Observe a Springtime Ritual: Hire a Summer Intern

Wednesday May 1, 2019 | Filed under:

With unemployment at a nearly two-decade low, hiring is tougher than ever, especially for companies located outside major cities. Need a surefire way to help guarantee candidates for your hiring pipeline? Hire a summer intern.

ASI just kicked off its fourth annual industry-wide summer internship program, which is open to any member company in the promotional products industry. To make it easier for busy shops fretting about the time it takes to train newcomers, ASI even provides free online training akin to Promo 101, educational webinars in essential business topics like customer service, the chance to observe a trade show in action, access to ESP® – and a chance for interns to win a $1,000 scholarship.

The 2019 ASI Summer Internship Program is free to ASI members who hire one or more interns to work at their company for the summer. Click here for more information or to register your intern.

I know firsthand the impact an internship can have on a young person’s life. Over 30 years ago, I worked as a Dow Jones News Fund intern in New York City. I was 21 and it was one of the first times I’d ever left Indiana. Those few months in the big city set me on a course for a terrific future – and I haven’t looked back yet.

ASI’s industry program is a proven success. Last summer, a record 308 interns worked at 240 supplier and distributor companies, including Gemline (asi/56070), HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000), Proforma (asi/300094), Lion Circle (asi/67620) and TSMGI (asi/341232). Interns attended schools like Stanford, UC Berkeley and Hofstra.

As I’m sure their managers learned, hiring an intern helps companies gain brand advocates, get fresh ideas, enjoy an extra set of hands and build a stronger bench for future hiring. It also helps the industry teach a new generation about promotional products, which is critical for staying relevant.

Need more proof? Check out the testimonials below from past interns:

  • “I’ve learned invaluable life skills I could not learn anywhere else, and now I know what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
  • “I feel satisfaction knowing that our team was able to help someone give back to their customers through amazing promotional items.”
  • “Interning was a very rewarding experience that I will take with me into my future endeavors, hopefully coming back to the company as a full-time employee one day.”

Since ASI started its internship program in 2016 to attract more young professionals to the industry and expose them to the power of promotional products, nearly 600 interns have participated.

ASI feels so strongly about interns, we’re also hiring 15 young men and women this summer to work at our company in a variety of departments, including web development, sales, data intelligence, marketing, digital advertising, social media and accounting. Click here to review our available jobs and share with anyone you know who might benefit from a paid internship at a great company just outside Philadelphia (named a Best Place to Work several times!).

Please note: Our program is internal to ASI and not part of the industry-wide internship program, which encourages hiring at member companies throughout the industry.

For more info on joining the 2019 ASI Internship Program, please contact ASI Marketing Manager Christine Shaw at cshaw@asicentral.com.