As a small business owner, you should be taking advantage of the power of internships to grow your business. Before you create an internship, you want to make sure that the school you decide to hire interns from will be the right fit for your company. You also want to make sure your job description meets the school’s standards for quality internships; otherwise, they will not let you hire interns. By asking the right questions, you can make sure that both you and the intern get the most out of the experience.

The first thing you want to find out is who the main point of contact is at the school. Some schools have a centralized structure where there are one or more people that can answer all of your questions on how to create an internship. Other schools are decentralized, so you are going to have to find a different contact for each type of internship you plan on offering. After you figure out who you should talk to, it is a good idea to get all of their contact information so you can refer back to them throughout the process.

                Some good things to find out are what the schools expectations of the employer are from the internship point of view.  Each school has a different set of rules regarding the relationship between the employer and the intern. Some schools require the intern to be constantly supervised and mentored, while others allow a little more relaxed relationship where the intern can do some independent work. The type of work the intern will be doing is also important.  Many schools have regulations on how much time an intern can spend on non major related work. For example, many small business owners try to hire interns to answer calls or do busy work for them. This is a guaranteed way to get your small business banned from offering internships at that university.  

                Learning more about a school’s on campus recruitment opportunities can also be vital to finding the best candidates. Many colleges have career fairs, business workshops, and recruiting events throughout the fall and spring semesters. By attending these events, you can hire interns that are highly motivated to work for your company.  Attending events also helps you build your brand awareness on campus, which will increase your applicant pool.

                 Knowing the right people to talk to and learning the schools exact expectations of you as the employer, will help you create an internship that will benefit both you and the student. Finally, attending recruitment events will help you build brand awareness on campus for your small business and ensure that the best students apply for your internship.