Spring and summer bring high school and college students out looking for summer internships – either as a way to make money or a way to fulfill a college credit requirement. Interns hope to learn about their chosen industry through the jobs they perform, and employers hope to get some free or inexpensive help during the busy season.
Set expectations with Interns
I have had many interns over the years in my various positions. What I have learned is that it takes a lot of work on your part in the first half of the internship in order for it to be successful. Your intern deserves to get part of your time each day they are there, in order to learn why they are doing the tasks you have assigned them. And it’s ok to assign them scut work- its important for them to learn that you are never above peeling labels, or collating brochures when there is a deadline. At the same time, they deserve to be assigned some projects that will look good on their resumes and help them to discover if this industry is for them.
Here are some reminders for employers and interns:
For employers working with interns:
- Your intern is not a free employee: you are responsible for teaching them something every day and answering their questions. Have them document questions and answers. It will give you a tool to share with your next intern.
- It is acceptable to hold them to the same standards as you would an employee, i.e. dress code, behavior standards at work and level of work quality.
- You should try to take your intern to meetings or events outside the office setting. This broadens their horizons and makes you a hero in their eyes.
- Be prepared to document their work and write a review at the end of the internship. This is easier if you keep a running journal or file on their work experience.
For interns working with a potential employer:
- Remember that your actions and behaviors are being seen by a potential future employer or reference.
- Offer to take on extra assignments and never say no when asked to perform a seemingly menial task. That kind of help will be remembered.
- You are in an office setting, not a college classroom. Dress professionally. Ask your supervisor if you are not sure of the dress code. It’s always better to be more professionally dressed than not.
- Sometimes your employer will be busy and will not have the time to help you. Don’t take it personally. Use your time to ask someone else for help or work on another project.
- Is there a need you see that you can fix? I had an intern once who loved spreadsheets ( crazy, right?!) and she asked if I would like her to put together a calendar of tradeshows with deadlines, what needed to be sent to each show and more. I never thought of it and it became part of my online SOP binder. (Read more about SOP binders here).
- Send a handwritten thank you note at the end of your internship. They are rare and will be remembered.
I always learned as much from my interns as they did from their experiences. I am proud to say that several of them went on to careers in the Tourism industry and one of them even hired me last year to help her DMO partners learn more about the Group Tour Market. Talk about a full-circle moment- thanks again Hilary!
How can I help you be a better Tourism Pro in May 2023?
National Travel and Tourism week is coming and this is how I am participating: I am offering 15% off all paid courses on my TourismProAcademy.com site!
Use the code May23 and get a 15% discount on courses such as:
- Fill Your Parking Lot: Secrets to Getting more Group Tours
- Time Management for Tourism Professionals
- Become a Top Tourism Networker
- Create a Tourism Plan Using a S.W.O.T. Analysis
National Travel and Tourism Week is from May 7-13th, but this discount starts today and runs through the 13th!
And I will sweeten the pot a bit- one lucky person who purchases a course will also be chosen at random to get one of the books I review in my “Best Books For Tourism Pros” section of TourismProAcademy.
Check out TourismProAcademy.com today and purchase a course. You have ongoing access to the course so you can go back and refer to it whenever you need a refresher!
And you know how you can make the Tourism industry even stronger? Send this to a few people you now are new to the industry. We all thank you!