Year: 2011

Building Your Entrepreneurial Education

By Andrew Grauer, CEO and Co-Founder of Course Hero. Andrew was recently listed as one of America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs by BusinessWeek.

Fall semester is starting up in no time, and that means it’s time to start picking courses. A lot of students ask me how I founded Course Hero while I was still in college at Cornell, and the truth is that I took advantage of the resources around me to get my company off the ground.

Not every school offers a separate program, but if you’re interested in expanding your entrepreneurship experience or just building a solid foundation for pursuing your own business down the line, I’ve shared some advice from my experience as an undergraduate entrepreneur.

No Brainer: Check out your school’s entrepreneurship program

First and foremost, the best, if not simplest, way to kick off your entrepreneurship education is to enroll in an Intro to Entrepreneurship course at your school. Cornell actually had a full entrepreneurship program, and I made sure to not only take the courses, but to also talk to key faculty in the program to learn more. I got great advice and mentorship from John Jaquette, and I’ve carried that relationship with me after I graduated and as I continue to move forward with Course Hero.

Attend a Lecture Series

Take advantage of the lecture series offered by your school. These events are great opportunities to hear from a breadth of influential people who, whether entrepreneurs themselves or successful in other areas of their lives, have had to strategize and surmount tremendous obstacles to get where they are. You can learn a tremendous amount by exposing yourself to their stories. Cornell actually offered an entrepreneurship-specific lecture series as a 1-credit class that I found really inspiring. Speakers like Bill Trenchard did a great job of demystifying the process of building a company from scratch. The key take-way was, “just do it.” Clearly, I haven’t forgotten that.

Research, Research, Research

Have questions, like how do I incorporate? How do I value my startup? We all do. Don’t worry, it’s normal. Take the initiative to read a book, read online, and find a mentor. You can always find a solution to problems and questions that arise throughout the process, and what really distinguishes an entrepreneur is his or her dedication to tracking down the answer. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that if you hit a point where you feel like you can’t find the answer on your own, go find someone who can help you. Entrepreneurship is constant problem solving.

Participate in a Competition

Many schools offer entrepreneurship competitions, and if one is not available at your school, there is likely one in the area. Admittedly, I didn’t participate in the Big Idea Competition at Cornell, but these competitions are great opportunities to build out your idea. Many have a forced timeline that entrants have to adhere to (eg, present your idea on X date, present research on X date, full fledged business plan on X date etc). Competitions force you to examine your idea thoroughly and judges give you valuable feedback on your progress and presentation. Even if you don’t win, just being a part of the experience will help you better formulate your idea.

Reach Out to a Professor

See if there is a professor expert (e.g. doing research) in your potential startup’s field. Reach out. I talked to some Entrepreneurs in Residence at the Johnson Business School at Cornell, like Zach Shulman, in addition to several professors doing research on social media in Cornell’s department of IT. Professors really appreciate you showing interest in their field and will more often than not be willing to help you out or at least sit down with you to talk through your ideas.

Connect With Fellow Students

Initiate a conversation with a student who may have skills you need to accomplish your startup’s goals or may just know someone he/she could introduce you to. When I was starting Course Hero, I went to the engineering quad at Cornell’s College of Engineering and talked to the registrar to see if I could send out an email to Computer Scientist students. I actually met my first programmer and team outside a room in Duffield Hall (a main building in the college of engineering). Albert Ho, Course Hero’s first programmer, was a complete stranger before that initial conversation. I showed him mockups of what I wanted to build and gave him the pitch. We started working the next day. And then he helped recruit more student programmers: we were up to 6 of us within 2 months. The ripple effect of each new relationship never ceases to amaze me.

Look For A Near By Tech Incubator

Go beyond campus and see if there is a tech incubator near your university (hell, there may actually even be one within your school). If there is a startup incubator on your campus, like Cornell’s EStartupLab, or near your campus, learn more there. In the Bay Area, check out Y Combinator, Plug And Play Tech Center, 500 Startups (though this by no means is an exhaustive list, especially here in Silicon Valley).

