Did you know that a large portion of Generation Z is already graduating high school and working their way through college? As they do, they’ll be looking for job experience and career opportunities. If you’ve started thinking about hiring help or looking for a business partner, consider another option: hire an intern.
Generation Z will probably make up the bulk of your intern candidates. Born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, Generation Z makes up approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population. They grew up surrounded by advanced technology and are the most tech- and social-savvy generation yet. If there’s a technological aspect of your business that could use some help, a Gen Z intern can probably help.
What’s in It for Them
Decide what you have to offer an intern before you start interviewing people; interns may not be in it for the money, but they do expect to receive some benefit for their labor. Some things prospective interns may be looking for from you may be job experience for their resume, something solid they can put in their portfolio, or a letter of recommendation they can share with future employers. Check with local high schools and colleges to learn how to make your internship qualify as school credit. Regardless of what you’re offering, be straightforward and let potential interns know what they’ll gain from working with you.
What’s in It for You
An intern may be able to help you with your social media, website or general marketing goals. Just remember that interns don’t usually work the same number of hours as regular employees, so you should make their job highly focused and include a specific goal they can reach by the end of their internship.
Social Media
Putting the right person in charge of your social media presence can make a huge difference in results—and since most members of Generation Z were raised with social media, they tend to know what they’re doing. A social media intern can help you create a content schedule and find tools to post your content for you at the right times. They can comment on your followers’ posts, answer questions and maintain a consistent presence on your social channels.
Website
Do you need someone to go through to find and correct any errors on your website? Do you need a fresh, new look or new local content? Decide exactly what you need and write an internship job description to fit your goal. Depending on whether you want new features, new content or a new design, you may include that your ideal intern would have a background in writing or web design.
Marketing
Your intern could also handle other marketing efforts, like designing and implementing direct mail campaigns, creating flyer templates or researching buyers and sellers in your market to discover the best targeting criteria for email lists and ads. You could also enlist an intern to help with marketing events, or to consolidate your contacts into a primary CRM.
Whatever your goals, consult an employment law professional or check with your company’s legal department to learn about the legalities of hiring an intern in your area. Some things you may need to consider include liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and how minimum wage requirements apply to unpaid interns. If you’d rather hire a professional to help manage your social media needs, Homes.com has a program to help.
For more information, please visit connect.homes.com.
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