Guest Blogger: Teresa Walker, Director of Work Practice at the Cameron School of Business

This month, the population of Wilmington will grow by thousands…almost overnight! Wilmington is one of the fortunate cities to be home to several post-secondary educational institutions made up of young professionals seeking knowledge and experience.

This experience comes in the form of an internship for many. Each year, we meet with hundreds of students interested in part-time internship experiences while attending the Cameron School of Business, and we need your help providing these learning experiences.

Why?

• Discovery of motivated stars for future hiring needs resulting in higher employee retention
• Economical resources to accomplish long- or short-term goals and projects
• Allow mentorship and leadership to become an integral part of a company’s culture
• Increase technological knowledge and resources
• A supply of educated and motived hires for a brief period with no commitment

In terms of both today's workload capacity and tomorrow's need for adaptability, starting an internship program is an excellent way to facilitate success within your business, and Cameron students are really good. Knowledgeable self-starters who are bright and reliable and have a strong work ethic and creative approach are just a few of the comments employers use to describe their experiences with UNCW Cameron students.

How?

There are a few tried-and-true approaches to having a successful internship program.

While the tasks may occasionally involve some routine office responsibilities, the top-flight internship opportunity employs the following strategies:

• Interview. Select an intern with the same approach used to select an employee. Discuss both the business needs and intern goals. This process creates ownership and commitment for all parties.
• Structure. Develop a plan based on the student’s potential degree and interests, in combination with those business’s needs. Schedule regular meetings to discuss business needs, including brainstorming. This will ensure all have an understanding of the goals and outcomes.
• Direction. Consider a mentor - someone committed to onboarding the intern to facilitate a productive environment. Also, include the intern in all business activities, both during and after hours. Always follow up with a scheduled performance and goal review. This will aid in assessing abilities and cultural fit if you are considering an upcoming hire.