In the end, being an entrepreneur is not just about having an idea—it’s about having the initiative to go out and make that idea happen. Take advantage of the abundant resources available in college to expand your entrepreneurial education, and when you have a great idea, as Bill Trenchard said, “Just do it.”

Competition Winner To Meet Scobleizer on Wednesday

For those who have been following the WayUp blog, this summer has been all about competitions — from our best photo to shadowing Dave McClure, we have been doing our best to make-up for a summer without Olympics. One of the most heated competitions was to win a mentorship lunch with tech icon Robert Scoble, who has a penchant for helping visionary entrepreneurs share their product ideas and goals with the world.

Today we are excited to announce Dimitry Lukashov as the winner of the Robert Scoble mentorship lunch!

Dimitry is a recent CS grad from the University of Tulane, an active user on Quora, and Twitter, and during his undergraduate career published a paper on reducing technical redundancy at large institutions. He stood out for his thoughtfulness on personal growth and a desire to do something big in the tech industry.

Tomorrow we are flying Dimitry from New York City to Silicon Valley and on Wednesday he will be meeting Robert Scoble at his home for lunch.  He will be getting the opportunity to ask him burning questions about his future, the tech world, and what he has learned from speaking to industry leaders like Mark Zuckerberg.

If you want to get involved, Dimitry knows he is not the only one with questions for Robert, and has decided to crowd source some answers, so if there are questions you would like him to ask Robert, feel free to tweet your questions to @shpiel and @wayup!

“Searching for World Changing Technologies”

There are a lot of reasons why we knew Robert Scoble would be the perfect candidate for this mentorship lunch, but perhaps the strongest is the parallel we see in Scoble’s self proclaimed quest to surface world-changing technologies, and the quest we see students going through in trying to make the right career decisions before leaping into the professional world.

Across the country students are asking big questions about their future and pondering trade-offs like: big salary vs. company culture? Work life balance vs. intense professional growth? Working on a small team vs. a large established company?

These are massive life decisions that require a great deal of research and reflection and we know that Robert, having spoken to thousands of entrepreneurs and executives and having traveled the world, can offer a great deal of feedback.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to get involved in the competition, there were more phenomenal entrants than I could count.  We are excited to share more about the experience on our blog next week and for those interested in seeing the footage of the interview, or who want to be part of any  competitions in the future feel free to join our non-spammy (we promise) newsletter updates on the top right of this page.

The Ultimate Internship Photo Contest: Album 4 — Sir Mix-A-Lot and Having Fun

The office world offers abrupt differences from college life.  Longer hours, new and challenging assignments, and interacting with co-workers who come from a range of different ages, backgrounds and life interests (just to name a few).  Dealing with these differences can make work difficult and stressful, but interns also discover that these differences are a big part of what makes the professional world rich, exciting, and incredibly fun. Whether meeting Sir Mix-A-Lot to help launch a new marketing campaign, dressing up as an owl mascot to bring your company brand to your community, or going bowling to bond with your co-workers — a number of photo contest entrants found these fun diversions to be some of the most long lasting memories of their internship experiences.

Check out more Ultimate Photo Contest entries in Albums 1, 2 and 3!

What I Never Learned in Marketing 101
By Mikey Tom,”Giant Thinkwell”
Sirmixalot

This picture is from my first internship with local Seattle gaming startup Giant Thinkwell. I worked with them for 3 weeks helping them set up for the launch of their newest game. The product was a facebook game featuring a certain music celebrity. Here’s a hint, he’s a really big fan of women with large gluteus maximus’s. Yes it was Sir Mix-a-Lot himself. And yes he’s still just as big of a fan of big butts as he was in the 90’s. Fun and games aside, the internship was an amazing experience where I was able to learn a lot about marketing and startups in general. I utilized both guerilla marketing tactics along with mainstream ones. It also led to my next and current internship at Lighter Capital, a new investment firm here in Seattle started by Andy Sack that focuses on revenue based financing.

