What do you do my fellow marketers ? Do you ignore interns ? Do you yell at them ? Do you mentor them or use coaching skills to help them see the best in themselves ? And students as well , what does it mean to be a memorable intern ? One who is called back the minute there is an open slot .
What would you like potential employers offering internships to know especially about millennials ?
I think the first thing that employers should do for millennials joining for internships is a great welcome . Motivating them on their first day of work ( depending on the organization ’ s culture ) smoothens the ride for the journey of both sides . ( Lunch or evening coffee / drinks ) for a start . And letting them know that they “ shouldn ’ t feel afraid to ask ” helps one adjust .
Millennials enjoy owning their successes . Employers should give them a lot of freedom if they wish to see the kind of result they expect . Task-Deadline approach was the one I was introduced to and it ’ s been one I ’ ve enjoyed greatly compared to micro-management . Having someone breathing down your neck is very stifling .
Millennials are the kind of people who study for the exams while listening to music in the library and still score quality grades . Some might find this amusing but it ’ s how they operate . At work I ’ ve seen my colleague interns work while on the earphones and deliver some quality work on time . Please allow us to do so .
What would be an ideal internship position ?
A great internship position to me would be one that offers a guarantee of a job after college life . And one that promises growth of the individual too . No one wants to stagnate at one level .
What are the top qualities of a great marketer ?
Creative . Innovative . One who can build relationships . Very social . Has to wear a great smile . Someone once told me that a marketer cannot have the same smile as an accountant .
How should an intern build relationships at the office ?
Firstly by showing respect to everyone . Here an intern should be able to study his colleagues while building a relaxed but professional bond . Engaging in easy conversation with a good number of colleagues in the first month will build his confidence and composure .
What can one do if they have made a grave mistake as an intern ?
Being transparent and open is important here . This one helps reduce the trouble in any sort of situation . Then consulting the person you report to , might help transform the mistake to something different . They say every cloud has a silver lining .
How can an intern make the right impression ?
I feel like making the right impression goes down to the intern ’ s personality and talents . Tailor making your personality and your talents to fit your position and organization . For example ; I ’ m very social and happen to be quite easy with the feminine gender . So far I ’ ve helped my organization into conducting a very comprehensive research on the female gender that panned out to be an important segment for our kind of service .
Would you have a story about a good time or bad time as an intern ?
I have one for each but the bad time stands out . It happened that on the second week of my internship , I was conversing with my boss on email concerning a certain task she gave me . Since she resides in Latvia , I get to meet her once in two weeks when she is in the country . After then we only do emails . This task had sub-tasks and I believed that sending each sub-task to her once I was done was the right thing to do . But not so ! We engaged each other on back and forth emails . I would send sub-tasks that unknowingly were not well prepared and at the same time I ’ d keep convincing her that my work was good . A recipe for disaster .
One would see clearly that I got it quite wrong . It got to a point I questioned whether I was working for the right organization . However , my colleagues were kind enough to offer guidance and it was then that I learnt that I wasn ’ t expected to respond to my boss ’ s email immediately in the heat of the moment that one is under fire .
After getting that feedback , I returned the next day fresh-faced and things started improving . I was able to send the entire work compiled and arranged . Lessons learnt ; take your time with everything , always consult and study your environment and colleagues to know what is expected of you .
Ian ’ s insights can help both marketing professionals and students understand more about internships and how to best manage the situation . Ian has several learnings he has shared generously , hoping that it might help someone else in the same position .
That is the mark of a mentor in waiting , and perhaps from this article , Ian may already be someone ’ s choice as a mentor . His bubbly approach and experience in different organizations already makes him potential talent . And most of all , it has given the marketer , food for thought on how to manage or lead interns . You can also reach Ian Chomba on ianchomba685 @ gmail . com
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Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia is a Certified Executive Coach , Trainer and Marketing Consultant . She has a deep passion for both coaching and marketing and is part of the adjunct faculty at Strathmore Business School . She loves to help people transform their lives by finding their passion and purpose . Reach out to her on : Thritye @ gmail . com or https :// www . linkedin . com / in / thrity-engineer-mbuthia-440a614 /