Help my interns help me
January 24, 2011 6:50 AM Subscribe
How can my small political nonprofit make the most of our interns?
I work for a small non-profit political advocacy organization (with 4-6 fulltime staff) which regularly has interns in. Our work is based around writing and commissioning policy papers on issues that are relevant to our field of expertise, as well as holding events and doing media work. We also run a blog commenting on the news, etc.
Our problem is that when we have interns, we rarely know what to do with them. We know it's a great opportunity for them and it's often nice to have them in the office, so we take them on (usually one or two at a time), but usually they end up spending the day doing not very much.
They might be asked to write a blogpost or two a day, or write a policy paper over the course of their time with us, but the standard of these is often not great (both in style and substance) and can be more trouble than they're worth, since they take a lot of time to edit to get up to scratch. Because we're such a small team and interns are often only with us for a few weeks, our full-time staffers usually handle their workloads on their own.
Other than being more rigorous in our selection process (which I'm working on), what can we do to get our interns to be more productive? I think it would be in their interest as well as ours, because I'm sure it's boring (and probably disappointing) to come to an interesting-sounding workplace and end up doing little.
I work for a small non-profit political advocacy organization (with 4-6 fulltime staff) which regularly has interns in. Our work is based around writing and commissioning policy papers on issues that are relevant to our field of expertise, as well as holding events and doing media work. We also run a blog commenting on the news, etc.
Our problem is that when we have interns, we rarely know what to do with them. We know it's a great opportunity for them and it's often nice to have them in the office, so we take them on (usually one or two at a time), but usually they end up spending the day doing not very much.
They might be asked to write a blogpost or two a day, or write a policy paper over the course of their time with us, but the standard of these is often not great (both in style and substance) and can be more trouble than they're worth, since they take a lot of time to edit to get up to scratch. Because we're such a small team and interns are often only with us for a few weeks, our full-time staffers usually handle their workloads on their own.
Other than being more rigorous in our selection process (which I'm working on), what can we do to get our interns to be more productive? I think it would be in their interest as well as ours, because I'm sure it's boring (and probably disappointing) to come to an interesting-sounding workplace and end up doing little.
Have you been doing exit interviews with them to get their feedback? You've likely never been in their shoes at your particular organization, so their perspective and opinions would likely prove valuable.
Is there anything they can research? Maybe they could work your twitter feed? Play to their strengths.
posted by inturnaround at 6:54 AM on January 24, 2011
Is there anything they can research? Maybe they could work your twitter feed? Play to their strengths.
posted by inturnaround at 6:54 AM on January 24, 2011
How many hours a week are these interns working? If there isn't enough quality work for them to do, why not reduce the number of hours or discontinue the hiring of interns.
posted by Pineapplicious at 7:05 AM on January 24, 2011
posted by Pineapplicious at 7:05 AM on January 24, 2011
Depending on your "Field of Expertise", I can almost guarantee that you need more data. You can never have enough data, especially if you've got funding sources who require reporting.
SO
If you don't have funding sources who require reporting, find some who do, and get your interns researching them, appropriating the data, etc. More money = more services = more spread of your mission, whatever that is.
If you do have funding sources who require reporting, start over-documenting. Have them come up with outcome measurements. Have them develop Work Plans. Have them do surveys of whomever your target population is, or whoever your clients are (if you have clients) or whatever your "field of expertise" is.
Have them do public outreach, have them do PR. Get them to get you noticed. Let them put on a benefit concert at the local establishment of coolness.
All I've ever done is work for non profits, and I often have interns/volunteers/work studies/etc as my charges. Feel free to MeMail.
posted by TomMelee at 7:12 AM on January 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
SO
If you don't have funding sources who require reporting, find some who do, and get your interns researching them, appropriating the data, etc. More money = more services = more spread of your mission, whatever that is.
If you do have funding sources who require reporting, start over-documenting. Have them come up with outcome measurements. Have them develop Work Plans. Have them do surveys of whomever your target population is, or whoever your clients are (if you have clients) or whatever your "field of expertise" is.
