I'm a big fan of using interns as much as possible in your business, especially for PR and marketing projects.

Here's a "guest" article written by my intern, Carolyn Bunn. In it, she shares some great business tips for how to find the right intern and make the internship a valuable experience for you, your business and the student.

Carolyn Bunn, intern for Whitney Keyes Productions

How to Find, Manage and Keep an Intern Happy, by Carolyn Bunn

When people think of the word "intern", it often conjures up an image of a young woman juggling six cups of coffee, getting the daily mail, and copying reports while teetering on her high heels.

Where did we get this idea? The Devil Wears Prada? TV sitcoms?

The fact is interns are really much more valuable to a business then just doing simple errand running and coffee fetching. Hiring interns really is a great option because it will benefit your business and also give you the chance to help someone gain experience in the working world.

Maybe you have thought about hiring an intern but weren't sure if you would have enough work to keep them busy or don't know how to go about finding a dedicated person to intern for you.

Here are a few tips on how to find, manage and keep an intern happy!

1. Make your company known.

When reaching college students, think technology! Post an ad on a site highly trafficked by college-aged students. Try www.campuspoint.com or Husky Jobs at http://careers.washington.edu/employers.

These sites cater directly to Seattle area college students and recent graduates looking for entry level jobs and experience. If you're outside of the Seattle area or your budget is small, consider Craigslist.com. This is a great option because not only is it popular with the college crowd, it's also free.

2. Think outside the box.

Try using non-conventional ways to post your ad. Contact college teachers with students who might be studying your business industry. Ask if they could send out an email or mention the internship during a class session. Bring them flyers they can hand to interested students.

Most colleges have bulletin boards students will glance at between classes. If you post a flyer, use bold letters to stand out from the sea of posters for used books and calculators for sale. Create tear-off slits on the bottom of the paper with your email so they can easily take away your contact information.

In your ad, ask for a short statement or essay on why the students applying feel they would make a good intern. Request a resume and writing sample.

3. Find the right fit.

After you've been contacted by a few potential candidates, prepare for the interviews by coming up with some simple questions. Make sure you ask:

What would you like to get out of this internship? Make sure there is clear communication between you and the candidate about what will be expected of them and what they can expect to take away from this experience.

Why do you want to work here? This will give you an idea of how much they know about your business and how interested they are in your company.

What are your plans after college? You want to make sure what you can offer them will best fit with their future career plans.

What is your work/school schedule and availability? It's important to be flexible but it's also important that they are available to work with you on a schedule that is convenient for the both of you.

What skills and strengths do you have? Consider choosing someone who has less experience in the workplace rather than a student with more credentials. Remember, this is a chance to give someone the opportunity of experience!

4. During the internship.

Set some initial goals for projects they would like to accomplish. Your business has tasks to accomplish; why not also include some projects the student would like to work on. For example, maybe they've never written a marketing plan and would like to learn how. Consider adding that to their to-do list?

Create a list of deadlines to complete projects. Interns might have other part-time jobs or assignments and homework from school so it is important to give them some structure.

Use a tracking sheet to keep track of their time and also activities they have accomplished.
This will be important at the end so they will have some great material to beef up their resume. It is also beneficial to you so you can get ideas for future internships.

Make the internship fun! If you can't afford to pay your intern an hourly rate, treat them to lunch or coffee and get to know them. Breaking the ice over a meal or a drink at happy hour (depending on their age!) will keep the lines of communication open and help you both make the most out of your time working together.

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