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Of course your interns will not be able to do all of the documentation
things that the regular full-timers are involved in, however, keep this in
mind. Inexperienced, yes, but they will probably bring a youthful enthusiasm
and energy to the company's environment, while they are there, and it might
be a good time to get some documentation things done that have needed to get
done for some time. And those young people will probably find some stuff
(stuff that the more seasoned employees would find dull) very interesting
and good learning experiences.
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The best first step is to make out a training plan or work plan that
details the tasks they will be involved with during their internship.
State their roles and responsibilities, and some measure for evaluation,
including periodic progress meetings. Include how they will be
supervised, assigned to tasks, and provided with feedback. What learning
objectives will they have during their period of work? What are the
manager's and company's expectations about their behavior, work habits,
and so on. Maybe not all of this gets put into a plan, but these things
should be thought through. How do you see them growing during their work
term?
I find the plan is useful for helping everyone involved know what will
be going on with the interns while they're there. It is also a useful
document for presenting to them and gaining their understanding of what
is expected of them. You may want to finalize it after you have
discussed the plan with the interns themselves, so that you can
incorporate whatever learning goals they might have that you can
accommodate but didn't think of.
I also like to assign my interns a "buddy" -- someone who is not related
to them in the org chart but who can help them integrate into the
corporate culture, and answer general questions.
A good internship opportunity is rewarding for both the company and the
interns. Kudos to your company for offering this valuable learning
opportunity.
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