By: Suzanne Smith, Social Impact Architects

​

Summer is around the corner, and you have a to-do list a mile long. What is an ideal solution? Bring in interns to help tackle it over the summer!

 

We’re excited that apprenticeships, including internships, job shadowing and project-based learning, have made a strong comeback as hands-on learning experiences across industries. Since 2015, we’ve encouraged our clients and TrendSpotters to hire next-gen interns. Talent is the great multiplier for the social sector, and it is just as important for us to “grow our own” as it is for any other field.

 

This week, we’re sharing practical strategies for nurturing talent through paid internships, job shadowing and project-based learning.

 

Internships Change Trajectories

When I was 16, I started as a law clerk for the City of Garland, Texas. I interacted with City staff, attended court proceedings, learned office etiquette and gained early exposure to professional life. At first, I ran errands and answered phones (this was before email). But over time, I grew into real responsibility. I look back with immense gratitude. That internship wasn’t just a summer job. It was a stepping stone.

 

Experience Is the Currency of the Next Generation

If talent is the multiplier, experience is the currency.

 

Today’s high school, college and graduate students are seeking internships not just to build resumes but to gain real-world skills that classrooms alone can’t provide. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, paid interns are significantly more likely to receive job offers and earn higher starting salaries than peers without internship experience.

 

College used to be the ticket. Now it’s college plus experience.

So how can nonprofits capitalize on this trend and build a stronger workforce pipeline? Here are a few practical ways to start.

 

1. Applicants: Start with the Work, Not the Title

Nonprofits can benefit from undergraduate and graduate interns, but don’t overlook high school students. Start with a list of short-term projects your team needs accomplished, then match the role to the right level of candidate.

 

2. Timeline: The Best Candidates Are Looking Now

For summer internships, great candidates start looking four to six months prior to the summer break. Some candidates pursue internships during the school year and receive course credit.

 

Many colleges and universities allow job postings for students and alumni year-round, so you can post your ad whenever you are ready. The sooner you post, the better the candidate pool. If you need an intern this summer, start now!

 

3. Experience: Make It Real, Not Just Clerical

The best jobs provide a range of experiences: job shadowing, group projects and individual short-term projects that give interns a completed project to show future employers.

 

Clerical tasks are fine, but the core of the internship should involve critical thinking. Assign projects such as social media audits, market research or opportunity assessments for new programs and social enterprises. Give them something they can point to and say: “I built this.”

 

4. Plan: Build a Simple University Pipeline

Identify two to three local universities and/or community colleges with programs in public affairs, social work, education, arts or business administration. Connect with their career services centers online.

 

Often a clear job posting (we have shared ours as a starting point) and contact information are all that are needed to generate candidates. We recommend starting with a brief phone or Zoom interview to test both capability and compatibility. Then, conduct team in-person interviews with the top two to three candidates.

 

Remember, these interviews are also a learning experience for the candidates, so, when possible, provide feedback to both successful and unsuccessful candidates.

 

5. Supervision: Internships Build Leaders Internally Too

Internships aren’t just for students. They’re also a low-risk opportunity for your rising staff leaders to gain supervision experience. Assign the internship process to an employee with potential. It strengthens your internal bench while supporting the intern.

 

6. Compensation: Pay a Living Wage

Several years ago, the White House made headlines when it began paying interns. This decision was based on research by the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that showed that the U.S. government depends on approximately 1 million unpaid interns. The research also showed that middle-class and low-income students are more likely to self-select out of unpaid roles because of financial constraints.

 

We strongly urge all social sector organizations to pay their interns or ensure that students get college credit for their work.

 

Bonus: Look for Community Internship Programs & Credit-Based Project-Based Learning

We love community programs that also source and provide interns to local nonprofits. Check with your local volunteer center to see if a program like this exists in your community.

 

Not ready to hire an intern? Project-based learning is another option.

 

In my class at The University of Texas at Arlington, students complete a final real-world project. If you’re not ready to supervise an intern, consider partnering with a professor seeking course-based projects that can be conducted over a semester (e.g., feasibility assessment, competitive research, market analysis). [BTW: I am still in search of 2—3 DFW-based projects for my spring semester, so send along your needs.]

 

You gain (free) thoughtful analysis and a final product that has been vetted by faculty oversight. As a bonus, students can also use this project in their portfolio with future employers.

 

A Career Pipeline

What if the social sector set a moonshot goal: every nonprofit hires one intern or conducts one classroom-based project each year?

 

We would TRIPLE the number of students with hands-on experience while providing low-cost consulting support to nonprofits. The results would be a stronger workforce and many more recent graduates choosing and staying with the social sector.

 

Internships bring energy, fresh perspective and millennial/Gen Z know-how to your mission. It is a win-win with long-term payoffs for all those involved.

 

We’d love to hear about the learning experiences you offer and how they have enriched your organization.

​

​

​