Written by: Allison Hirahara 

Meaningful student internship programs benefit students and organizations alike. From the student's perspective, internships provide hands-on experience, opportunities to learn new skills, meaningful connections to other professionals, and an avenue to explore potential careers. Organizations can reap just as many benefits. Interns provide new perspectives and ideas, increase capacity for special projects, and help organizations discover new talent to help build their future workforce. However, internship programs must be thoughtfully planned and maintained to maximize this opportunity. Here are some things you should consider when building a new internship program or improving an existing one.

Clear Position Descriptions

Starting with a well-defined position description is crucial. It should outline the intern's responsibilities, skills they will develop, and goals they are expected to achieve, along with important details like time commitment, telecommute expectations, compensation, and benefits. This can help students make informed decisions about applying and attract quality candidates who are interested and well-suited for the role.

Onboarding and Training

Once interns join your team, a structured onboarding process and effective training are essential. Here are some key steps to consider:

• Share your organization’s goals and expectations
• Provide resources and guidance for their projects
• Integrate training for new processes and skills
• Introduce interns to the team through meetings or collaborative projects

Projects Aligned with Career Interests

Throughout the program, ensure that interns work on projects related to their field of study or career interests. While they may need to support certain administrative or routine tasks, balancing those duties with other responsibilities that challenge them and provide valuable experience is essential. Some tips for making those assignments meaningful are to allow interns to take ownership of their projects, ask what additional skills or goals they’d like to work on and find corresponding opportunities, and ensure interns have deliverables they can showcase in future interviews or jobs.

Mentorship and Networking with Professionals

Mentorship is a key component of a successful internship. Meet with interns regularly to provide feedback, address concerns, monitor progress, and dedicate time for coaching and professional development discussions. You may also set up additional opportunities for mentorship and networking, such as shadowing team members, developing student roundtables, inviting them to meetings and events with other departments and partners, and introducing them to your network. Interns may not always have experience networking, so your support in making connections can go a long way.

Continuous Feedback and Improvement

Regularly asking interns for feedback can help improve your program over time. Work to create a supportive environment where interns feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on what has worked well and what could be improved. Conducting surveys, feedback sessions, or one-on-one meetings can offer students a structured, safe space to share their feedback. Incorporating interns’ input also highlights their value in your organization, leading to a more successful and enriching experience for everyone.

Join the Conversation!

Through our Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership, we are committed to strengthening the link between health and human services practice and its academic base – internships play an important role in that effort. Visit our website to learn more about our formal partnership between the County of San Diego and San Diego State University.

We hope you’ll join us in creating impactful internship opportunities that benefit students and organizations alike. Have best practices to share? We’d love to hear them! Visit ConnectED San Diego: Collaborating for Student Success to engage with institutions of higher education and other partners on this topic.