A Check-Off My Bucket List!
By Huy Lam, “HootSuite”

Photo 1 Initiation At Hoot Suite 

“Wu Tang is For the Children”: An Interview With Wu Tang Management on Internships

Old Dirty Bastard famously said “Wu Tang is for the Children”-and apparently it’s for students too. We sat down with Amar Divine, the Executive Officer Of Operations at Wu Tang Management, to speak about their awesome program and how you can become the next Ghostface in an internship with the Wu.

Tara: What is an internship at Wu Tang Management like?

Amar: Internships at Wu Tang Management are a chance for individuals who are talented, and interested in entertainment to break into the industry, which can be a hard process. We look at internships as an opportunity for a student to build their career in this field. Therefore, interns are involved in many different aspects of Wu Tang: including production, eMarketing, social media, Wu Tang Radio, web development, and many more. We have interns in the U.S. and many interns abroad-and hire based on need. Interns that perform well in their internship can go on to a full time job.

T: What are these interns doing? What are their roles?

A: We allow interns to really participate in the projects that they are interested in, and shape their own roles. Production interns are really involved in the recording process, editing process, and the video production process, while corporate interns take on projects within the eMarketing team to cultivate the Wu Tang community and publicity all over the world. Interns work on web development, mobile apps, and other projects, too!

T: So Wu Tang’s looking for all kinds of skill sets! What’s the selection process for these interns like? And what’s the criteria for your selection?

A: We take a look at their work, and really appreciate it when they showcase a portfolio-especially in production, design, and other fields. For example, if you’re a writer, we want to see examples of your work to ensure that you have the right voice for our company. Students who apply usually have a phone interview, and whenever possible, an additional interview, in person. We’re looking for students who are a great fit for what we do-which means a creative, driven intern who can show initiative and the ability to follow directions while implementing their own creative ideas.

T: How have your interns been able to make a difference?

A: A lot of the movement these days has been online, and interns have been really important in creating features, developing content, and building our online community. From apps for smartphones to WuTV, interns have been able to really contribute. Interns have done some photography at press events and releases, and uploaded them to our pages, production interns have really helped with in-studio interviews, live shows, and more, we are really excited by interns who design their own projects and take them further.

T: How is working at WuTang different than working at another organization?

A: Interns have had some amazing opportunities while working here! We really take an interest in creative people, and want to give them opportunities. Angela Yee, for example, used to be an intern for us, and now she’s an incredibly famous radio DJ with a great show. As the entertainment industry is all about networking, we really try to give interns the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. Interns meet artists, hear early releases of tracks, and get the inside scoop on how everything is made.

T: When hiring an intern for a full time position, what are you looking for?

A: Some interns are really incredible, like a current production intern we have now. She shows initiative, a great skill set, and is really passionate and dedicated to Wu Tang Management-we really want to hire her! I’d say that creativity, drive, initiative, and the ability to follow through on directions are the most important factors we consider. For example, my sister was an intern here; I became an intern here, and moved on to an executive position within the company. Wu Tang is a family, and we’re looking to build it.

T: Lastly: how often to interns get to hang out with Inspectah Deck, RZA, Ghostface, and everyone else?!

A: Well, Inspectah Deck was just in the office, and Raekwon stopped by few weeks ago, members come here pretty often!

On the strength of that alone, sign me up!

-Tara Seshan

Acing the Creative Application: An Interview With Matthew Epstein of Google

To young individuals looking for an opportunity, Google is Mecca.

Why?

Because Lady Gaga visits, gourmet lunches, and “bowling alleys” make for an almost religious experience. As far as the eye can see, there are countless brilliant engineers and business minds. Additionally, Google’s respected name throughout the world gives credibility to any resume, and promises of skill building and mentorship are always enticing. Individuals flock to Google’s hiring pool.

It therefore comes as no surprise that Google’s HR process is one of the hardest in the world. And though Google prides itself on recruiting only the best, it unfortunately can’t recruit all of the best. It must choose a few among the thousands of talented individuals in the application pool.

So, how can you ensure that you become the next hire?

Just ask Matthew Epstein.

