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Shawna Scott - 10/1/2019

For employers, the intern selection process can be overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of applicants. Becky Dunn, however, has been through the process several times as the Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications and Outreach at the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. We sat down with Becky to chat about > DHEWD’s internship program and discuss different approaches employers can take to select interns who will be a good fit.

What is your approach for selecting the right intern candidate from your applicant pool?

I think there are two approaches. One approach is finding someone who has already developed some skills and will be able to come in and get right to work. The goal is to provide a variety of opportunities for that person and help them grow and enhance what they know.

Then there’s the other side where you want to find someone who maybe hasn’t had a lot of experience yet, and you want to provide that first real-world opportunity where they can see, ‘Oh, okay, this is what it’s like and this is what it means to work professionally.’

One approach is focused on trying to build someone’s skills and experience, and the other one is trying to capitalize on what someone already knows and seeing how they fit right in with your team.

What did the selection process look like going from there?

We had a large number of applicants and decided to go with students who were advancing seniors because we knew this was probably their last opportunity for an internship, and that also meant that they had more skills they were able to bring to the table and would be able to fit right into our team.

We tried to encourage our younger applicants to try again. We wanted to give them the opportunity to work with us in the future – knowing that they would have more opportunities being younger students.

After making that candidate choice, do you have any advice on how to create a valuable employer-intern experience?

You want to provide meaningful experiences and you want to provide an opportunity for them to grow professionally. It’s not just about cheap labor – and I definitely encourage anyone hiring an intern to pay the intern so that this is a win-win for both the intern and the employer.

And then once you have that intern, I suggest really focusing on some career development. Not just trying to have projects, but also try to provide mentorship and encouragement.

Whether you’re an experienced internship coordinator or this is your first time hosting an intern, Missouri Intern Connect is here to help! Post a listing here, browse our Employer FAQ or download our free employers’ guide to internships.

Becky Dunn

Becky Dunn is Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications and Outreach at the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.