Thinking of taking on an intern? Hiring an intern opens many doors for an organisation - employers can pull from a new and unique talent pool, it brings a fresh perspective, and the intern may be a good fit as a future employee. We had a chat with PaySauce Chief Operating Officer Mat Stokes to get some honest answers to all the hard questions that may come up along the way. Read on to see if Summer of Tech is worth it (we think yes!)

How useful is it to employ an intern?

Put simply - "it's what you make of it," Mat says. Taking an intern onboard can be incredibly valuable if you have done the planning and preparation to know exactly what they should achieve during their time with you. "If you hire an intern without deciding how their work will be directed, they might end up hanging by the photocopier and retrieving coffee.” Instead, consider providing direction and delegated tasks for the duration of the internship – this will ensure a fantastic return for both the intern and the organisation! 

Why pay your interns?

Paying your interns is compensation for the work they are doing for your business. It's not only a treat-others situation - it's also about what your intern is doing for the business. "Your intern is delivering really valuable work,” Mat explains. “They are delivering commercial outcomes to us and the business. They deserve to be compensated for that." Paid interns are happy interns, and happy interns are motivated to approach their tasks with their best efforts.  

Why hire more than one intern? 

By choosing to employ more than one intern, you are creating a built-in support network. “With two [or more] interns, you can give them a project and set up parameters. They can ask questions and it’s all much less scary for them”. They can answer many of their own questions and work as a team to get things moving. The proof is in the pudding - Paddy and Larissa, PaySauce’s interns of 2019  joined forces to develop an app for the company in just 11 weeks!  

Why use Summer of Tech?

Summer of Tech provides quality service that makes the whole employment process more efficient for employers. “I don’t have to search universities or put up job advertisements”, Mat adds. “Students come to us, the platform is efficient, and the interviews are easy.” Use our powerful skills-based search - you can handpick an intern that has the right skills, know-how and attitude for the job so you can both hit the ground running. Summer of Tech offers plenty of support along the way, too. If there are any hitches, we are right there with you. We hope this has answered some of your questions about our process. Thank you to Mat for offering your take on the Summer of Tech experience! It’s still possible to register to hire interns for summer 2020! Although we have already managed to find 337 students an internship, we have 2247 amazing, talented, awesome students on our platform keen to help you with your next project. Click here if you’d like to check out how to get in touch with them. Alternatively, if you have any questions please reach out to us here, or have a look at our other handy employer resources.  

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