His incredibly impressive website, “Google Please Hire Me,” has exploded to national fame and renown. It’s been featured on TechCrunch, HackerNews, and countless other media outlets. With a very fabulous mustache, Google-branded website design, a great resume, and a hilariously creative video (yes, he’s only wearing boxers. No pants), this hirsute job seeker makes his purpose obvious: he’d like to get hired by Google. And it looks like he’s going to succeed.

I sat down with Matthew to talk about his great website, and how a young job-seeker can stand out in the Google applicant pool-or as we’d like to call it, the Mount Everest of Hiring. It’s not easy being a young and ambitious job seeker, but these tips might make it easier for you!

Q: What were you up to before “Google Please Hire Me?”

A: I was previously working for Infoition. It’s a great company with great guys, and our products were taking off. Everything, in short, was doing well. However I was originally brought on to take something more tech driven, and decided that while I liked working there, I would rather pursue that original tech-oriented direction.

Q: So you began the job search?

A: I updated my resume, got my WayUp profile together, and two days later, I was sending out job application after job application. I applied for jobs for about a week and half. And while I applied just about everywhere, I didn’t get contacted at all. Needless to say, I was REALLY frustrated, and quite discouraged. I knew that I had the necessary skills for those positions!

Q: Why do you think it was difficult to get responses to your resume?

A: Frankly, it’s really hard to say why I didn’t get a response. However, I think it’s due to a mixture of a bad economy, age, and how I appear on paper. Most interns and young professionals have been working for less than 5 years- and therefore I don’t look that experienced on paper.

Additionally, most individuals (previously including myself) submit an application either through LinkedIn or a PDF. Once their application enters that general pool, it’s very hard to differentiate oneself. Connections are instrumental in that differentiation, but young people often don’t have them.

After the frustrating nonresponse, I decided that I was going to create an application that I thought was fun. I wanted something that I could enjoy, fully invest myself into, and knew how to market.

Q: Therefore, what was your thought process behind creating your website? What are some tips for anyone similarly looking to create a great, creative application?

My website was simply a project that I was really excited about-I didn’t have a workflow or timeline while going in. However, I put every effort I had into making it. I spent about 9 hours a day tweaking and building my site, thinking about the message, and paying attention to every individual detail.

While working on a creative application:

1. Attention to detail is vital. Everything must be carefully thought through, and small issues can become large ones!
2. Focus on the messaging, branding, and tone of voice. Everything must be coordinated, and well polished. On my site, you’ll see consistent tone, branding, and themes everywhere-it isn’t an accident!
3. Whatever you’re doing has to be what you’re good at and what you love. You need to be passionate about what you’re applying for; otherwise your application is moot.
4. Everything you do must have a call to action, and every call to action has to be the most prominent thing that you see. On my site, “request an interview” and “view my resume” are larger than any other button that you see there.

Q: How did you decide on the content? How did mustaches come into play, and what made you discard the pants?

A: My reasons for the site were initially selfish: I just wanted to build something because I really liked doing it. And therefore, I allowed myself to be as creative as possible and develop a Google branded site (from the black search bar and all) that featured my personality.

The mustache theme was something that I had been playing with for a while-I actually don’t have a mustache, of course, but I thought it was hilarious. I made the video, and the site as I liked it-and thought others would find it funny too.

Q: You were taking a chance with a creative application (in your boxers, nonetheless). Could this type of thing backfire?

A: Yes. But while making something like this, you must keep in mind what you want to do and who you want to get hired by. As I was applying to Google, I kept in mind that they have a great sense of humor and branded my site accordingly. The job application process is all about fit, and I wanted to find a company that’s right for me as well as show the company that I’m the right fit for them. My site could almost serve, as a “reverse filter” -companies who didn’t get the fact that I was joking would not be a great place for me to work! I tailored my application to a specific audience, and therefore minimized my risk.

Q: Even within that audience, is there a line that you should never cross?

So, I’ve actually been filtering my thoughts-this crazy application is in fact, not crazy to me. The ideas that I did have were not appropriate, and identifying what is and what’s not appropriate comes as a result of really paying attention to detail and scrutinizing every detail of the application. A good benchmark to use is that if you think it’s crossing the line, it generally is.