Have them do public outreach, have them do PR. Get them to get you noticed. Let them put on a benefit concert at the local establishment of coolness.
All I've ever done is work for non profits, and I often have interns/volunteers/work studies/etc as my charges. Feel free to MeMail.
posted by TomMelee at 7:12 AM on January 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Why hire interns if you have nothing for them to do and they spend the majority of their day doing nothing? How are they learning anything if all they do is blog and wait for you to do something?
FWIW, I work in a law firm. We hire half a dozen legal interns (2L+) and by the end of the first month, they're drafting motions and going to court/depositions with attorneys to see how law is actually practiced. We also pay them pretty well. They work whenever they can and set their hours for the next week the Friday of the current week. They usually end up working 20-30 hours a week, but disappear around finals time (and some go home over breaks).
It sounds like not only do not have the time to train interns since they're gone so quick, you also don't have anything to show them aside from how to blog and do something poorly (write a paper over four weeks).
posted by Brian Puccio at 7:16 AM on January 24, 2011
FWIW, I work in a law firm. We hire half a dozen legal interns (2L+) and by the end of the first month, they're drafting motions and going to court/depositions with attorneys to see how law is actually practiced. We also pay them pretty well. They work whenever they can and set their hours for the next week the Friday of the current week. They usually end up working 20-30 hours a week, but disappear around finals time (and some go home over breaks).
It sounds like not only do not have the time to train interns since they're gone so quick, you also don't have anything to show them aside from how to blog and do something poorly (write a paper over four weeks).
posted by Brian Puccio at 7:16 AM on January 24, 2011
How about keeping them around longer? It probably sounds like a bad idea, since you're not getting much out of them as it is, but if you can invest the time in training them, then keep them for a semester, you'll be much better off than having someone just sit around drinking coffee for a few weeks.
(Also -- the suggestion above re: paying them is better than it might seem. If you make "Intern" a paid position, with duties and expectations, you'll attract better candidates, and can give them a proper workload.)
posted by OLechat at 7:54 AM on January 24, 2011
(Also -- the suggestion above re: paying them is better than it might seem. If you make "Intern" a paid position, with duties and expectations, you'll attract better candidates, and can give them a proper workload.)
posted by OLechat at 7:54 AM on January 24, 2011
Describe to yourself what is so good about the opportunity. Imagine what a former intern should be able to say at a job interview about the value of their time with you.
Should they meet lots of people? Do research? Presenting findings? Reading white papers? Learning how to write white papers? Learning how to work in an office environment? Learning how to operate office equipment (and I absolutely mean that; I've used those skills for years)?
If the writing is a persistent problem (and I'll bet it is), decide whether you are going to take that out of their work expectations, or if you will coach them.
posted by ES Mom at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2011
Should they meet lots of people? Do research? Presenting findings? Reading white papers? Learning how to write white papers? Learning how to work in an office environment? Learning how to operate office equipment (and I absolutely mean that; I've used those skills for years)?
If the writing is a persistent problem (and I'll bet it is), decide whether you are going to take that out of their work expectations, or if you will coach them.
posted by ES Mom at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2011
You have to change the paradigm.
Assuming that your interns are largely rising juniors and seniors, and that they are paid (both of which should be a given) you need to stop thinking of them as interns with a very narrow scope. They shouldn't necessarily take ownership of projects that will go on long past their end date, but otherwise they should be treated like any other entry-level new hire.
If you want your interns to write, hire interns who write well. If you want them to have other set skills, include that in your job postings and require applicants to specifically address their experience or academic background in their cover letters. If the problem is that the internships only last a few weeks, require a minimum commitment of 2 months. You are in charge. There is no shortage of highly qualified and motivated students who will travel from all over the country to gain experience. Contact the career centers of universities that reflect your values or have strong programs in your field; you will be flooded with high quality applications.
My best internship was with a company that did not typically hire interns. They had no idea what to do with me the first week, but I sat in on meetings, took notes, read a lot, and eventually just became part of the team. They didn't have "intern tasks." I proved that I was perfectly capable of doing what an entry-level employee did, so they let me. And then they hired me after I graduated. Win win.
