Get Your Own Coffee: Run an Internship That Empowers Your Business and Impacts Interns' Lives

Get Your Own Coffee

A Guide to Running an Intern Program That Empowers Your Business and Impacts Interns' Lives

By Rebecca Borough

Chapter 1: Why Hire an Intern?

"At Knit Marketing, our main goal is to create opportunities for eager young minds that have the potential to share and create experiences that will positively affect its members as well as its customers I am glad to be a part of this team and I am more excited for the future because of Knit."

- Tony / Video and Podcast Producer / College Senior

Tomorrow, it’ll be exactly 7 years since my first meeting with my first 2 interns at the Starbucks on Crenshaw and Coliseum, where from the start, not only were my interns not getting my coffee, but I was getting theirs. It wasn’t necessarily intentional, but as I look back on the foundational moments of Knit Marketing, I notice a few things I did well in the beginning.

To give you a little background, Knit Marketing was created for the sole purpose of hiring teenagers, so how I built an intern program was paramount I wanted the business to succeed, but even if the business failed, I wanted the experiment to at least benefit my first 2 interns I know this is not typically the way intern programs start and I’m not here to say that it should There are many valid reasons to hire interns (and many reasons not to), but for me the interns themselves were my “why”

I’m writing this ebook because I want to help you develop a successful intern program no matter where you are in your managerial or entrepreneurial journey Too many times, business owners have come to me with ideas of running social media campaigns or building a presence on TikTok, and they say, “I can hire an intern for that ” As in, they have a need that is below their pay grade and their assumption is that it would be easy to find someone young and cheap to do the work Others, a little more experienced in hiring interns, will tell me, “oh yeah, I tried hiring interns, but they required too much direction,” and if they’re really willing to admit the challenge, they’ll say, “and I didn’t have the time or know how to manage them ”

Let’s get one definition out of the way before we get too far into this An intern is an inexperienced worker

According to the Oxford dictionary, “a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at a trade or occupation in order to gain work experience.”

An unmodified ChatGPT definition is, “An intern is an individual, typically a student or recent graduate, who engages in a temporary position within an organization or company to gain practical work experience and apply their academic knowledge in a professional setting. Internships are often structured programs that provide hands-on learning opportunities, mentorship, and exposure to a specific industry or field. Interns are usually supervised by experienced professionals and are expected to contribute to the organization through assigned tasks, projects, or research while acquiring valuable skills and industry insights Internships can be paid or unpaid, and their duration can vary from a few weeks to several months ”

Both of these definitions kindly refer to the interns as seeking experience, but the reality is that we have to assume that while they may have learned how to type, search the web, and

create a few perfectly angled selfies, they come to us without professional experience And if they happen to surprise you with lots of skills and talents they’ve picked up through volunteering, classwork, and odd jobs, then lucky you! However if your job description requires a significant amount of experience, please change the title to “Associate” or “Junior whatever,” pay them a living wage, and recruit accordingly But that is not an internship

The transaction in an internship is that you (the employer) offer quality work experience and they (the intern) offer dedicated people hours They typically also bring to the table vigor, creativity, motivation, and an untainted view of the working world, but those are all bonuses in hiring interns

Further, in order to be inclusive and cast the net to a wide talent pool of young minds of all races, genders, sexual identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, please pay them Pay them at least minimum wage even if your state has intern loopholes that allow you to pay less, because unpaid internships only open access to young people who can afford to go a season without being paid

“I have always advocated that those seeking to break into a field - for me the focus was tech and software development - that they find an internship But I caution that one internship is not the same as another. If you are a software development intern and your duties are filing, light clerical, and fetching coffee, you need to find another internship.”

- Matthew Moran, Software Development & Data Analytics Consultant

So if they’re inexperienced and they require so much time and management, why even hire an intern? Why not send your tasks abroad or to a robot? You might be surprised at my opinion on this one. Do send work abroad, and do use tech tools to make your life and your team’s lives easier. There are a lot of tasks that frankly just need to be done and whatever legal, ethical, and economical way you can get them done as a business, you should do. Many VAs abroad will be happy to take on your cold calling, data entry or time consuming digital tasks, and because they already know what they’re doing, you’ll have a very short and easy onboarding process. Go ahead and outsource it. People need jobs all over the world, and you just did a good deed by giving someone a way to support their family (just make sure that if you hired them from an agency, that they are in fact being paid what they need).

