Creating an Optimal Internship - for Your Company and the Intern

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Nicole Cotton

CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program Manager

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• Formerly with the Othering & Belonging Institute
• Managed student interns for Institute for Governmental Studies Diversity Fellows
• Bias Busters unconscious bias training facilitator

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Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the process of learning by doing and reflecting. It is different than “hands-on learning” because reflection on the end product is an important part of the learning process.

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The intern should understand how their assigned tasks fit in with the project scope and the overall mission of the organization.

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Determine your organization’s needs

Engage in inclusive practices

Create a welcoming environment where the intern feels like they belong

Give the intern the opportunity to see how their work contributes to the organization’s overall mission

Evaluate the intern’s performance

5 Steps for a Successful Internship

Step 1: Determine your organization’s needs

An internship is a planned, formal method of integrating a student’s academic studies with work experience.

1. Evaluate organizational needs - Do you need an intern?
2. Create a lists of tasks you need help to complete & the learning objectives
3. What is on your organization's wishlist?
4. Designate a point-person for the intern(s)
5. All team members must agree to task and workload boundaries

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Write these out with your team to create a clear scope of work in your job posting.

Step 2: Engage in inclusive hiring practices

• Ensure job descriptions are inclusive
• Promote the internship opportunity in networks where you maximize your reach
1. Under-tapped resources in HBCUs
2. Campus Affiliate groups
3. Minority professional groups (ex. 100 Black Men)
• Mitigate unconscious bias in delegating work assignments
• Make sure intern does not do more than 25% non-experiential work

Step 3: Create a welcoming environment where the intern feels like they belong

• Consider attending an unconscious bias training session, �e.g. Bias Busters based on work from Harvard
• Honor your intern’s humanity by respecting their pronouns
• Create an environment where the intern feels comfortable asking questions. Ask, “what questions do you have?” give time to think
• Find out what motivates them and incorporate it into their duties
• Invite them to a networking event with other staff

Step 4: Give the intern the opportunity to see how their work contributes to the organization’s overall mission

• Rotate tasks between interns or team members
• Seek resources to help your organization maximize the intern’s time
1. Join or create a group of others you know hosting interns to share management practices and troubleshoot issues
2. Some university career centers have guides for companies hosting interns

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Step 5: Internship Evaluation

• Check-in with your intern regularly
• Evaluate your intern (during, and at the end )
• Evaluate your organization’s performance (with the support of the intern)
• Consider helping your intern incorporate their internship experience into their resume

Thank You!

Any questions?

Links and Resources

• How remote work can improve job environment for employees of color https://www.cbsnews.com/news/black-workers-return-to-office-future-forum-workplace/
• Link to list of DEI focused job boards
• Link to resource for creating community during remote work
• Link to intern evaluation tools
• Link to evaluating management
• Link to examples of experiential learning tasks
• Link to worksheet on determining organizational needs for an intern