Intern Program - Approaching the finish line as an employer

Hey there. How’s it feel? You’ve spent the last few months helping build the first steps of someone’s career in our industry. That’s a pretty big accomplishment, and a great way to give back.

Finishing Up

With a couple of weeks left, are there any questions that you feel are unanswered?

Has the program met your expectations? Has the intern? Is there anything you can do to change that? Can you see any change in the intern between day 1 and now? What do you think they would say about the experience? Do you know their strengths and weaknesses? Can you tell them what to work on for the future? And is there anyone you can refer them to for future opportunities?

Prepare Them For What’s Next

As you push to the finish line, how can you leave your intern in the best possible shape, ready for their next steps in the industry?

Write a letter of reference for them. Explain what they achieved throughout the internship, how they worked with the team, what they gained exposure to and where you think they could thrive in the future. This will be a really valuable weapon in their armoury for the future, so take some time over it. If you’re happy to, you could go one step further and write them a Linkedin recommendation or even send the reference to another peer in the industry.

Be Honest

Sit down and go through the reference with them.

Have an honest chat. Be clear about what’s gone well and where there’s room for improvement. The more honest you can be, the better equipped they’ll be for future positions and similar conversations. Listen to how they think the program has gone, and what they’ve achieved. Ask if there’s anything they’d still like to get exposure to in their final weeks. If you can make time for it, asking them to do a presentation for you or the team in their last week would be a great way to round off the experience.

Send Them Off (In Style)

Finally, why not organise a leaving event. It could be a simple team get-together in the office. You could present them with a card, a book or something to remember the experience by.

Share your contact details if you’re happy to keep in touch with them and wish them all the best!