The Value of Hiring Interns

By Adry Clark, career counselor/internship coordinator, Oregon State University

Students need professional work experience to compete in the entry-level job market; Companies would like to test-drive candidates before hiring them. Quality internship and co-operative education programs can help both parties. The results of the Job Outlook ’06 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) show that 70 percent of responding employers use internships and/or cooperative education to “test-drive” job candidates before offering permanent employment. As many reported higher retention from employees who began as interns compared with all other college hires.

Interns bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to companies

Providing effective internships creates goodwill for your organization among universities and colleges and provides your organization with up-and-coming professional workers full of fresh ideas and enthusiasm. “Interns are there because they want to be there” says Brian Bickford, zoology freshman, who interns with a reptile breeder ten hours a week. “I like to go out there, I’m there to learn and get as much experience as possible.”

Brian credits his commitment to his employer to feeling highly appreciated and encouraged to work on meaningful projects. This is a common theme.

Challenge interns to meet high expectations

Erik, a junior in marketing, has had several successful internships, including with the Portland Trail Blazers and at MSNBC. “You may have the most talented and motivated interns, but if you don’t provide them challenges or high expectations, you will not get strong results. The higher the standard you have for the internship, the higher caliber intern you will attract. Then let the intern dive in big and contribute”.

While juniors and seniors can often contribute considerable expertise and skills, both Erik and Brian provided value to their employers even as freshmen interns. “Use them for leg work to begin with, and free up your other staff,” offered Erik. A freshman or sophomore can benefit from just being exposed to a professional environment. It prepares them to take on bigger roles as they add subject matter and other skills to their repertoire. Brian started by completing the lowliest tasks (cleaning the cockroach cage), but he quickly earned the trust of the animal managers, for whom he now provides a variety of support functions. Apart from alleviating staff from mundane duties, he contributes in unexpected ways such as bringing produce from his weekend job at a grocery store to experiment with different types of feed for the lizards.

Employers gain up-to-date information

Another benefit for employers, which Erik points out, is access to up-to-date information about the college population and what they’re interested in. As an intern with MSNBC he was often asked to come up with marketing ideas geared towards 18-25 year olds. “If you want students’ business” he asks, “how can you afford not to get their perspective?” Last summer, Nathan, a marketing senior, expanded the business of Alyrica, a small, fast-growing high-speed Internet provider, by targeting new segments and employing “hip” methods to promote services. He was also able to apply database theories learned in class to dramatically upgrade information management for the company.

One of the most popular reasons employers begin experiential education programs is to create a pool of experienced candidates for their permanent job openings. Many OSU students are eager to remain in the region after graduation and understand that most employers in the area are smaller companies. While formal programs may not fit smaller companies, furnishing a mentor or a liaison for the student goes a long way to meeting OSU requirements for an effective internship for which the student can receive college credit. Internships are not always paid – a good experience and skills learned is all many students are after.

This is a great time to find out how to hire interns!

To find out more about hiring interns from OSU, please visit the Career Services website http://oregontate.edu/career or contact Adry Clark, career counselor/internship coordinator at (541) 737-0519 or adry.clark@oregonstate.edu. Career fairs and faculty contacts were rated as the most effective methods by over 250 companies surveyed by NACE for recruiting both interns and co-ops. To meet students actively seeking internships, sign up for our less formal, less expensive Spring Internship/Career Fair on April 20th online at http://oregonstate.edu/career/fair/.

About the author

Adry Clark has been involved with career counseling for eight years in higher education, public agencies, and private practice. Other background includes freelance desktop publishing and marketing as well as several years in the hospitality industry. Adry has a passion for helping students find their niche and obtain experiential opportunities.