Interns are looking for something you may or may not have the time or resources to be able to give - they are looking to learn Sure, an extra line on their resume is helpful, but what they need is the professional experience so they can get the next professional experience and the next Robots and VAs don’t need that

Consider hiring interns for the following reasons:

● Fresh ideas and creativity: Tap into their innovative thinking and benefit from their unique unmarred perspectives.

● Tech-savviness: Young interns are often up-to-date with the latest technologies and can offer a more efficient way to do numerous projects and tasks

● Improved processes: You’ll have to give up your ego for this one, but allow interns to make suggestions on how to optimize your workflow

● Deadline-oriented: As they are used to a school structure, interns understand the importance of meeting deadlines and can help keep projects on track.

● Investing in their success: Show that you care about their success in your company and beyond.

● Mentorship opportunities: You have the chance to offer guidance, share knowledge, and transfer skills to the next generation of professionals.

● Live interviews for the future: Internships can be a way to evaluate potential long-term hires

● Strengthen your community presence: By opening internships, you contribute to your local community, building your company's reputation and fostering positive relationships

Don’t get a fish if you’ll forget to feed them, don’t get a dog if you can’t take them for a walk and don’t have kids if you’re not ready to have barf in your hair Don’t hire an intern if you’re not able to provide them the growth opportunity they’re looking for

I’ll cover this and more in the following chapters, and hope to encourage you to get your own coffee, because your interns and you deserve more. Let’s develop a rich intern program that allows your business to stay fresh and adapt with the rising generations and gives the young person(s) you hired their first start; one that they’ll always look back on with gratitude

It’s not just a stepping stone, it’s a launchpad

Chapter 2 How can an internship fit into your company?

“Sales training was my favorite as it was a great call with animated conversation. I shared personal experiences and things I learned the past week, like competitor analysis and value prop. We did an exercise with key words which was fun as well.”

- Knit Alumnus

Our little agency that started with 2 interns and me is still kicking 7 years later. We survived COVID, are still producing top-notch creative content for our clients, and are even looking to pivot to something more scalable. Over the years we’ve served over 70 clients and have hired close to 30 team members.

The model that I sought out to prove was, “Will businesses hire our digital agency if they know the staff is mostly 17-23 year-olds?” And it turns out, they will It’s a win win for everyone My team gains the skills and knowledge they need to compete in the 21st century workforce and our clients get the fresh perspective of the youth voice Because we mainly work in the K-12 education and edtech space, this works really well for all parties

While I’m very proud of our work and I absolutely love my team, I know that ours is not the standard business model But my mission is to get young people employed wherever possible, and our agency doesn’t have enough room for the 2 8 million1 unemployed teens and young adults in the US (at least not yet!) This is why I want to empower YOU to start or improve an intern program that helps propel your young hire to the next level and allows you to leverage their incredible creativity and enthusiasm for their first real job!

This ebook is for social enterprises, nonprofits, and small to medium sized businesses that have some growing pains and even a tiny desire to do something good for the community I’ll show you how to use young talent for the tasks that help both your organization and the intern grow This book also assumes that you’ll be doing your own training of interns If you’re hoping to bring on someone trained and ready to go from day 1, email me, and I'll build your intern program for you

Before we get into the types of tasks you can have your new hire perform, let’s start with who you are as a company. Get your interns hyped on day one!

1 Start the intern program, whether virtual or in-person, with an overview of your company - the nuts and bolts of who you are, what the business does, and what your values are. Why is this an exciting place to work and why are you excited to have them on board?

2. Define the goals of the internship right away. I always have an end-goal in mind so that throughout their internship, they can think about and plan for a final project Whatever it is, tie it to what you want them to accomplish over the course of the internship that will

1Unemployment rates from Statista com: 2023 unemployment rate of 6 5% multiplied by number of people between 15-24 years old in 2021 43 million

benefit your company and their learning Think about the end result, so you can work toward a goal as you design your program. Some ideas include:

a A pitch presentation: they have to act like a salesperson and pitch to your team as if you were the client.

b. A “what did you learn?” presentation: invite their families, peers, and current and potential clients to participate

c. Research projects where they research your competitors or other markets or product lines you can launch

3. Make it clear from the start that their opinion matters and there will be structured time and space to hear their thoughts Not everyone has been raised with a place at the table, so it might be harder for some to speak up than others You’ll likely have to ask them to share, so set this expectation from the beginning. They are there because you value their voice

4 “You are adults and you’ll be treated as adults,” is something I say right away This is not play time It’ll be fun, but this is a real job at a real business with real financial implications for the company. Interns are expected to act like part of the professional team and nothing less

We’ll get into specific frameworks and agendas on how to run your intern program in chapter 4, but I’d also like to get you thinking about how you can incorporate an intern program into your business now. Because my intern-first model is not the norm, let’s use 3 typical business models as examples: an e-commerce site, a manufacturing business, and a tech startup.

