{"id":2468,"date":"2012-08-22T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T16:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/?p=2468"},"modified":"2018-11-15T01:28:24","modified_gmt":"2018-11-15T09:28:24","slug":"what-makes-an-intern-a-good-hire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/what-makes-an-intern-a-good-hire\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes an Intern a Good Hire?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nathan Pacrells<\/a> is the Co-founder of InternMatch<\/a> and is excited about cultivating long term relationships between employers and interns. He previously contributred “How to Compensate Interns<\/a>” and hosted an fnMentoring function on \u201cHow to Hire & Manage Rockstar Interns<\/a>\u201d. In this article, originally posted at 500startups, Nathan explains how a great intern can be a cheap asset while a mediocre intern can be a costly detriment to your business. You can connect with Nathan via twitter @InternMatch.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Why Fantastic Interns add $50K+ of Value to Your Startup, and Mediocre Interns Will Cost You<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few years ago Aaron Patzer, co-founder of Mint.com, gave one of the best startup presentations I have seen.\u00a0 He dissected the process of Starting a Company<\/a>, and in doing so sparked countless conversations about the value of business co-founders, all of which helped lead to the rise of the hustler over the MBA.<\/p>\n

At InternMatch we hear a similar debate about the value of interns at early stage companies.\u00a0 Some startup founders swear by interns, looking at them as a strategic pipeline to convert new hires<\/a> and grow, while others write them off as too much of a distraction. A big reason for this spectrum of experiences is the delta between good and fantastic interns at early stage companies.<\/p>\n

At a startup you simply cannot waste time and resources with employees who aren\u2019t a good culture fit, are working on non-essential projects, or who need excessive attention.\u00a0 You need fantastic interns, rather than simply good interns.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So what makes an intern fantastic?<\/p>\n

Cultural Fit: <\/strong><\/p>\n

When an intern is the right fit for your company they bring energy, excitement, and new ideas into the office every day. \u00a0They complete their tasks with enthusiasm and precision and find new work to do even when you are too busy to assign something.<\/p>\n

If an intern is a bad cultural fit, they\u2019ll get bored and treat work like a class, doing just enough to pass.<\/p>\n

Cultural fit is hard to define and can mean a number of different things for different companies.\u00a0 For a language learning company like MindSnacks<\/a> it might mean having taught yourself at least one language outside of class.\u00a0 At a tech-centric company it might mean reading Hacker News on a weekly basis.\u00a0 Regardless, of how you define culture, an intern won\u2019t be fantastic if they aren\u2019t thrilled about your startup\u2019s mission and personality.<\/p>\n

Find a Do-er:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another attribute that is critical at small companies but not necessarily at large organizations is finding students who skew towards action over perfection.<\/p>\n

At an early stage company you need someone who is scrappy, likes finding cost-efficient solutions, and isn\u2019t afraid to turn in a mostly finished product. \u00a0You don\u2019t want a student who comes up with great ideas, but needs a graphic designer, developer, and three grand to execute on them.<\/p>\n

One way to find such \u201cstudentpreneurs\u201d is to \u00a0screen for students who have completed quality extra-curriculars at college over those who have solely gotten straight A\u2019s.\u00a0 Students who are club presidents, have interesting side projects, and achieve outside of class, tend to be far more intrinsically motivated and comfortable creating their own goals rather than just following directions.<\/p>\n

Understands the working world:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fantastic students intuitively get what it is like to work in a professional setting.\u00a0 This does not mean that they have 2+ years of experience (although that can help), but it does mean they can send quality emails, communicate with co-workers, and ask smart questions that help them solve problems more efficiently.\u00a0 Some of this can be taught, but if you have to teach all these skills you are probably not leveraging your time effectively as a founder.<\/p>\n

While you can usually detect these soft skills over the phone, at InternMatch<\/a> we go a step further.\u00a0 We mention in our internship descriptions that we love it when a student follows-up with us by email after they apply.\u00a0 Those who follow these instructions and do so in a professional manner, pass another important bar in our mind.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Settle:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of the most successful startup companies grew their early teams by tapping into the inexpensive and often brilliant talent that is available on college campuses. However, to avoid a hiring pitfall ALWAYS screen for interns who fit your culture, know how to deliver, and can act professional.\u00a0 This is more important than pure skill.<\/p>\n

For more hiring tactics check out our how to hire a rock star intern presentation or feel free to email me at nathan@internmatch.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nathan Pacrells is the Co-founder of InternMatch and is excited about cultivating long term relationships between employers and interns. He previously contributred “How to Compensate Interns” and hosted an fnMentoring … <\/p>\n

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