Q: How did your website and national attention change your hiring prospects? How can someone, a student, repeat that?

A: While the attention was great, it wasn’t the attention that changed the response from HR. It was the website. And in order to create a creative application like my website, you don’t need to make a big production. Making a production is simply my style, but it isn’t necessary to get your dream job. It’s possible to change the lack of response most of us receive from applications with something that’s low key. Yet, my word of caution is that if you’re going to attempt something creative, “go big or go home.” Putting forth a halfhearted effort is worse than no effort at all.

Q: What’s been the response to your application from employers and most importantly, Google itself? 

A: I have been really humbled and honored by the response I’ve received. In addition to calls from thousands of individuals, companies like Microsoft and Amazon, I’ve had about 100 people from Google reach out to me, offering to refer me to HR and send my resume to the right people. Finally, I had a call with Google, and will be in Mountain View for an interview!

Q: You put significant effort into this application for Google-does it matter that some people “just get hired” by the very same company?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how everyone else gets hired. It matters how I get hired.

Nevertheless, some people really just deserve to be hired by these companies, and it shows on paper. They had great internships, wonderful grades, and ticked off all the appropriate boxes. They’re one side of the coin: the other side involves “just folks” who are just as smart, yet haven’t ticked those check boxes. Some of those individuals know the right people who can get them past the first hiring round that other folks don’t get. It’s kind of BS that everyone doesn’t get the same chance to prove themselves.

Therefore, take any chance to prove yourself! Use tools that are within your skill set to stand out of the crowd, and go after the job of your dreams. Don’t overstress the externalities; create something you’re having fun with! 

In the words of Matthew Epstein “Worst thing that’s going to happen is that they say no.“

How You Can Be A Thiel Fellow, Too: Interview with Danielle Strachman of the Thiel Fellowship

Most of us have heard about the Thiel Fellowship: an innovative program created by brilliant investor Peter Thiel, set on empowering top students to push technological innovation.

However, what most of us remember about the Fellowship is that it involves exceptionally brilliant students dropping out of universities like Harvard and MIT in order to pursue more entrepreneurial ideas.

We could simply gape at the incredible qualifications of these “drop-outs,”who are programming, creating, and blazing through college courses at the ripe old age of age of…say, 15. Yet, what becomes clear is that their ideas  unleashed by funding and support of the Foundation grants are even more amazing than prior accomplishments. Current fellows are working towards solving massive challenges; ranging from asteroid mining to extending the human life span by centuries. Fellows like Dale J. Stephens, founder of UnCollege, are more than just entrepreneurial and motivated- they are also emotionally mature and determined to pursue innovation away from the beaten path. And yes, through the Thiel Fellowship they receive $100,000 of funding to do so.

Are you salivating yet? Or are you simply stunned and impressed? Thiel Fellows are brilliant individuals who have taken a nontraditional path in life to achieve their goals-but this type of pursuit of one’s goals isn’t outside anyone’s reach.

Amidst the arguments over “whether dropping out is at all beneficial” or the “intrinsic value of education,” there is undeniable value that can be extracted from understanding the tenets of the Fellowship regardless of age or college situation.

When I spoke with the Program Director of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle Strachman, she addressed how the core concepts of the Foundation, ranging from mentorship to reflection, can be applied more broadly to education.

Danielle’s background in education, neuropsychology, and her extensive experience with charter schools have definitely pushed her toward a different look at learning: student driven, rather than teacher driven. And as a proponent of charter schools and spreading innovation, Danielle states that they can be replicated. “Everyone has the potential to be exceptional-if properly cultivated.”

Here’s how you can be exceptional, too.

The Value of Pursuing One’s Passion

“No matter what you may pursue while in college, no matter what choices you make, you’ll eventually circle back to what you’re passionate about. You can simply start there,” Danielle said. Thiel Fellows are given an unlimited range to pursue their passions, no matter what they are. Many have taken time to explore what they would like to do and build their knowledge base through classes, internships, and interviews.