Intern Programs at an E-Commerce Site

At an e-commerce company, whether you sell physical or digital products, and whether the internship is in-person or virtual, some tasks that you can hand over to your intern include:

● Fulfillment

● Inventory management

● Digital marketing

● Influencer advertising

● Data analysis

● Customer service

● Website optimization

Remember, we’re in this to make everyone’s lives better - not just to assign rudimentary tasks We want the business to be better off when the intern leaves and for the intern to use that experience for their future

What are some tasks that you know how to do well or even love to do, but keep you from the bigger vision of the company? If your intern could take on the fulfillment for the time they’re with you, could you start strategizing about your next big move? Train them in your processes for fulfillment and inventory management, but make sure they’re also encouraged to notice areas of improvement Empower them to create a better system for you than when they started Can

they research new technologies that would add efficiency to your system? Or can they re-organize your fulfillment space to make it flow more smoothly?

Can you tap into their innate tech and social media savvy and have them develop an influencer marketing strategy? You’d have to give them a budget and some guidelines about your brand and the direction you want to take it, but this would be a way to create an advertising system for your company that you can use even after the intern leaves

If your website needs a refresh, or a more seamless user experience, give the intern the task of running experiments on the site for the first week and making note of any area that can be improved Have them speak to your customers to get feedback on your buying process Depending on the site and your intern’s level of expertise in development, they might be able to help you make the changes, research how to fix the site, or at the very least pass on the notes to your development team and oversee the improvement project

If you’re not sure on how to utilize their creativity right away, spend the first week letting them shadow your team and learning a little bit about everything Then let them bring you a proposal on what they can work on and how they can help you improve The intern program at Knit has gone through several iterations and I thank my interns for being a big part of that development, and you can do the same

Intern Programs at a Manufacturing Company

When it comes to manufacturing, you may not want to invest the time to train your intern on all the intricate details of how your shop works or products are put together, given the short term nature of their work at your company However, you can think of this time as a trial run for longer employment and/or you can make sure to tap into a fresh set of eyes to make improvements on workflow and product design Companies involved in manufacturing or engineering can offer interns tasks such as:

● Product development

● Inventory management

● Quality control

● Process improvement

● Research & development

In a manufacturing company, the intern can act as a junior consultant Let’s use Tiny Topanga as an example In addition to running Knit Marketing, my husband and I run a tiny house manufacturing company and we often employ young novice workers While we haven’t yet established an internship, let’s imagine that we were going to create a structured intern program to give some hands-on building experience and to learn from an excited new team member

In the first week, we would have them schedule calls with our current and past clients to get some real feedback What did/do they love about working with Tiny Topanga? What can be improved? Who else might they know that wants a tiny house? Etc People are likely to help out students, so it’s a great opportunity to utilize our interns for customer discovery It’s also a great way to get the intern thinking about the end goal We have found that the shop team gets very focused on the tasks at hand, understandably, but this is one way to help the whole team

understand the bigger vision At the end of the customer discovery, your intern can share at a team meeting what they learned overall

Of course, they’d get the chance to get their hands dirty with building, but even before they pick up a drill we would also have them watch the build process, and pay attention to things like ease of finding tools and materials, how the team makes a plan and executes the build for the day, and anything that stands out as interesting, curious, etc Hopefully, our system is already pretty tight and there will not be much need for improvement, but this gives the intern the opportunity to learn why things are the way they are, ask questions, and make recommendations on processes

Some of these ideas may not be relevant to all manufacturing companies, because in many cases, the shop itself will be overseas, so your intern won’t really be helping to manage inventory or manufacturing processes However, they can do research on competitors, supply chain, and shipment/fulfillment processes Even if at the end of the day, they find that you have a seamless process and there are no changes to be made, then it’s a great opportunity for them to learn how a well oiled machine runs, and at least you put down your ego for a minute open to the idea that systems can get better

Intern Programs at a Tech Startup

Let’s take some inspiration from what’s already been done In fact, by a simple search you can find plenty of testimonials and reviews of intern programs run by tech giants and even though we don’t all have the same resources, we can get excited about the possibilities of a well planned program.

