At PPR Strategies, we believe in the power of internships. We’ve had an internship program for over 18 years with over 60 interns, several of whom went on to work at PPR Strategies in an official capacity. This year, we’re thrilled to share that we’re already booked with interns through the remainder of 2022. In this blog series, we’ll be sharing a few things we’ve learned about running a successful internship program.
We view our internships as an important part of giving back to young professionals in the economic development and tourism industries. Internships provide real-world opportunities that can’t be found inside a classroom or textbook, and this can be priceless when it comes to preparing to join the workforce.
Currently, our Director of Operations, Sophie, oversees our internship program. In her early career, Sophie held three different internship positions, two of which turned into full-time titled positions. Sandy also started her career in a co-op position (similar to an internship), which later became a full-time job at the Jefferson County Development Authority in West Virginia.
Both Sophie and Sandy personally experienced how, if you work hard at an internship, it can pay off and be the start to an entire career journey.
Sophie’s biggest tip in running internships is to not be afraid to depend on interns! If you keep them removed from the work, they aren’t going to learn and they also aren’t going to provide value to your organization. Allowing interns the opportunity to directly contribute enhances their own experience AND enhances your capacity as an organization.
So how do you find the right interns for your organization? And how do you structure your internship program so you and the interns can get the best results? Stay tuned for the next blogs in this series, where we’ll be answering those questions!
Have you ever had interns at your organization? Contact us to share your experiences with us.
‘Til next time,
The PPR Strategies team