The point here is really that there is no substantial difference between a rising college senior and a new graduate. Treat them like professionals and the good ones will rise to the challenge.
posted by charmcityblues at 9:37 AM on January 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
Assuming that your interns are largely rising juniors and seniors, and that they are paid (both of which should be a given) you need to stop thinking of them as interns with a very narrow scope. They shouldn't necessarily take ownership of projects that will go on long past their end date, but otherwise they should be treated like any other entry-level new hire.
If you want your interns to write, hire interns who write well. If you want them to have other set skills, include that in your job postings and require applicants to specifically address their experience or academic background in their cover letters. If the problem is that the internships only last a few weeks, require a minimum commitment of 2 months. You are in charge. There is no shortage of highly qualified and motivated students who will travel from all over the country to gain experience. Contact the career centers of universities that reflect your values or have strong programs in your field; you will be flooded with high quality applications.
My best internship was with a company that did not typically hire interns. They had no idea what to do with me the first week, but I sat in on meetings, took notes, read a lot, and eventually just became part of the team. They didn't have "intern tasks." I proved that I was perfectly capable of doing what an entry-level employee did, so they let me. And then they hired me after I graduated. Win win.
The point here is really that there is no substantial difference between a rising college senior and a new graduate. Treat them like professionals and the good ones will rise to the challenge.
posted by charmcityblues at 9:37 AM on January 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
When I was an intern I did a lot of clerical/admin type stuff. Lots of filing, lots of answering phones, lots of mail and faxing and lunch orders. I also got to take on more active/creative projects as a supplement to that, but no, I wasn't just sitting around waiting for someone to hand me a fun and engaging task that would look good on my resume later.
That said, my last and best-remembered internship was semi-paid - I got free meals and transportation and a small stipend at the end of the gig. But I don't think it's inappropriate to ask an intern to do light clerical work even if it's an unpaid internship.
posted by Sara C. at 11:24 AM on January 24, 2011
That said, my last and best-remembered internship was semi-paid - I got free meals and transportation and a small stipend at the end of the gig. But I don't think it's inappropriate to ask an intern to do light clerical work even if it's an unpaid internship.
posted by Sara C. at 11:24 AM on January 24, 2011
I think it's important for internships to be a fair trade: the intern should get some experience, exposure and advice, and in return they should be willing to do "grunt work" for their employer. The employer has an obligation to offer training and extra supervision in return for cheap labor.
When I get a new intern, I sit down with them and ask things like:
What kind of job do you want to be prepared for after you graduate?
What skills do you want to learn during your internship?
What part of this organization's work are you interested in?
If they say they want to be a press secretary on a political campaign, I'll advise them that they need to learn how write press releases, pitch stories to reporters, etc. Then I'll look for opportunities for them to do those things and get feedback on them during the internship.
In between those learning experiences, I assign interns all kinds of not-necessary-but-nice-to-have-done tasks: organizing files, monitoring and summarizing blogs/ news sources I don't have time to keep up with, etc. I don't feel guilty about asking them to do these things because I also make sure that they get to do higher-level things occasionally.
They might be asked to write a blogpost or two a day, or write a policy paper over the course of their time with us, but the standard of these is often not great (both in style and substance) and can be more trouble than they're worth, since they take a lot of time to edit to get up to scratch.
This is often true about intern work, but I think this goes back to the whole tradeoff paradigm. Yes, it might take you a lot longer to walk an intern through an assignment than it would to just do it yourself. But if you're using the intern to help you save time on other things-- have them return messages for you, triage your mail, take notes on meetings you don't want to attend-- you should have time to teach them how to do better work. The extra time you spend editing and intern's work and explaining the revisions you made is extremely valuable to the intern... if you're doing it right, this should be what makes all the time they spend running your errands worthwhile.
posted by Sifleandollie at 4:47 PM on January 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
When I get a new intern, I sit down with them and ask things like:
What kind of job do you want to be prepared for after you graduate?
What skills do you want to learn during your internship?