On the Facebook London Internship: “The internship was a perfect experience, with a healthy mix of work with fun with a lot of surprises sprinkled on top. They took care of every single thing imaginable; housing, travel, local transportation, food, and visa My team was very supportive towards me, and I worked on real problems, which made an actual impact. I had one of the best summers of my life, and I can’t imagine it being any better ” - Michael Grothaus, 2017, Fast Company2

So you’re not Google, but maybe you have a SaaS product in development or have a customer base, but you could still use some extra hands on deck and you have some valuable lessons to share. If you’re in the tech space, while your interns won’t have a lot of previous work experience, you can definitely require some basic programming skills from your applicants. Most high school and college students have access to courses in coding and computer science, so they might as well put it to use!

In a tech startup, some tasks you can assign to an intern include:

● User experience design

● Digital marketing

● Product management

● Software development

● Internal communications

There’s some crossover here with the manufacturing and e-commerce sites, because you can use the same skills and opportunities. Get your intern into customer discovery right away. Get them on the phone asking your customers what they love and what can be improved about your product and let them help with the user experience design.

They can be the company cheerleader and run digital marketing campaigns as well as internal communications, reporting on company achievements, customer testimonials and your fun startup culture.

If they do have programming experience, you can let them in on the software development and product management. Just be very project oriented about this. Give them an assignment that has a beginning and end with checkpoints along the way Everyone will be more satisfied with a finished product or even iteration at the end of their internship, than something they just played with and left undone

Truly, any organization or entrepreneur can benefit from an intern program I’m currently even thinking about guides for SAH and WAH parents to incorporate a professional internship into house management support and childcare (if that’s of interest to you, hit me up)

All you need is the desire to coach a young moldable enthusiastic intern to do the stuff that will truly benefit your organization Right, you’re thinking, “sure all I need to do ” as if it were that simple, and you’d be right if you’re thinking that But it’s worth it! I promise you that my business would be non-existent if it weren’t for my interns creating and growing what we have today! I gave them the seeds, soil, and water, but they’ve done most of the planting and harvesting themselves

Chapter 3: How to Incorporate Mentorship, Collaboration and Networking

"Working at Knit Marketing has been a special experience. It has been an experience full of smiles, growth, learning, and passion I am really grateful to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing team."

- Abeyah / Social Media Manager / College Sophomore

Do you remember your first job or internship? Were you excited? Scared? Nervous? In college, I was a culinary intern at the on-campus hotel. I was paid $3.49 an hour for the course of my internship until they took me on as an employee and bumped me up to $7. But I loved that job. And I’ll never forget how terrified I was of Chef Tom, a large tall bearded Italian man that walked with a slight limp and had a massive voice.

One day, I was given the task of slicing over 50 pies that were on sheet trays in a few rolling pastry racks I had to walk past Chef Tom’s office, into the walk-in cooler, take out a pie or 2, take them to the prep table, slice them and put them back Have you noticed what I was doing wrong yet?

I could feel his questioning eyes on me as Chef watched me back and forth a few times, until finally he got up from his desk and asked what the hell I was doing?! I said, “I’m cutting pies ” He said, “don’t you think there’s a more efficient way of doing this?” I was a little slow, so I didn’t quite understand the problem, but I eventually took the hint, rolled the whole pastry box out of the cooler, cut all the pies and rolled it back in Lesson learned: time is money, and your boss might be scary but he’s trying to teach you something so you can grow

What interns need to know about mentorship is that they should be open to lessons and seek mentorship everywhere! Arlan Hamilton says it best when she suggests letting her be your mentor through her books, courses, and online platform She says learn from everyone Be a sponge When the opportunity allows, ask the questions and better yet, be ready to ask the questions It doesn’t have to be a formal mentor/mentee relationship But you should instill a culture of curiosity in your interns from the beginning, and remind them that they’ll only get out of any experience what they’re willing to put in This is no different

