Finding Talent Through Internships
by Shannen Bornsen
Generally, I’m behind the scenes of WISE World, not claiming a byline. But this month, I raised my hand to pen something about National Internship Awareness Month. Why? Because my internship changed my career trajectory, and ultimately, showed me a career option I didn’t even really understand existed until then.
During my senior year of college (just a handful of, or two, ok maybe three, years ago), I went to the internship coordinator’s office at the University of North Dakota. At that point, I was thinking about a career in marketing for an NBA team as my dream job. To my surprise, the coordinator turned my eye to an internship with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture in their Marketing Division. He explained that it was an internship where students were truly involved in developing projects and doing work that made them more portfolio-ready when they were done. And, let’s face it, it was also a paid position, which certainly didn’t hurt! The coordinator was so passionate about the opportunity that I ended up applying for it, and ultimately earned a four-month, full-time internship. Off to Bismarck I went.
When I think back to that time, I first smile remembering the tiny duplex I was able to rent with no furniture other than a mattress on the floor. I brought a few items with me like some plates, silverware, a pan, some bedding and my boombox. Yup, a boombox. The living conditions were not ideal. Though I was still in the same state, it felt far from my friends and family. And, I was about to go into an office of strangers, professional all grown-up strangers.
The first day of work was nerve-wracking. I was working in an office at the State Capitol. It was my first real exposure to government and to the visibility of public service. I had always worked during college, mostly retail jobs, but this was a world where people were shaping public policy, dignitaries would visit and projects you worked on were written about in the newspaper. I wanted to do well and I wanted to learn.
The internship coordinator was not wrong about this internship. From day one, I was handed tasks to complete and concepts to develop into concrete projects. I put together my very first national conference, designed marketing collateral, helped food and agriculture businesses take their business to the next level, and organized my very first celebrity autograph session with North Dakota State football hero Phil Hansen who played with the Buffalo Bills. I had supervisors who built my confidence by giving me responsibility, had an open door policy on asking questions, included me in a variety of meetings as a learning experience and gave me credit where credit was due. They made me feel as though I was part of a team even though I was only guaranteed to be there for four months. I ended up being there eight years.
After my internship, I returned to school to finish my degree. Surprisingly, during that last semester, I received a call that the Department of Agriculture wanted me to come back. And, this is where my career trajectory changed. I went back to the Department with the idea that I’d work there while pounding the pavement for my “real job” with the approval of my supervisor. I didn’t realize that what I would find was a love for the food industry and for helping companies. And, ultimately, that first job gave me the opportunity to cultivate a career focused on international business, something I’m very passionate about yet today. My “this is temporary” mindset turned into “what can I learn next?” I ultimately became the director of the division and stayed for eight years.
My point in sharing my story is that my internship undeniably paved my career path. That experience opened my eyes to an industry that I hadn’t considered before and helped me find an employer I would not have found on my own. It’s such an opportunity for companies in private label to lure in new talent. Essential to keeping that talent is providing opportunities to do real work and really learn during an internship. It shouldn’t be a time for a company to have an extra set of hands to do nothing but grab coffee and collate reports. Select projects where the intern plays point. Bring them to meetings so they can hear the conversations and ask you questions. Let them attend a trade show so they understand how to actively promote your product. This is the way you can shift a student’s perspective. This is the way you can create an affinity for your company. This is the way you find your next amazing team member.