Why do so? The benefit of “pursuing your passion” is the ability to become exceptional. Like a Thiel Fellow in their particular field, we are often simply more interested, more engaged, and more determined to achieve excellence in what excites us the most. And while practicality and the traditional path have their place, “pursuing one’s passion” isn’t mutually exclusive from a stable living. There are possibilities of marrying what will get you a stable job (i.e. pre-medicine) and what you’re passionate about!

The Value of Mentorship

The importance of building relationships cannot be overstated: finding someone to guide your intellectual and professional development is invaluable. “We think our mentor network is infinitely more valuable than the money that the Fellows receive,” Danielle says. The Foundation introduces Fellows to highly connected, highly valued, and incredibly invested mentors who take a genuine interest in their projects-they realize that it is individuals who will point you in the right direction, who will impart crucial advice, and shape your education who are often the catalyst to success.
Wherever you are; be it college, a working environment, or a summer of babysitting, there is significant opportunity to build a relationship with peers, colleagues, professors, and friends. Meet people and reach out. Find a mentor in every stage of your life. It’s often impossible to know the different doors that exist within our world- mentors point them out, and even open them for you.

The Value of Taking the Time and Space to Reflect

Rushing into a certain direction is sometimes necessary, but “taking the time and space to reflect” is incredibly valuable, Danielle stated. Due to the no-strings-attached gift of $100,000, Fellows have the opportunity to reflect upon their career choice free of obligations to make money quickly in order to pay off student loans. This reflection allows them to make a decision that is right for them-but maybe a decision that is financially or traditionally risky. Another unique aspect of the fellowship is that it takes “long view” approach to fellows’ contributions. Fellows do not have to “produce” in two years, instead the Foundation looks at the 10-year trajectory of their potential contributions.
Irrespective of student loans and the necessity of immediate value in one’s life as a student, reflection is important to development of your professional career, but who you are as a person. After every class, every activity, and every internship position, take the time to analyze the benefit. What did you learn? How did it suit you? Ask the deeper questions of yourself, and probe for answers. Reading over these reflections will teach you more about yourself than any other experience, helping you make the best choices for your own personality.

The Value of Driving Your Own Education

It is your ability to learn (and to choose what you learn) that sets you apart, and Thiel Fellows are approaching learning on their own terms.

Even within college, this type of relationship with learning is possible if you’re willing to make the effort. Feeling constrained by your major, your major requirements, and the classes that you are taking? Drive your own education and read a book in the library on a subject you truly enjoy. Find yourself curious about a specific issue that is not covered in your curricula? Google it and read more. Interested in coding but not a computer science major? Learn the skills you need independently. Knowledge should not be spoon fed: you should actively seek to meet it. While a professor is lecturing, approach the content on your own terms: absorb what interests you, form study groups discussions with others, and never fail to offer your input on a particular subject. An English major can learn about differential equations, a science major can become a business intern, and an engineer can go above and beyond class requirements to buold a project. Your classes don’t have to be your entire education. Become open to learning everywhere.

The Thiel Fellowship is the subject of an ongoing debate about the importance of higher education to success. How much of success in a particular field can be attributed to an individual’s time spent in college? Is college always the best path? Heavyweights like Vivek Wadhwa and Peter Thiel provide input on both sides.

Irrespective of this very black and white debate, there is a middle ground: an amalgam between the benefits of higher education and the important lessons that the world provides. This middle ground requires you to make the most of higher education: study, learn, debate, and grow within the classroom. Appreciate the doors that college opens for you in job applications and HR. Yet, never limit your learning, as life is also a classroom and it is possible to maximize your learning in both.

The best lesson from the Thiel Fellowship? Your education, traditional or nontraditional, is in your hands. Make the most of it-and never stop learning.

(A Big Thanks to Hong Quan (@hongdquan) for the introduction!)

Rockstar Training School – Tips for Managing and Inspiring Interns

Guest Post By Dave Olson, Community Marketing Director of HootSuite.com

From start-ups to established enterprises, there’s rarely enough time for all the tasks and new initiatives on your list. Investing time to find quality interns can be an ideal solution… if done correctly. If you aren’t prepared to integrate your helper correctly, you’ll end up micro-managing and draining your time – while also demotivating the once-eager intern.