Chef Tom was definitely not going to coddle me or set up weekly meetings with me to ask what I wanted out of life, but he and the other chefs were available to me if I wanted to ask questions They made connections and opened opportunities to me because while we weren’t there to waste time cutting pies, they created an environment of growth and experimentation I eventually was given the title of pastry chef and was able to practice all sorts of desserts and sweet concoctions including setting creme brulee on fire It wasn’t a formal mentorship, but I learned a lot and I saw the chefs as my mentors even if they wouldn’t have given themselves that title

One-to-one formal mentor programs are a lot more work than they’re worth The mentee expects follow up from the mentor and the mentor expects the mentee to reach out whenever they need support I’ve rarely seen this done very well So maybe surprisingly, I won’t be encouraging you to set up a formal mentor program where you assign each intern to a mentor,

but instead use the entire experience for a way for the intern to receive learning and knowledge transfer

You however, the person leading the internship program, are the master mentor, and you should be prepared to make yourself available as such In whatever capacity you are able to give your wisdom and time, make that known from the beginning A few ways you can open yourself up as a mentor are:

● Office hours

● Weekly check ins (can be done via slack, email, virtual call, or in person)

● A set time to talk career advice - once or twice throughout the internship

● Connecting them to other people in your network for informational interviews

The point is - make yourself or assign someone on your team to be available for not just the how-to-do-the-job questions, but the life questions Remember that this is a launch pad, so how can you help your intern launch?

Instead of formal mentoring, I suggest creating opportunities where your intern(s) can learn from different people on your staff or contractors you bring in from other industries For example, I have hosted design thinking workshops where we have a consultant come in and teach about service design. Because of our unique social mission, friends have graciously volunteered their time to do such events, and I’m sure you can find volunteers or work this into your budget. Setting up events like this, sets an occasion for all the things this chapter calls for - collaboration amongst peers, networking with career professionals, and the opportunity to be mentored at least for the course of the workshop.

In addition to workshops, plan time throughout the internship where your new hire will work alongside your team, and train your team to include them. Remember that we all came from different backgrounds and some of us are more eager to speak up than others, so create a team culture of inclusivity, by making sure the interns have to field questions and have to offer their opinions periodically. But note, this is not a mandate to pat them on the back for everything they do - it’s healthy for them to hear disagreements and why their idea may or may not work, and get to see how discussions and iterations take place in a professional team setting.

Again, if you don’t know, ask the interns Ask what would be beneficial to them as you set up the program and at the end of their internship It can be a growth opportunity for everyone

Chapter 4: Suggested Agendas and Structure of a Working Internship

“Knit Marketing’s goal of utilizing younger perspectives has inspired me and given me a job that allows me to challenge myself creatively and intellectually ”

- Katherine / Social Media Manager / High School Senior

I’ve used a few different training/work schedules, but adapt according to what makes the most sense for your workflow. Below are a few weekly scheduling options.

*For the Monday-Friday work portion, it’s up to your bandwidth, budget, and workload how many hours you want to have your interns working. In our case, the only time I’m really present with my interns is during training sessions, and because our work is remote they can complete their weekly assignments whenever they want, Monday through Friday So the below isn’t a suggestion that they work 40 hours, unless you want them to, but more of a guideline of the window of time work is scheduled

Summer Internships

Schedule 1 - Saturday training day

Saturdays: 9am-1pm - training day for intern team, and lunch Great opportunity training to take place outside of the work week for uninterrupted boss time and a chance for the team to get to know each other.

*Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm - Regular work hours, depending on your organization’s needs and the interns’ workload.

Schedule 2 - Training 2 set times per week

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9am-11am - Training sessions virtual or in-person with coffee break or virtual icebreakers.

*Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm - Regular work hours, depending on your organization’s needs and the interns’ workload.

Schedule 3 - Training throughout the week

Monday - Friday: 9am - Start each day with a training session virtual or in-person

*Monday - Friday: 10am-5pm - Regular work hours, depending on your organization’s needs and the interns’ workload.

