Summer is on the way. Chances are you have already received applications from interns looking for a placement.

Taking on an intern is a great opportunity to help you out around the office whilst also giving them some valuable experience. For many managers/supervisors, it can be a first taking one on so knowing what tasks to give them and the ones not to give them are important.

✔  Best Tasks

Social Strategizing

Chances are your intern is familiar with the world of social media. Many companies have an active social media account and just giving full access to an intern isn’t ideal. Instead have them come up with some ideas, designs or content that can be passed over to the marketing department for approval.

Research Challange

Set your interns a challenge. Give them a business problem and ask them to go and research a solution to it. Allow them to put together a presentation and present their findings to their assigned department. You could be surprised they may uncover something you have even overlooked.

Shadowing Professionals

One of the best ways interns can learn is by shadowing a professional who works in a particular area they are interested in. Ask your, interns, what they are particularly interested in and pair them up with an employee. This is the best way that they can learn about the profession. They can help with certain projects, arrange meetings and do in-depth research that can help out your employees.

 ✘ Worst Tasks 

Making Coffee / Tea 

This has to be the most stereotypical of all of the intern tasks. You need to not think of your intern as your assistant. They are there to learn not do tedious chores. No matter what task you give them make sure to ask yourself, are they actually learning from this? .. If there is no valuable learning opportunity then it isn’t a task you should be giving them.

Photocopying 

This one has to be a big no, no. I mean anybody can photocopy. They aren’t learning anything valuable at all from this task. Unless it’s a really important meeting that you really need help with otherwise, don’t have them on the photocopier all day.

Working Over Time 

When you get sent over the intern agreement there will be set times in there that your intern will work. Don’t expect them to do overtime. It can be easy to take advantage of them in that sense. But don’t. They are there for themselves and to learn. Not to have at your disposal. The key to a successful internship is to educate them and not to burn them out.