Thinking About That Internship Program?

Jim joined Susan and Stacy at the Project Management Café just as Susan was saying, “… so they are thinking of starting an intern program.”

Stacy responded, “That can be a great way to develop staff, and it gives some students quality real world experience, and …”

Jim interrupted, “… and they work for free!”

Stacy admonished him, “Whoa there, before you think you’ve found a free labor pool, you’d better talk to HR. You need to know the laws before you find yourself in trouble. Besides, think about it, what kind of work do you expect to get from a highly skilled intern that isn’t paid?”

Jim replied, “If it were me, that would get very old, very fast. Before long, I’d be just putting in time.”

Just as Bob joined the group, Susan asked, “Well, nobody at my office is talking about unpaid interns, but we are asking ourselves how to build the program.”

Stacy said, “We hired one intern to start with, not free, but not highly paid to be sure. She worked during the breaks. We’ve hired some that were able to work during the semester as well. Actually, we’ve come to rely on the extra staff during the summer break.”

“Don’t expect much at first,” Stacy added, “They are not seasoned employees after all. If they start during a one or two week break, give them a light task that they can complete in that time. Let them get to know you, then give them something more challenging during the longer breaks.”

Bob jumped in, “When somebody works out really well, ask them to recommend others.”

Susan, thinking out loud, “So, you’ve got this inexperienced talent coming and going, working part time, sounds like a pain for management.”

Stacy answered, “True, you must respect their schedules. Remember, you are the second job, their day job is working toward their degree. You’ve got to respect that. If they are working part-time during the semester, expect to give them time off during mid-terms and finals. And, when they are working over their vacation, they might want some time for family as well. On the other hand, if you treat them with respect, they can become a valuable employee.”

Susan answered, “That’s what we found so attractive about the idea. We like that we can really get to know the individual before deciding whether or not to make a long term offer.”

Stacy added, “Reach out to any contacts you have at the local colleges and universities. Find contact information on their web sites. Once you have it in place, a good intern program is a great way to supplement your team.”

As they were getting ready to leave Susan said, “Well, it sounds like, with a bit of work and some understanding, we could build a good intern program. One that helps with staffing without the normal interview, hire, and hope, process.”

On the way out, Stacy replied, “You can not entirely replace the traditional interview process, especially for positions that require experience. But, for the entry level positions, an internship program can provide a very good return for the time invested.”

Be Proactive About Risk

Stacy set down her camera bag and joined Jim and Bob at the table, “I just heard a very thoughtful quote from Admiral Ernest King. He said, ‘The mark of a great ship handler is never getting in a situation that requires great ship handling skills’. That started me thinking about projects and risk management.”

Jim replied, “I used to think that risk management meant knowing when to have the team work over-time and scheduling a weekend. That Admiral is talking about avoiding the need. So, how do you two avoid the issues before you have to solve them?”

Stacy answered, “When they talked about the Admiral’s quote, one example they discussed was to call a tug to bring the ship into port instead of doing it yourself. It seems like more effort and time, but it is much lower risk. So, I’d say that one answer is knowing when to get expert help.”

Susan joined in the conversation, “I like to look ahead at the project and try to spot the weak points. Tasks assigned to a ‘light’ resource, maybe somebody with less experience. Or inherently difficult tasks, or possible bottle necks in the critical path.”

Bob chimed in, “Or resource availability, whether human resource or material. If you need something for a task, and it’s not available, you end up with a work crew that is just standing around.”

Jim asks, “So what do you do about that?”

Susan replied, “When I plan ahead and spot a potential risk, I like to have one or two backup plans thought through and ready. If the risk is serious, I’ll even put the contingency right into the project plan documents. That way, I’m not trying to solve a problem at the time it occurs. Often, because I’ve thought it through, I see the risk becoming a reality, and can go to the backup plan before it is a realized problem.”

“Sure,” said Bob, “for instance, I’d rather have a crew assigned to doing something else if I really suspect that some material will be a day or two late. That’s a lot better than realizing that the material will be late when the crew shows up. It takes more planning up front, and sometimes planning for things that never happen, but prevents a lot of wasted time.”

Jim jumped in, “But, when it does hit the fan, you already have a plan in place. Sounds, like you try to put your plan into action even before it hits the fan.”

Stacy finished her lunch saying, “That’s what works for me, knowing when to have a contingency, just in case. Knowing when to get an expert, thinking through the ‘what-ifs’.”

As they were getting ready to leave, Jim wrapped up, “Sounds like a pretty smart Admiral there.”