Give Your Intern a Thesis Project

Coffee by Julia Soderberg from The Noun Project

If you’re currently managing interns or planning to hire some this coming fall, it’s imperative to remember that their job isn’t to push paper and make coffee runs. In fact, such menial tasks could potentially be construed as illegal according to the Department of Labor.

Ashley Mosley, Community Engagement Manager of InternMatch, shares a handful of tips on how to generate a beneficial experience for both you and your interns. One point struck us as the strongest, and most beneficial, for both the intern and their manager:

Aside from daily tasks, your intern should be delegated one large, long-term project to undertake during their time with you. They will lead this project themselves, but you should be there to guide them in times of need. Depending on their position and your company, this could be a video project, social media campaign, marketing campaign, or even a website. This is their chance to learn, remain focused on a larger end-goal during their downtime, add value to the company, and gain a nice piece for their resume and portfolio.

By creating an awesome internship, you’ll get the best work from your interns as well as make them your advocates (and potentially future employees). Read Mosley’s full list over at the Huffington Post and then follow it up with her guide to kickstarting your internship program.