Over 15 years running marketing and community teams I’ve sponsored dozens of internships and along the way, found future employees, ideal collaborators and even a few friends. I’ve also dealt with under-performers and a few disgruntled slackers who can negatively affect your company culture.

From these experiences, I’ve compiled key nuggets of wisdom to help your company reap quality contributions from an intern who truly enjoys their challenging work experience.

Remember, you can’t spell INTERNET without INTERN.

Hire Like an Employee

Post intern openings the same as paid openings with expected qualifications, application process and defined roles. This shows you are taking the search seriously and not just looking for a warm body to do menial tasks. Remove the mystery and set the expectation and you’ll start off right.

Introduce Loudly

On their first day, introduce them to your team in an email – be sure to include personal interests and previous experience as well as an overview of the sorts of tasks they’ll work on. This helps the intern feel valuable and sends a message to your team to start collaborating right away.

Upfront with Terms

My internships are (almost) always non-paid. Opinions throughout the industry differ on this point, but it’s your choice to make. Just ensure you are clear about the terms from the beginning. If you don’t have budget, let them know and explain the types for benefits they’ll receive from their efforts: Internships are valuable learning experiences and a great way to get a foot in the door of competitive industries.

Give them a Title

Sadly “intern” is sometimes used  as a synonym for “lackey” – this can be de-motivating and even embarrassing for your diligent helper. Instead, bestow a title upon them which describes their role. These titles can be fun but not condescending. At HootSuite, many Interns work on international outreach so we call them International Community Ambassadors. When you introduce them, use their title to show respect for their efforts.

Specific Tasks

While this seems obvious… Assign your padowans specific tasks with meaning and deadlines. By clearly defining to-dos, you not only keep Interns from spending their days on YouTube, but you give them valuable benchmarks of learning and achievement. We use Basecamp to organize tasks for employees and intern to a granular level.

Reports for Accountability

Each Intern should have a weekly report to fill out (I use Google forms which populate a spreadsheet) and measure some empirical evidence of their work as well as providing space for their ideas and insights and a grade their “happiness level.” This process holds them accountable, shows that their work matters and allows you to get in front of any problems whether for work or personal burn out (especially for international interns far from home).

Farm System

For start-ups, Interns can fill a critical role to get a product out and promoted on a limited budget. For established companies, they can populate a “farm system” for entry-level employees similar to a sports teams’ minor league affiliate. Interns allow you to cultivate a new batch of talent and “taste test” a number of candidates to see how they react in real-life work situations before committing to a contract.

Coffee is your Job

Do I ever ask interns to fetch me coffee? Almost never. This task is a menial “make work” task for them and (honestly) going for a cup of coffee is one of the best parts of your day. Instead, invite your intern out for a chat over a beverage and everyone wins. Also, make sure they are invited for company events, after-work beer sessions and other “team building” activities – it’ll pay off with passion.

Mentor your Padowan

You are receiving free (or cheap) labor and in exchange, you should share your experience, feedback and inside tips and tactics. Go beyond the simple assignments and take the time to explain the “why” beyond the “what” and “how.” Giving this contextual meaning to their tasks will help them emotionally invest in the project. But don’t coddle– they are humans, not puppies, and your real advice will be of more use than unwarranted compliments.

Part of a Legacy

One by one, Interns come and Interns go, but let your newbs know the legacy they are continuing. We tell stories and share photos of past Interns. For example: one intern left a Danish national soccer team jersey as a gift. Now, this is awarded to the Intern who has shown “heart and soul and tenacity” for the week and is handed off by one recipient to the next… Make an intern hall of fame gallery to connect the people to one another and you may find they end up as virtual friends.

Overwhelm (& Support)

From day one, give them a list of tasks. They won’t gravitate or complete all of them but you’ll quickly learn where their skills are. Make sure they know how to get help from others and at what point to come to you for assistance – without bothering you. Schedule :15 catchup sessions to avoid slow downs.

