in the internship process. As a heavily boot strappedstartupourselves (our international headquarters right now is a smallapartmentin Madison Park) we have used interns from the very onset ofbuildingInternMatch.  While the process has not been entirely roses andhas required energy and work, the overall experience has beenenormouslypositive and value driven.  Right now our two interns, Gabe and Liz, consistently churn out stellar work andprovide fresh ideas and skills for our company.

To learn more about how to craft aninternship opportunity and recruit the best candidates feel freelookthrough some of our additionalresources.  
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