It’s summer and, as we typically do, our agency has a crop of enthusiastic public relations and social media interns supporting our account teams and helping to market our agency. Similar to intern groups we’ve had here at Matter previously, this gang is hard-working, eager to learn, and is willing to embrace whatever is thrown their way. And, they are a great group to have around.
Having interns is good for business, and here’s why:
First, you get to sample the professional before “officially” inviting them to join your staff, and they get to try your firm on for size too. That’s big – and something that cannot be overstated. Unless you are hiring a professional with whom you or someone on your staff has worked with directly, you really never know for sure exactly who you are welcoming into your organization. Experiencing the work – and corresponding work ethic! – is big, and being able to “sample” your candidate’s work is a huge help in the hiring process; and making sure that the candidate actually wants a career in a business like yours makes it more likely that they’ll stick around and be a long-term contributor to the success of the organization.
Second, there’s always work to be done. That’s the PR gig these days. A smart and savvy team can add tasks to any to-do list and there’s always PR and social media work to be done. To that end, having a crop of young, interested and energetic students to support a team within our agency always makes sense. Some experienced interns can roll their sleeves up and dive right in, while others may need to do the basics, such as research or other administrative tasks. In any case, there’s always work that needs to be done and a reason to welcome a new spirited group.
Third, youthful professionals provide a burst of energy, excitement and fresh perspective. In a creative agency like Matter, it’s always valuable to have fresh thinking, ideas and points of view. A solid intern can show-up with ideas that are as impactful as those of a senior team member. We like to widen our brainstorms by inviting our interns, picking their brains and encouraging them to share perspective on other strategic and programmatic plans. While being a fun group to interact with daily, they also directly contribute to our agency’s success.
Those are three reasons why having interns is good for business, but what did I miss?
Author’s note: I’m indebted to our interns for all the contributions they made to their teams and to our agency this past summer. I’m wishing several the best as the return to school, and look forward to “officially” welcoming others to join our staff.