How to Use and Hire a College Intern for Good Low Cost Staffing

Remember when you were fresh out of school? Unless you had work experience in your field, it was hard to get your foot in thedoor. Now, your business is well on its way.You realize you need an extra pair of handsto do some of the menial stuff, like filing,answering phones, running errands, stockingshelves, and making copies. The stuff you'd been eager to do for experience and cashwhen you were in college. Guess what?Times have not changed.Hiring a college intern is a symbiotic relationship. You need cheap labor, they need cashand to pad their resume. Depending on your business, some technical schools will even pay you to supervise, train and grade their interns in the field, or provide the interns at nocost to you. However, there are some things you need to consider before contacting thelocal college paper, departmental head, or student union.Students need to be well trained and well managed in order to be effective workers. Youshould handle them as you would any employee. Praise them for jobs well done, beavailable to answer their questions, and treat them the way you would want to be treated.Integrate them into the workplace and demand they be treated fairly. Most students areeager to learn if put in a productive environment. Before long, they may advance to morecomplicated or intricate tasks.Your current employees can learn value lessons as well in how to supervise and manage.Just remember that there may be jealousies you will have to deal with. Students arenotorious for being the low man on the totem pole, but they are also sharp, willing tolearn and eager to please. Their enthusiasm can be seen as competition, especially withseasoned employees who fear being replaced by a younger person.