Indiana INTERNnet hosted the seventh annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon on Feb. 6 at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. This year, we received more nominations than ever before, and it was a sold-out crowd. This is the final recap blog, focusing on the inspiring keynote address from Caroline Dowd-Higgins, particularly her words to employers. If you didnât join us this year, we hope to see you in 2014!
Each year, the IMPACT Awards Luncheon is our opportunity to celebrate the significance of internships and spotlight the success stories. The focus is on the interns and how they are working to become the best and brightest in Indianaâs workforce. We were inspired by each story of accomplishment and believe our âRock Star Internsâ theme couldnât have been more fitting.
This year in particular, though, we were reminded that itâs not only up to the interns to be rock stars. During her energetic keynote address at the luncheon, Caroline Dowd-Higgins called attention to ways employers can foster a ârock starâ collaboration with their intern.
Dowd-Higgins is a rock star in her own right. A former professional signer, she has more than a decade of experience in career coaching. She is the director of career and professional development at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, the author of This is Not the Career I Ordered and the host of a national weekly CBS Radio show, Career Coach Caroline.
She said employers play a key role in the internship community, and the success of any single internship depends as much on the mentor as it does the intern. Since interns are the future, it is the employersâ responsibility to mold the next generation of professionals.
As an employer, itâs easy to get caught up in all the expectations you have for your intern. From writing the job description to organizing a work plan to completing an intern evaluation, you can forget about your contribution due.
Dowd-Higgins offered specific strategies for employers to pay it forward to their interns. She said:
- Lead by example â âPositivity is infectious; so is negativity. Itâs important for employers to lead by example, so you bring that good day or that great day to the table.â
- Stretch your interns â âYouâve all heard the term, âstep out of your comfort zone,â but I challenge you to rearrange a little bit of furniture and think about expanding your comfort zone. It doesnât have to be something that doesnât feel good; just keep adding to what you do well.â
- Hold your interns accountable â âWe are responsible for grooming them professionally. We are role models for them. In order for them to grow and implement this constructive feedback, we need to be honest with them and help them find their way.â
When an intern sees how devoted you are to your job, to your organization and to them, thereâs a good chance he or she will reciprocate that work ethic. Dowd-Higgins shared her experience of receiving a reverse mentor in exchange for providing a meaningful internship opportunity. Ellie, her intern, has helped Dowd-Higgins with social media and event support.
âEllie has taught me more about social media than I ever knew I needed to know,â Dowd-Higgins said. âIâm incredibly indebted to Ellie, and this was an opportunity for her to put all these skills into practice that she was learning in the classroom. When Ellie graduates, you better believe Iâm going to try and hire her on my team. She is a rock star.â
By taking the time to not only supervise your interns but provide mentorship for them, you are positively influencing the direction of that individualâs career, and possibly opening a door within your own organization for them. Looking at the larger picture, each employerâs dedication to serving as a mentor for their interns directly contributes to the strength of Indianaâs workforce.
Remember: Interns today are the employers of tomorrow.
