Guest post by Abby Marks Beale (learn more about Abby at the end of this post)
As a solo entrepreneur, I have learned to spend my time on those things I major in (activities I am good at and like to do) while parceling out the things I minor in (tasks I am not good at or don’t enjoy) to those who have the expertise (and interest!). It feels good to support these businesses and I get to spend more time on the activities I enjoy.
There comes a time, however, when an extra hand is needed to get something done and I don’t want to hire someone long-term or for a lot of money. Enter an intern! An intern can be a high school or college student or other interested person that is looking to gain some real-world work experience. Sometimes it is for school credit, other times it’s just for building a resume.
In the past two years, I have used several interns and find them invaluable for getting those pesky details of projects done. I have paid some, but not all. Here are my guidelines:
- Identify a specific job or two that an intern might do. Since they don’t typically end up as long-term employees, you shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time training the person for the job.
- Decide whether you want them to work out of your office or if you prefer to have them work from their own home.
- Make sure you say in your ad description what they need to be successful with you (eg – a computer with internet access, a nice phone voice, computer skills, etc.).
- If possible, provide some financial incentive like a small hourly rate or commission for work well-done.
- I have used www.internhere.com to post my request. I have also heard good things about www.internship.com.
About the Author
Abby Marks Beale is the founder of The Corporate Educator. For more information on how you can utilize interns in your business or organization, check out my friends Julie Braun and Michelle Demers, the Dynamic Duo of Super Interns, and make sure to download their free ebook “251 Super Internship Projects.” For more information, go to www.SuperInterns.com.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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