Five things professors wish intern supervisors knew about (hospitality) internships:
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1. Internships take planning: The most successful internships for both you and the intern take time and planning. An internship should be much more than stuffing envelopes and answering phones. This is an opportunity for you to gain insight and new ideas and it is a time for the intern to stretch their wings and put their academic knowledge to work. Everyone in your organization should clearly understand the role of the intern. The supervisor should make it clear that the intern is a part of the team (even if it is for a brief time).
2. Internships happen year-round: Many students opt to take summer classes and do their internship in the fall or spring semester. When you are planning for an intern, think about times when your organization is the busiest and in need of extra hands. Usually colllege courses are over by early May (Spring), Mid-August (summer) and early December (Fall). An intern may wait to do their internship at the end of their college career or sometime during their junior or senior year. Some students are seeking multiple internships to prepare them for their careers or to aid in career exploration.
3. Interns don’t always have to be paid, but perks help: Some students (especially meeting planners and those in tourism) aren’t expecting to be paid. Think about what you can offer the intern. Can you offer housing? Can you offer to let the intern work from home and check in via email? How about offering a stipend or honorarium at the end of a successful internship. Even small things like free food coupons, hotel vouchers or attraction vouchers can be meaningful rewards for a job well done.
4. Internships aren’t one size fits all: If you really like potential intern, capitalize on their strengths. Maybe you have an intern candidate who is a strong writer. Use them to assist in your PR campaigns. If you have an intern that is a technology whiz, use their skills to beef up your social media offerings. It’s great to give your intern a variety of opportunities in your organization, but you may find that they have specific strengths that really help you out. It’s always good to create a basic job description for your internship, but don’t be afraid to modify it.
5. When in doubt, ask us: Often intern supervisors have questions about students (work habits, personality, etc), but are afraid to ask. Usually professors have a pretty good idea if an internship is going to be a good fit. It is also good to find out what the specific requirements of the internship will be from the academic side. These vary from school to school and program to program.