School Year Internships

Internships offered throughout the school year are a little trickier to schedule because interns that are in school are less flexible with their time, and with good reason will prioritize school work over your tasks Make sure to have a solid understanding of their availability before putting your schedule together Set expectations clearly from the beginning that it’s their responsibility to keep you updated with their exam schedules and any other major commitments so they can complete the work ahead of time or plan accordingly

Schedule 1 - Saturday training day

Saturdays: 9am-1pm - training day for intern team, and lunch Great opportunity training to take place outside of the work week for uninterrupted boss time and a chance for the team to get to know each other

*Monday - Friday: 3pm-9pm - Evening work hours, depending on your organization’s needs and the interns’ workload

Schedule 2 - Training 2 set times per week

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5pm - 7pm - Training sessions virtual or in-person with coffee break or virtual icebreakers

*Monday - Friday: 3pm-9pm - Evening work hours, depending on your organization’s needs and the interns’ workload

The following is a rough idea of how to structure an 8-week internship If it’s longer, stretch out weeks 4-6 accordingly

Pre Internship

● If needed, have them take free online classes in preparation for the internship.

Week 1: Orientation and Introduction

● Welcome and introduction to the company, its mission, and values

● Recap of any online classes you assigned.

● Tour of the workplace and introduction to team members

● Overview of internship objectives, expectations, and deliverables

● Orientation on company policies, procedures, and safety protocols.

● Assignment of end project - set the goal of the internship up front

Week 2-3: Training and Skill Development

● Department-specific training sessions to familiarize interns with their roles and responsibilities

● Training on relevant tools, software, and technologies used in the organization

● Skill development workshops or sessions to enhance specific skills needed for the internship

● Customer discovery: have interns interview your customers to understand the user experience.

Week 4-6: Project Work and Assignments

● Assign interns to specific projects or assignments aligned with their interests and skills

● Use training times to get feedback, train on next steps, and provide guidance.

● Opportunities for interns to collaborate with team members and contribute to team projects

● Plan regular team and one-on-one meetings for interns to discuss what they’re learning and ask questions

Week 7: Networking and Professional Development

● Organize networking events or panel discussions where interns can interact with professionals from different departments and industries.

● Encourage interns to attend industry events or conferences to expand their professional network.

● Time for intern to work on final project

Week 8: Wrap-up and Evaluation

● Reflection session for interns to share their internship experiences and lessons learned

● Presentation or showcase of interns' projects or accomplishments to the broader team and outside attendees

● Conduct exit interviews to gather feedback from interns and evaluate the internship program.

● Provide interns with certificates of completion or any other recognition for their contributions.

Chapter 5: How and Where to Recruit for Your Business Needs

“Knit Marketing takes into account what we want to learn and allows the opportunity to have a role that we like. I really liked the individualized attention. We learned a lot of resources and how to utilize them in our everyday work.”

- Yesenia Gomez / Knit Alumna / UCLA Grad

How and where to recruit

Why did I wait until almost the end of the book to talk about recruiting? Because I always think it’s helpful to work backwards with a goal in mind. Now that you know what kind of work your interns will be doing and have a general idea of how you’ll structure your program, you’ll have a better understanding of who will be a good fit.

You’ll have to determine what the intern should already know. We’ve established that they will most likely not have much or any work experience, but they should have learned a thing or two from their education up to this point Make a list of skills you need them to have basic knowledge in If nothing, that’s okay too

We ask for very little, as you can see from our application process The only thing I care about is if they want to do the work They fill out a job application and they email me a cover letter If they don’t complete those 2 simple steps, no interview If the cover letter looks like they copied and pasted a template and just added “Knit Marketing” where it says “company name,” they’re out Sometimes, I’ll even go to the effort of softly critiquing the ones that do that so they won’t do it again on their next job applications We look for cover letters that show the applicant can write, prove they did a little research on us, and explain why they’re interested in the job And in the interview, we look for good souls Not skills - we can teach skills Just good people that want to do a good job

Put together your job description including:

● Knowledge expectations

● Minimum age (based on state/local laws) / education requirements

● Time commitment - specifying dates and times

● Location - whether in office or online

● Hourly wage or stipend

● Other benefits offered - networking, professional development, etc.

● How to apply (A Google form? A cover letter? Resume? Whatever it is, make it clear and stand by your rules)

You’ll also have to know how many interns you’ll need and can afford to bring on Add up whatever costs associated with what you’re offering:

● Hourly wages multiplied by hours and interns

● Lunches

● Coffee breaks

● Workshops/ consulting

● End of internship event/ party

● Your time

With what you’re seeking, what you’re offering, and what you’re able to spend, now you know how many interns you’ll be hiring.

Now the fun part! Finding partners!

