Nathan Lusignan: CEO, Point Blank Creative
Over the last five years we’ve hired interns to work in almost every part of our business. We’ve tried all sorts of approaches, as you might expect with a creative firm that encourages a flexible and non-traditional work environment. Here’s what we’ve found works for us.
1. Hire someone with the potential to become an employee or longer-term contributor to your organization, but don’t expect immediate results. Don’t hire an intern if you’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running and make an immediate impact. Instead, hire someone with experience and a proven track record. I’m not saying the dream intern won’t occasionally plummet from the sky, but expect a learning curve and know that it’s the whole reason they’re there.
2. Be ready to invest time in your new intern, especially at the beginning of the internship. Taking a few extra hours to help him or her get rolling is going to exponentially increase the chances of a successful internship. If you or someone else within your organization doesn’t have this kind of time, then hold off on hiring an intern until you do.
3. Figure out the right time commitment for each intern position. It’s important to have interns working enough that they can buy into your company’s culture. However, a full-time internship isn’t always ideal either because it means you need to have 35 hours of productive work for the person.
We’ve found that having part-time internships – usually around three days a week – is ideal. It gives us the critical mass that makes our investment in someone worthwhile. It also allows our more ambitious interns to work on personal passion projects, continue their education or search for future opportunities, when those things are a high priority in their life.
Mary Kay Thurston: Broadcast and online journalism instructor, BCIT, and intern, Force Four Entertainment
I’ve been working in the ever-changing industry of broadcasting and journalism for the last 30 years. My experience ranges from being a writer-producer at Vancouver’s CKVU Television to being news editor for CBC, Global TV and ATV in Halifax.
I am a firm believer in lifelong learning – which is why I decided to take on an internship to build on my skills and develop new ones. It’s by keeping up with the times and learning new processes that I can not only grow my experience, but also be a better instructor to my students. It’s great to be back in this environment where I can continue learning and refreshing my knowledge.
As an instructor, I believe I should be a mentor to my students; it’s my job to inspire them and to lead by example. One of the greatest strengths of our program is it incorporates internships into the curriculum. There is a lot you can learn through a classroom, but there is nothing like putting that knowledge into practice and using it in “real life.” That is why I place such importance on seeking learning opportunities that foster long-term career growth.
By reaching out to one of the companies that British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) students usually intern with, Force Four Entertainment, I have been able to immerse myself completely in the field. Force Four Entertainment is an award-winning documentary, docu-series, scripted and reality TV production company. One of its core values is lifelong learning. It’s empowering to work in such a creative and dynamic environment, where all employees and team members are encouraged to excel and advance their knowledge base.
Deborah Stetz: Marketing director, Coquitlam Centre
We live in a time when going to university and getting a degree no longer equals attaining employment. Although post-secondary education is required for an entry-level position, another thing that has become invaluable is industry-related experience. Internships provide just that – they give students and recent graduates the ability to apply their knowledge and gain practical skills in their field. These sorts of partnerships are mutually beneficial for the business and the apprentice.
Offering an internship gives managers the opportunity to mentor and facilitate the growth of skills. For us, internships are about providing value to young people. We use their existing skills and mentor them to build on their experience. At Coquitlam Centre we believe in giving interns full responsibility to execute tasks. By giving them autonomy, they can expand on their skills and get a taste of the “real world.” It’s highly rewarding to see the growth in knowledge, skills and confidence that interns gain during their term. It’s also beneficial for our industry to have the opportunity to introduce shopping centre marketing as a viable career choice to those entering the workforce.
For the student or the recent graduate, an internship is a career investment. It is a way for them to bridge the gap between the knowledge they have learned in university and putting it into practice in the workplace. Gaining industry-related experience is extremely valuable for interns, because they are able to enhance their resumés and experience with the skills developed during the term. They are also able to attain solid and relevant reference letters for prospective employers. Oftentimes, the internship may even lead to a full-time position, as companies believe in using the talent that they have invested in, instead of hiring externally.
