1. You should recruit, train and manage interns just as you would full-time employees
2. An early, strong and consistent emphasis on training will help students handle complex work and produce greater results
3. Interns can help your other employees be more productive by freeing them to tackle more important projects while interns perform lower level work
4. Interns can provide your existing employees with an opportunity to gain valuable supervisory experience
5. Some things interns can do at your business: Identify prospects pursue business leads and write or send press releases. Plan events identify news media for publicity, research advertising placements. Prepare award submissions, do Web research, monitor industry news. Manage or freshen Web site content, assist with presentations, design charts, graphs and posters. Organize files, format business documents -- and recruit the next interns.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Someone must have overall responsibility for your internship program, and be allotted the time and resources to properly manage it.
• Take an inventory of substantive work you need done. Ask other employees what tasks an intern could perform - especially those "back burner" things that nobody else has time to complete. Then decide how many interns you need.
• School-year interns may be available 15-20 hours per week, while summer interns can often work full time.
• Determine if you have adequate workspace with access to computers and other tech tools.
• Define specific responsibilities for each intern position. That helps you set accurate expectations and focus your recruiting effort.
• Interns need a clear sense of guidance and structure, as they may be in a business for the first time. Schedules, work plans and deadlines will help. Have someone available to answer their questions and offer feedback on their work.
• The most successful internships go beyond "on the job" training. Offering interns a more formal orientation and development training will pay dividends in better results.