Prepare your job description and send it wide Remember to cast a wide diverse net to make sure you find the best talent for your organization Think about the schools, nonprofits, clubs, and organizations in your area that provide services to teens and young adults.

Here are just a few ideas of who you can reach out to:

● Local high school career/college counselors - include public, charter, and private schools

● Your district CTE (Career Technical Education) director - these are the programs that filter work opportunities to the entire district, so they’ll have a huge pool of applicants

● Community college career counselors

● Local university career centers

● Local chapter presidents of YMCAs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Sierra Club

● Faith organizations

● Mayor’s office

● Teen centers

● Other tech companies that have established intern programs - they might have more applicants than they’re able to take on

● And don’t rule out services that care for unhoused youth like SPY in LA or a similar organization in your area. (I’ve recruited interns from there and they were awesome!)

Most contact information for these types of requests will be easily accessible on their websites or on LinkedIn I’ve never run into problems with direct contact, but if for whatever reason, direct communication doesn’t work, consider running Facebook and Google ads or better yet - TikTok ads

Here’s an email template you can use when you reach out to the orgs listed above Dear X,

I’m reaching out today because I’m excited to invite your students or alumni to apply to our [TITLE OR DESCRIPTION] internship program!

We’re looking for [NUMBER] of interns, and I’m sure the young people in your network would be a great fit.

I’m specifically seeking interns with interest in [INTEREST] and/or knowledge/basic skills in [SKILL AREA]. The job description and application can be found here [LINK]. Feel free to share with anyone you think might be excited about the opportunity

The internship starts on [DATE] and I’m accepting applications until [DATE].

Please let me know if you have any questions

Thank you in advance, Signature

The interview process

The interview process will depend on how many applicants you receive and your bandwidth to interview all of them. I try to interview anyone that follows the rules on my application process - the form and the cover letter - because I feel like even though I can’t give everyone the job, I might have helped them get over the fear of their first interview. But if you’re not able to do that, then you’ll need a system for weeding out applicants from their paperwork.

To the best of your abilities, make it as blind of a weeding process as possible Cut out names, addresses, genders, etc from your forms and just focus on the answers that are important to do a good job This is actually pretty easy with a google form that gets turned into a spreadsheet because you can just hide the columns that have anything related to demographics

Rate applicants as objectively as possible based on originality and heart in their answers If you can feel their enthusiasm and genuineness from their application, rate them highly and if their answers seem like ChatGPT wrote them (unless you’re hiring for AI experts), rate them not as high I can’t really tell you what’s important for you or your team, but set some standards, grade accordingly, and set up interviews with as many as you can

The interview is a chance for first impressions both for you and them Be prepared to share what the intern program looks like and what you’re expecting from your interns I usually ask some standard questions -

● Where do you go to school?

● What does your summer schedule look like?

● What do you want to do after high school?

● How did you find out about the internship?

● What interests you about the internship program?

● Why would you be a good fit?

However, I have found that because the majority of the applicants are high school or college students, they are used to following a structure, and good at following rules. You’ll notice how canned their answers can sound. They’ve definitely practiced with a college/career counselor and/or their parents. This is a note about culture - I actually don’t want task rabbits to just follow instructions in my business, but there are lots of scenarios where that might be an asset. Don’t take my word that this is a bad thing, but be aware of where you want your interns on a range of independence/innovation to structure/rule following.

Knowing that, I’ll sometimes coach them a little in the interview. If I ask “tell me about yourself” and they respond with “well I’m going to college at…” I’ll stop them and say “Ok but what gets you excited? What do you do for fun?” “What’s something unique/interesting about you?”

And to test their problem solving and critical thinking skills, I’ll give them situational questions like:

● A client is unsatisfied with the graphic you created - what do you do?

● A new client is starting with brand new accounts and 0 followers - what are some ways to grow their following in the first 3 months?

● I’ll show them an Instagram or TikTok account and ask for recommendations on how to increase engagement

Our 8-week internships often turn into 4-year employment terms, so I do ask about the longevity of the relationship - would they be interested in staying on if the opportunity presents itself?

