The Internship Blueprint: Strategies for Companies Talent Report+THRIVE

Whether you are just starting an internship program or you have one already, discover the key qualities that make interns thrive, learn how internship programs can shape future leaders, and explore innovative approaches to foster a culture of continuous learning and development. We'll share tips on creating challenging projects that elevate interns to showcase their leadership potential.
Resources:
MRA Membership 
About MRA 
Intern Program
MRA's 2024 Internship Leadership Program Calendar
Recruiting
 
Let's Connect:
Courtney’s email
Courtney’s LinkedIn profile
 
Transcript
00:00:00:01 - 00:00:05:13Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything
00:00:05:13 - 00:00:09:22and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association.
00:00:09:24 - 00:00:12:24Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR?
00:00:12:24 - 00:00:14:19MRA has got you covered.
00:00:14:19 - 00:00:17:17We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not.
00:00:17:17 - 00:00:21:04I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here.
00:00:21:05 - 00:00:22:21Now it's time to thrive.
00:00:22:21 - 00:00:26:16Hello, everybody, and welcome to 30 Minute Thrive.
00:00:26:18 - 00:00:29:24Today we're going to be talking about the ins and outs of internships.
00:00:30:03 - 00:00:34:15So if you're looking to start an internship program at your organization,
00:00:34:21 - 00:00:37:17or maybe you have one started already, but you're looking to make it
00:00:37:17 - 00:00:41:13even more successful, it's a good thing you're here today with us
00:00:41:13 - 00:00:46:04because we're joined by Courtney Lamers, MRA, senior manager of member Engagement
00:00:46:10 - 00:00:50:08and MRA's Intern Leadership program organizer.
00:00:50:10 - 00:00:54:10So Courtney's really here to help organizations
00:00:54:10 - 00:00:58:04not only design and implement an internship program,
00:00:58:04 - 00:01:02:17but also help develop existing ones into successful programs.
00:01:02:19 - 00:01:06:06And having been an intern myself at Emory,
00:01:06:08 - 00:01:09:21I love this topic, and I'm really excited to talk about it.
00:01:09:21 - 00:01:12:11So, Courtney, let's start.
00:01:12:11 - 00:01:14:24Start from the top here.
00:01:14:24 - 00:01:18:22Those who have never implemented an internship program before.
00:01:18:24 - 00:01:23:22What are some of the key starting factors that a company would really need?
00:01:23:24 - 00:01:24:13Absolutely.
00:01:24:13 - 00:01:27:05Great question. And thank you for having me today.
00:01:27:05 - 00:01:27:13You know,
00:01:27:13 - 00:01:27:23it really
00:01:27:23 - 00:01:31:16is that time of the year where everyone is reaching out about internships.
00:01:31:16 - 00:01:35:09And it's been exciting to hear from a lot of companies that are just
00:01:35:10 - 00:01:37:05beginning their internship journey.
00:01:37:05 - 00:01:40:14So I think it's going to be a really fun summer and I'm super
00:01:40:14 - 00:01:43:14excited for all of you that have interns.
00:01:43:20 - 00:01:46:08I think those that have had interns have really found it
00:01:46:08 - 00:01:50:02valuable and continue to see that year over year.
00:01:50:04 - 00:01:53:12And so I'm really excited for all of those companies that are starting it.
00:01:53:14 - 00:01:56:04I think that's a great question to start with, just because we do
00:01:56:04 - 00:01:59:21see a lot of companies that are starting internship program.
00:01:59:23 - 00:02:03:21And I would say the key in starting an internship program
00:02:04:02 - 00:02:07:04and there's a lot of things that go into it, but one of the most important
00:02:07:04 - 00:02:10:24things is making sure that you have the correct manager
00:02:11:01 - 00:02:15:18and managers in place to support and intern support their experience
00:02:15:18 - 00:02:17:00as a whole,
00:02:17:00 - 00:02:18:11and be able to have some of those
00:02:18:11 - 00:02:21:16difficult conversation zones where I think