Making copies, fetching coffee, sorting mail. These are things our summer intern class 2022 is NOT doing. Not even close!
When we interview our intern candidates, one message is clear: they are hungry for real work experience. And lucky for us, real is how we roll.
Like many of you, our clients and partners, last month we welcomed our summer 2022 interns. In that time, we have enjoyed getting to know our interns and the value they bring to Shaker. Regardless of your industry, internship programs are a fantastic way to build relationships with, and insights into, this new generation of candidates. And clearly, early career candidates are an essential audience to better understand and build trust with, regardless of your talent attraction strategy.
Our internship program is designed to offer a meaningful experience for the interns, based on what we know is important to Zoomers, what they look for in an internship, and in an early career opportunity.
So, in the spirit of sharing our insight as consultants we wanted to share our five core guidelines that anchor a strong internship experience with this in-demand talent segment.
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- Be diligent about creating value-added work.
Interns want to perform work that is meaningful, understanding how their work connects with organizational goals and contributes to company success. Think through assignments that will challenge Zoomers, who are eager to connect their studies with real-life experiences and make a noticeable impact. - Designate a buddy, a single point of contact, they have access to daily.
Connection points are key to ensure interns are getting the support they need to feel successful in their day-to-day. Support also comes in the form of feedback. Gen Z craves consistent and honest feedback, so providing them with regular feedback is important. - Co-create their project load.
Come up with work that will both support the needs of your team(s) and provide an opportunity for interns to work on projects they feel passionate about. This talent audience knows they have many choices. They want work that is gratifying and satisfies their professional growth and personal interests. - Proactively engage them in cross-departmental exposure opportunities.
While they may be positioned to support one area of business, this group craves information – and assimilates it quickly. They are big picture thinkers and love to see how all the puzzle pieces come together. The more touch points your interns have allow them to further their learning, build relationships with teams and determine areas of interest. It is also a great way for interns to learn more about your culture. - Foster the experience.
Internships are about experience. Yes, work experience, but also just plain, real-life experience. Explain, teach, reinforce, support. This is an opportunity to demonstrate why you are a company Zoomers want to be a part of. Be the company/leader that both advocates and collaborates. Win-win!
- Be diligent about creating value-added work.
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No matter your industry, or the role you are offering your interns, if your program is structured with the above goals in mind, you can guarantee you will have created a meaningful experience for your interns, and for your own teams.
Now, we are excited to introduce our interns here! Each individual brings their own unique experiences, perspective, skills, and passions to our teams and we are thrilled to be hosting them for the Summer! Keep an eye out on social to see how we progress together!
Hi! We are Shaker’s Summer 2022 Interns and we’re so excited to be here! We’ve had a great time over the past month getting to know each other and the company and are looking forward to the rest of our time here. We will be showing you what it is like to intern at Shaker, so stay tuned for more news from us, we can’t wait to share our experience!
Get to know the eight of us below.
“My name is Danny Bradford, and I am working here at Shaker as an intern in the sales department. I’m going into my senior year at Nazareth Academy, and I am from Westchester.”
“My name is Ethan Briggs. I go to Fenwick High School and I am spending the summer doing IT work for Shaker. For fun, I like to play soccer and go out with friends. I really enjoy the time I have spent with Shaker and a fun fact is that I have been coming to Shaker for my whole life.”
“Hello, my name is Zachary Contursi Lisnek and I am in the programmatic department here at Shaker. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and friendly, and I feel like it is a place where I can ask questions, but also be challenged and grow. I am a junior at the University of Georgia, and I like to play guitar and keep up with sports in my free time. And a fun fact about me is that I can speak Portuguese.”
“My name is Megan Emery, and I am the creative team’s summer intern! I am a rising senior at the University of Dayton where I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Marketing. A little fun fact about me is that I also participate in the university’s marching band, the Pride of Dayton, in which I play the saxophone! My experience at Shaker so far has been wonderful; it has allowed me to learn and grow significantly as a designer and a young professional, and I have really enjoyed getting to know a company with such strong values and such dedication to treating everyone like family. Each member of the Creative team is incredibly supportive of me and continually encourages me to learn from them, which I am of course enthusiastic to do. Through their guidance, I am constantly gaining a solid understanding of the work that goes into completing a project such as how to communicate with clients and other team members, how to interpret and implement feedback and guidelines in design development, and even how to execute an understanding of new skills like motion graphics and web design programs like Sketch. I am looking forward to continuing to grow in this intern role and in my career at large, and I want to extend my sincerest thank you to Shaker for playing such a pivotal role in the beginnings of my work towards achieving this goal!”
“Hello! My name is Claire and I am a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am majoring in Advertising and minoring in Art+Design. This summer I’ve loved taking the train to work, reading, and trying new recipes.”
“My name is Kenzie Kirby and I am interning with the digital media team. I am going into my sophomore year at Indiana University, majoring in media advertising with minors in marketing and entrepreneurship. In my free time, I love spending time with loved ones and going on coffee runs. I am so excited to see what the remainder of this internship has in store for me and am so thankful for everything I have learned and gained because of it.”
“Hey, I’m Alicia Saporito! I am a rising senior at Illinois State University, majoring in Marketing- Professional Sales and minoring in Economics. I am interning in the marketing department, and so far, I have loved it. The past few weeks at Shaker have been full of learning about different roles someone in marketing takes on, making new friends, and working on an intern series project. In my free time, I like to spend time with my friends and family and love to shop! A fun fact about me is I am obsessed with skincare. I thrive off being in a routine so by beginning and ending my day with a full skincare routine I feel organized and ready for the day.”
“Hello! My name is Alexandra (Alex) Wienkes and I am working in Digital Media this summer. I have met many wonderful people here who motivate me to exceed my expectations for myself. I am a rising senior at Saint Ignatius College Prep, and I am interested in Psychology as a potential major when the time comes. I love to go thrifting and if you run into me on the street you will most likely find me carrying some kind of beverage that is perfectly color-coordinating with my outfit.”
So, again, a warm welcome and thank you to our summer intern class 2022!