Toward the end of the interview, I’ll explain the program and expectations and ask for questions. I’ve heard interviewers say before, “if they don’t ask a question, it’s a point against them.” But that’s up to you. Maybe they’ll ask questions throughout the interview or your explanation will be so thorough they won’t have anything to ask I think it’s great for them to ask questions, because it shows they can be an active listener and participate in the conversation instead of just reciting what was practiced, but you’ll know if this matters in each specific interview depending on the rapport you have with each applicant

Selection Process

You’ve already determined how many interns you can bring on, so start to narrow down your options. At the end of the day, the people who will perform the best are the ones that want to be there, so think about your conversations and put the ones with the most energy at the top. (I don’t mean outgoing and loud - I just mean you can tell they’re eager for the opportunity.)

Then think about what you specifically need in your organization, whether it’s that they should have certain training or knowledge, you can see them working at your company beyond the internship, they have the vibe that fits your team, etc. The stuff only you would know - but take some time to think about the criteria before your interviews so you know what to look for

Just decide Pick your intern(s), send everyone else a thank you email, and invite your new intern(s) to join the team!

A welcome email I typically send will include:

● Congratulations!

● Start time/day

● Homework / information about anything I want them to learn before they start

● Onboarding paperwork to be complete by day one

It’s not working out?

I have to include a note about firing I know that we’re starting these programs mainly for the benefit of the intern, so to think about letting them go seems sad, but I’ve learned over the years that not everyone wants to be there, and it’ll show

You’ll also have overly ambitious students who applied to multiple programs and probably took on more than they could handle Those ones usually weed themselves out in the first couple of weeks, and if they don’t quit, you can pull them aside and just say, “hey, I think it’s best if you focus on your other activities right now We’ll be here for future opportunities if it makes sense Best of luck ”

If you have someone who isn’t showing up on time or turning things in, you have to let them go. This is a real job opportunity and coddling them or overlooking this for the sake of a short term internship benefits no one. Give them 2-3 chances, and make it clear you expect things on time and done well, but if it doesn’t get better, it’s time to move on. When you bring it up, they’ll know it’s coming. “Hey friend, I’ve noticed that I’ve tried to remind you to get things in on time or show up on time, and that still isn’t happening. We’ve given you a few chances to improve, but unfortunately I’m going to have to let you go.” You can leave the door open to future opportunities and give some notes about what you enjoyed about working with them, but for now, the relationship has to end.

I have also noticed that in the rare times I’ve had to let interns go, the rest of the team gets more aligned and gets into gear. It’s never good for the team to think that anyone is held to lower or higher standards than anyone else, so be clear about this and if someone isn’t working out, it’s time to go.

Chapter 6: Celebrate Your Intern Program

"Knit Marketing has given me the opportunity to learn about digital marketing and work with an awesome team that provides value to our clients.”

- Fernando / Social Media Manager / College Sophomore

You did it! You hired young motivated workers that were empowered to make a difference in your company and you made a difference in their lives. Let the world know!

A few ways you can recap your intern program are:

● Blog posts written by your intern and/or you about the experience

● A culmination event where you invite the community and press

● A press release

● Reporting to your recruiting partners on what the interns achieved

● Social media posts profiling your interns

● Email newsletters to your community with a recap of the program

Please share your intern success stories with me! We will happily share them with our community too.

Bringing on an intern is not an easy task. It’s not the same as hiring the neighborhood teenager to mow your lawn or feed your cats when you’re on vacation. A rich internship should leave your company a better place and set the intern up for success, and you can do that! With a little planning, the right partners, and most importantly a heart for your interns and a mind for business growth tapping into young talent - you can do this!

Need help? Email me We’ll help you design your intern program and even train your interns so when they start with you, they’re ready to go!

Want to start an intern-first digital agency social enterprise like Knit Marketing? Let’s chat!

About the Author

Rebecca Borough is the founder and CEO of Knit Marketing, a digital agency and social enterprise that serves the K-12 education market and hires and trains high school students in digital marketing. It’s a mission of Rebecca’s to empower youth to do the next big thing with their lives, careers, and educations and that’s why Knit Marketing was born

Rebecca is the host of The 13th Grade Podcast, writer of her personal Substack, and holds a BS in Hospitality Management from Penn State University and an MS in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California

Rebecca is a full time business owner and full time mom to 3-year-old Leonardo In addition to running Knit, Rebecca co-manages Tiny Topanga, a tiny home building company, with her husband Israel Rodriguez and their family team

Outside of work, Rebecca loves to go on coffee dates with her son, travel, bake, and dream about building tiny house villages