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> Establishing an Intern Process

Many manufacturers’ reps don’t know where to start. With challenges ranging from multi-generational to the influx of digital marketing and sales, finding a realistic step-by-step approach or someone with the time to do it, is a daunting task. This White Pin Initiative has come up with the following ideas and is eager to hear feedback from interested rep firms.

• Identify your immediate needs and resources within your firm to work with an intern.

a. Advantages of an intern program: Firm start and stop date, no benefit or employee burden, opportunity to “try before you buy.”

b. Disadvantages: Finding a great fit and then having them return to school. However, some programs have found ways to continue to work with interns during the school year and more directly with scheduled holidays and breaks.

• Define skill set needed for the ideal intern (e.g., MS Office Suite, Social Media expertise, business acumen, industry awareness, sales and customer experience, etc.).
• Identify business majors you would consider (e.g., Business, Technical, Computer, Liberal Arts, etc.). Per industry experts, Business, Technical and Computer are most sought after interns, while Liberal Arts provide greater breadth of experiences, communication and relationship skills.
• Establish application process (e.g., application form, referrals, who will review the form, online or F2F interview, hiring process, communication back to applicant, firm timeline).
• Locate the University, College, Junior College and Trade Schools in your immediate vicinity.

a. Gain a contact in the office of the desired study major (e.g., business, liberal arts, etc.).

b. Gain a contact in the Career Development office and gain a calendar of school-sponsored job fairs and the requirements to set up an information table.