Finding the right intern for your company is a crucial component to making your internship program successful. The intern needs to be a good fit for the company as a whole. Everyone who is looking to get their foot in the door of the industry may not fit into certain environments as well as others. It is your job to weed out who may not fit the bill so that you can be one step closer to finding your diamond in the rough. When you know what to look for, it will be a lot easier to make the best decision. Here are a few ways to determine if a potential intern is a good fit for your business.

Mutually Beneficial

In order for an internship to work to its full capacity, both parties must be benefiting from the program. Identify tasks that can help to ease your workload while providing a learning experience for the candidate. Seek out motivated aspiring professionals that have long term goals to make their career dreams a reality. There has to be a genuine thirst to learn and excel in this position. In order to provide the stepping stone, your company must have a solid program in place before you look to hire candidates. Your company will benefit from the extra entry level help that can potentially lead to full time employment when the internship is over. Your intern will already be trained and ready to work. Employees who have a history as an intern with the company tend to have higher retention rates.

Conformity

In order to properly function in the new position, the intern must be a good fit for the company. Determine what characteristics are must haves on your list for potential interns. Will the new intern be able to adapt to their new environment?  Discuss the company culture with potential interns and discern whether or not they will be a good fit. If you have an office of more mature individuals, seek out graduate students or those in the midst of career change. You may benefit more from someone who has a little more life experience and who are ready to take control of their careers. If you don’t mind more of a molding process, seek out high school seniors and undergraduates who are motivated enough to get a head start in the game.

Experience

It shouldn’t come to you as a surprise if your candidates have little to no related experience on their resumes. You will need to take a deeper look at the fine print to determine who will be up for the challenge of your company’s internship program. Ask questions about previous community service and volunteer work that may be relevant to the position. Get information about the intern’s coursework and projects to bridge the gaps between what can be useful for your company.

Qualities like leadership and teamwork can be concentrated to fit into this new role. However, if your internship requires the candidates to have some experience directly in the industry, don’t waste time interviewing candidates who are lacking the skills needed for the internship. No amount of likability will make up for what is mandatory knowledge. Make your internship posting clear and concise so that applicants know what is required and who shouldn’t apply.

Can you find the perfect intern for your company with these great tips?  Visit www.bridge.jobs to find local talent in Rhode Island.  Create an amazing internship program with the Guide to Structuring a Successful Internship Program.