Lackey Work

I promise each new recruit that every task I assign to them is something I’ve done many times before – from stuffing envelopes to assembling desks, the jobs might sound mundane but if they know you’ve done the boring stuff too, they’ll understand it’s all part of the process and culture of a start-up.

Parting Gift

Since your Interns are non-paid, you want to ensure you provide some career assistance when they need it. This starts with a Linkedin recommendation and well-thought-out letter. Plus send a Tweet publicly to thank them and recommend them to other companies and offer yourself as a reference for jobs.

Field Trips

If someone really stepped up, introduce them to industry peers, either by email or by bringing them along to speaking gigs so they can make an impression in person. Tip: Start-up accelerators and incubators with newly funded companies are a great next step for your star Interns seeking work.

Keep in Touch

Remember each intern comes from a unique background and you can (and should) help elevate and fast-track them into the job world. Follow their career with interest once they are gone and invite them back for a coffee or office party.

Author Notes:

Twitter: @daveohoots
Linkedin: /daveo
Bio & headshot: http://ow.ly/2yFws

A Sample Submission For Our Photo Contest

If we could win our own photo contest

…we’d submit these four pictures, with these descriptions. 

1. A haiku:

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Stickers and bright lights
Our swag brings us together
The funniest team

Photo 1

2. Some may call him Nate, but we’re more inclined to call him by his InternMatch nickname. On his birthday, we scoured the city high and low for a vegan dessert that involved minimal baking on our part. We were victorious: in an out of the way Jamba Juice, we happened upon an apple cinnamon pretzel! Here’s our intern, with his pretzel, at 8:30 in the morning. Admittedly, our singing was off key, there was wax all over the pretzel, and…well, it was a pretzel, but we hope he had a great birthday!

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3. Interns at InternMatch are given some cool responsibilities-including ordering this shark! It was difficult to tear them away from organizing marketing campaigns, SEO tactics, making partnerships with career centers, and curating our blog and social media content, but our interns were able to create some fun around the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week! Through use of Shark Week hashtags on Twitter, posts on facebook, and the innovative creation of a do-rag from a tshirt, we had some shark related fun while increasing learning about marketing tactics. 

4. A haiku:

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Moved from Seattle

To San Fran; cold wind whistles

But we love the Bay! 

The “Best Photograph From Your Internship” Contest

We know you had an amazing internship experience.

Or at least, took a ton of great photos. Now is your time to show them off!

As your internship comes to a close, snap that last picture and submit it to our contest! You don’t need to be a professional photographer: you just need to capture a fun internship moment, and write 300 short words about it.

What’s your incentive? A brand new iPad 2, valued at $500. 

How the Competition Works:

Submission:

  • Submit up to 5 Photos by emailing them to tara@internmatch.com
  • Subject line: Photo Contest, Last Name, Your Internship Company
  • Email body: Be sure to include your Full Name, University, Internship Organization, and the best way to contact you.
  • A 300 word description of the photo (should include why it’s amazing) Don’t be afraid to get creative (we like haikus!)

Deadline: 

All entries must be submitted by Midnight on August 26th 2011!

Review:

After the deadline, our selection committee will spend a week reviewing the submissions. We’ll be looking for entries that capture a great internship moment, whether is is a shot with a mentor, company CEO, out at a meeting or event, or something entirely different.

Prizes:

First prize is an awesome iPad 2!

Second is a $50 Amazon gift card!

Contest Rules/Eligibility:

  • You must be in a summer internship in order to enter.
  • The photo must be appropriate (you know what we mean).
  • We maintain rights to publish your photo/description on our blog and facebook page

We can’t wait to see your submissions!

Birthday Wishes and Vegan Pretzels for Nate the Intern

This summer we have been lucky to have two exceptional interns at our office helping InternMatch grow.  From creating SEO strategies to helping build our relationships with top tier universities around the country, to interviewing and sharing expert insight on key internship issues — our interns have moved mountains for us this summer.

Today was one of our interns’ birthday, so this morning he got to enjoy a candle-filled, Vegan pretzel (yum yum), with plenty more fun to come.   Happy Birthday Nate and thanks for taking on big challenges with excitement and energy at work every day this summer!