Step #1 - Commitment from the Club and its Management Staff
 
Intern #1 (GS)This is the initial evaluation phase. Since internships are mutually beneficial to both students and the club's management staff, commitment to an internship program is a requirement! A lack of commitment will lead to problems in future phases of the program.

It is at this time that all involved need to determine if they are willing to take responsibility for the development and maintenance of a quality internship program. The following questions should be reviewed and answered before you begin planning your internship program:

1. How are our members likely to respond to students?
2. Do we have the financial funds to institute a solid internship program with regard to recruiting, compensation and housing?
3. In what capacity would our members like to see interns working (management, line level, etc.)?
 4. What characteristics of the club are likely to attract interns (amenities, sports programs, food and beverage, etc.)?
 
Ask your managers/supervisors/staff these questions:

1. Do you feel comfortable with interns working for the club and, if so, in what capacity?
2. Do you have time to commit to student development?
3. Will you actively mentor the students?
4. Are you willing to make a long-term commitment to the development and maintenance of an internship program?
5. Who will be responsible for intern recruitment, development and maintenance of the program?
 
After a serious evaluation of these questions, you will be able to tell if you and your club are willing to commit to a quality internship program. At this point, a specific person should be assigned full responsibility of the program (this individual could be the general manager, but will more likely be an assistant). It is very helpful to appoint someone with prior internship experience -- i.e., an individual who has either been an intern or has worked with an internship program at a previous club. If the person responsible for the internship program leaves the club, replace him/her immediately with someone else who has been involved with the program to maintain consistency. In addition, consider calling the person in charge of the program a "mentor" so that he/she fulfills more than just a supervisory role to the intern. The mentor should adhere to the following employer/supervisor responsibilities:
* Provide a challenging position for your intern that will enable him/her to use the skills, aptitude and knowledge gained;
* Orient the student regarding your club's organizational culture, expectations, policies, safety procedures and the particular duties of his/her job. Also provide the student with an overall job orientation;
* Develop learning objectives based on the intern's academic requirements, if not already provided by the student's educational institution. Sign and date these objectives. Follow up on the objectives after the internship;
* Continually supervise the student on the tasks outlined in the learning objectives;
* Give the student honest feedback and constructive criticism about his/her job performance. Make an effort to meet with the student regularly to review his/her progress (not just at the end of the internship); and
* Discuss the method of performance evaluation that will be used. The appraisal system should be obtained from the student's school or developed by both supervisor and student (a sample internship evaluation form can be found at the back of this publication). Mail a copy of the final evaluation directly to the student's educational institution -- do not give it to the student to mail.
 
You must address compensation and housing needs before you put your plan into action. Many students need to earn money for tuition, summer expenses, etc., but many are willing to work for less than full-time employees to gain the education and experience. Do not take advantage of these students! By providing room and board you can substantially lower your labor costs. If you do not have housing readily available, look into renting a house or an apartment for several interns to share. You might also consider finding out if any of your members are willing to house interns to save costs. In addition, maintaining a basic inventory of room supplies such as beds, dressers, couches, desks, lamps, alarm clocks, linens, kitchen supplies, etc., will help in the relocation of students and eliminate the truckloads of furniture they may bring. Consider benefits and perks you will offer student interns - bonuses, transportation/meal allowances, golf/club privileges, uniforms, etc. You might also consider starting a club-sponsored scholarship program funded by voluntary member donations. All of these types of fringe benefits are appealing to students in the recruiting process.
 
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