Reinventing Agency Internships for the Future of Work
I know many of you are gearing up to welcome summer interns, so I decided to refresh some of my past thoughts on marketing agency internships.
Internships, when done well, provide invaluable opportunities for individuals to gain practical experience, learn new skills, validate their interests, and establish their professional networks.
Typically, when we think of summer interns, we think of college students, recent graduates, or career switchers taking up residence in our offices for two to three months. But in an age where remote and hybrid work have become the norm, we must adapt our thinking to meet the evolving needs of both your agency and the interns.
To create a win-win experience for your agency and future interns, consider the following ten tips to elevate your internship program.
10 Tips to Create a Win-Win Internship Program
Focus on Outcomes: Identify meaningful outcomes for your internship program, such as identifying future employees, accomplishing project goals, increasing diversity, and providing management experience for younger staff.
Develop Relationships with Local Schools: Reach out to local colleges and universities and get to know the faculty and career services folks. Offer to guest lecture or host workshops that showcase your agency's expertise. This not only provides real value to students but also positions your agency as a great place to start a career. Plus, you can select interns through faculty recommendations, ensuring you get top-notch talent.
Have an Orientation: On the first day, clarify the purpose of the internship program, provide introductions to fellow employees, discuss the agency's vision, and set expectations for the internship program. A solid first week can set the tone for a productive internship and help them feel part of the team from day one.
Assign a Buddy: Pair interns with a "buddy" who can help them navigate the agency's culture and processes. This buddy should be someone closer to the intern's age, if possible, and can offer guidance and support throughout the internship.
Assign to Client Teams: Ensure interns get real experience working with clients by assigning them to client teams. Give them meaningful work and project-specific responsibilities to simulate the rigor of agency life.
Broadcast Intern Experience: Provide periodic updates to the agency about what the interns are working on. This keeps the agency accountable, reminds staff to incorporate interns into work streams, and signals to the interns that their work is valued.
Develop a Farm System: View interns as potential future employees. Keep in touch with standout interns after they've returned to school or taken another job, as they may be excellent candidates for future opportunities.
Provide Feedback: Conduct mid-summer evaluations and exit interviews to give and receive feedback on the internship experience. Use this feedback to continually improve your internship program.
Provide Cross-Functional Experience: Allow interns to interact with different parts of the business and attend leadership team meetings to gain a holistic understanding of how your agency operates. Exposure to different business areas, such as strategy, creative, and client management, can enhance their understanding of the industry and your business.
Embrace Remote and Hybrid Internships: Adapt your internship program to accommodate remote and hybrid work environments. While you'll leverage remote working tools to keep interns connected and engaged, try to find some ways to get them in the office (if you have one) so they can develop meaningful relationships with team members.
We've all had our fair share of bad internship experiences. Some of us have failed interns in the past not due to negligence but because we did not have the right structure in place. My hope is that these tips will help to elevate the outcomes of your internship program for your agency and future interns.
Next Steps
Take a look at your current internship program and see how it stacks up against these tips. Are there gaps that need filling? New opportunities to explore? If you need guidance on implementing these strategies or revamping your program, consider reaching out for guidance. Together, we can transform your summer internship program into a strategic feeder program for both your agency and the next generation of marketers.