What part of this organization's work are you interested in?
If they say they want to be a press secretary on a political campaign, I'll advise them that they need to learn how write press releases, pitch stories to reporters, etc. Then I'll look for opportunities for them to do those things and get feedback on them during the internship.
In between those learning experiences, I assign interns all kinds of not-necessary-but-nice-to-have-done tasks: organizing files, monitoring and summarizing blogs/ news sources I don't have time to keep up with, etc. I don't feel guilty about asking them to do these things because I also make sure that they get to do higher-level things occasionally.
They might be asked to write a blogpost or two a day, or write a policy paper over the course of their time with us, but the standard of these is often not great (both in style and substance) and can be more trouble than they're worth, since they take a lot of time to edit to get up to scratch.
This is often true about intern work, but I think this goes back to the whole tradeoff paradigm. Yes, it might take you a lot longer to walk an intern through an assignment than it would to just do it yourself. But if you're using the intern to help you save time on other things-- have them return messages for you, triage your mail, take notes on meetings you don't want to attend-- you should have time to teach them how to do better work. The extra time you spend editing and intern's work and explaining the revisions you made is extremely valuable to the intern... if you're doing it right, this should be what makes all the time they spend running your errands worthwhile.
posted by Sifleandollie at 4:47 PM on January 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Personally, having supervised over twenty interns, I would now never take someone who couldn't make at least a six week commitment. Two or three months at three days a week worked best for me.
Then you and your staff need to get used to thinking of tasks for them to do. Ideally, the tasks are integrally related to your current project. That way, reviewing the work is not a new To Do item. By the time you clearly know what needs done, it could probably be an intern task (assuming you're screening for writing and analytical skills). Some ideas:
- systematically gather needed information ("i want you to call every water district and find out their total budget, the amount spent on new water sources, and the amount spent on conservation programs")
- write sections of the report, or a sidebar ("we need three paragraphs summarizing how the Department of Water Resources encourages water conservation: one paragraph apiece on the ABC Conservation program, the XYZ grants, and the Blah Committee.")
- provide summaries of other reports on the topic
- get general factoids for sections like the intro: "A safe and secure water supply is more important than ever. {insert any supporting fact here}"
- get supportive quotes from key people's communications staff for the back cover
The alternative, as it sounds like you know, is to give them a big project that's coming up in your future and see how far they can get, and then at the end see what of their work is usable. That might be equally effective from the perspective of your staff time cost-benefit, but I suspect that's less fulfilling for the intern.
Feel free to memail me if you want to brainstorm ideas further.
posted by slidell at 12:03 AM on January 26, 2011
Then you and your staff need to get used to thinking of tasks for them to do. Ideally, the tasks are integrally related to your current project. That way, reviewing the work is not a new To Do item. By the time you clearly know what needs done, it could probably be an intern task (assuming you're screening for writing and analytical skills). Some ideas:
- systematically gather needed information ("i want you to call every water district and find out their total budget, the amount spent on new water sources, and the amount spent on conservation programs")
- write sections of the report, or a sidebar ("we need three paragraphs summarizing how the Department of Water Resources encourages water conservation: one paragraph apiece on the ABC Conservation program, the XYZ grants, and the Blah Committee.")
- provide summaries of other reports on the topic
- get general factoids for sections like the intro: "A safe and secure water supply is more important than ever. {insert any supporting fact here}"
- get supportive quotes from key people's communications staff for the back cover
The alternative, as it sounds like you know, is to give them a big project that's coming up in your future and see how far they can get, and then at the end see what of their work is usable. That might be equally effective from the perspective of your staff time cost-benefit, but I suspect that's less fulfilling for the intern.
Feel free to memail me if you want to brainstorm ideas further.
posted by slidell at 12:03 AM on January 26, 2011
I also agree with sifleandollie about the tradeoff, but that conversation should happen before selecting interns. I was never in a position to change the tasks that needed done.
posted by slidell at 12:12 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by slidell at 12:12 AM on January 26, 2011
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posted by decathecting at 6:52 AM on January 24, 2011