If you are like most small business owners, then you have probably never tried hiring interns before.  Just like any other small business owner, you are frantically working on a number of different projects at once and you just don’t have the time to set aside to get an intern.  It’s not like you have the resources of a big company and can just tell the HR department to take care of it.  The fact of the matter is, it’s actually a lot easier to get an intern than you think it is!

                For starters, most people find their jobs through their network of family and friends.  The same thing holds true for internships. Many businesses choose to find interns through their network before looking elsewhere because they already know the type of person they are hiring. You can’t ask for a better form of quality control than that. When hiring interns, you should always check your network first because chances are you will find a friend whose son/daughter can help you out.

                The next best place to find interns is at college campuses.  College career centers provide their students with a one stop shop for internships.  In recent years, internship experience has become almost essential for students seeking full time employment so you should find plenty of applicants.  Depending on the type of internship you are offering, some colleges even require students to get an internship before graduation.  By recruiting from college campuses, you can screen the applicants to make sure that you are getting the best and most qualified students for the job.  

                Another place you can post an internship opportunity is on a job recruiting website.  Recruiting websites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com are commonly used to find full time employment, but more and more companies are starting to use these sites to find interns.  One of the benefits of using these sites is that they automatically send out an email when new positions are posted.  They do all the job promotion for you so you can spend your time focusing on your business.

                It is extremely easy to get an intern if you utilize your network, college campuses, and recruiting websites correctly.  All three of these methods require a very small time commitment on your part so you can focus on your business while the interns come to you.  Finding and hiring interns is really that easy, so there is no excuse for thinking you don’t have the time to find one.  If you are serious about growing and expanding your small business, then hiring interns is the way to go!