Plastics Pipeline Blog

Should We Invest in an Intern This Summer?

It’s exam season at many colleges and universities, and soon college students will be heading for summer destinations … some to summer jobs, some to summer school, some to summer internships, and some probably just to summer at the beach.

The question is will any of these students be headed to Your Company for real-world job experience as an intern? Does your company have an internship program? If not, should you start one?

The answer is “Yes,” according to Ingrid Case in her article for financial-planning.com, Should I … Hire an intern? The article continues that “it’s best if you have substantial work that an intern can do,” and then lists four criteria for deciding to hire an intern. “If you identify work that falls into these four categories, hire away.”

• Substantial
• Project based
• A fit for the internship time frame
• A win for both intern and planner

In the article, How To Set Up an Internship Program for Your Small Business, on sba.gov, Caron Beesley wrote, “Remember, an intern will be looking for good experience, so be sure your needs match those of the interns. Ask yourself the following questions:”

• How can an intern help you with your business goals?
• Do you have enough work to support an intern? Think about short-term and long-term assignments.
• Who will supervise and mentor your intern?
• What ramp-up and ongoing training can you provide?
• Do you have available office space and other resources?
• What about seasonal highs and lows? Could you use an intern beyond the summer months?

Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the automotive industry, used these criteria when it decided to hire Alexandria (Lexie) Jones as its marketing intern during the Spring 2017 semester. The company looked at what marketing projects were on the horizon, looked at the time frame of the internship, and determined if a marketing internship would be a win/win for both parties.

The company identified three long-term projects and several short-term assignments that Jones could work on. Two of the long-term projects were focused on Team 1’s year-long celebration of its 30th anniversary – what could be described as “seasonal” work. The other project was creating the video, “Team Member Success,” for Human Resources’ on-board training program, moving the completion of this project months ahead of expectation.

In her self-assessment at the conclusion of the internship, Jones described the work that she had done. “While at Team 1, my three main responsibilities have been the initiation of a time capsule to be buried later in the year in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Team 1 Plastics, the 30th anniversary celebration event for Team Members, and the second installment of the internal marketing video series.”

Team 1 Plastics has been offering internships since 2011. Its Human Resources Manager, Robert Clothier said, “The real value of an internship program is having the opportunity to build a relationship with a student for a few months. We feel that we give our interns a great experience that they will be able to share with classmates when they return to school. We’ve really increased the number we’ve offered over the last few years. I think that’s a testament to the strong interns we’ve had from both Ferris University and Albion College.”

And, internships are paid at Team 1 because, according to Clothier, “We have them doing real work, and they come up with great systems and processes that we will continue to use moving forward. For the value they are providing us, it makes sense to offer paid internships. In my opinion, Lexie’s internship was a home run. It had been several years since we offered a Marketing Internship, and everybody she worked with had a very positive experience.” It was definitely a win for Team 1 Plastics.

And, it was a win for Jones as well. “Team 1 has been more than just a marketing internship. It’s taught me how to work in a more professional setting. While I may have had prior real-world experience, this was a different type of experience that I was fortunate enough to learn on my own – without depending on teachers, classmates, or friends. The company taught me how to work with people of all different ages, mindsets, and backgrounds and how to work together cohesively to make sure that every job is done quickly and effectively. I not only gained experience at Team 1, I gained friends, mentors, and a better appreciation for the city of Albion.”

And, Jones said that the internship at Team 1 Plastics has helped shape her career focus. “Through Team 1 Plastics, I have found that I am passionate about project management and event planning.” Jones, who will graduate from Albion College in May 2018 with a double major in Business & Organizations and Spanish Language & Culture, heads next to a marketing firm for her summer internship where she “will be continuing my experience in project management.” After graduation, she said that she hopes “to spend three to four months in Spain for an event planning/hospitality internship, or, at least, to spend a few weeks in Barcelona to work on my Spanish language skills. After coming back from Europe, my plan is to find a full-time position in event planning or project management and see where my life takes me from there.”

Jones summed up her internship experience at Team 1 Plastics. “I am very thankful that Team 1 gave me the opportunity to further my career path and to gain more experience, as well as work with an amazing team filled with great people. I will take the values and experiences that I have learned at Team 1 that will help me throughout the rest of my life in various companies and positions.”

So, back to the original question, “Should We Invest in an Intern This Summer?” For Team 1 Plastics, the answer is Yes. In fact, according to Clothier, “This summer, we will have three interns.”