Yes, You Can Still Hire An Intern
Wednesday May 6, 2020 | Filed under:
Poof. In a matter of weeks, that’s what happened to summer internship plans for thousands of college students. They disappeared. With so many companies closed, on pause or laying off employees due to the coronavirus, internships became a low priority, putting a giant crimp in the professional development of Generation Z.
And then, a little light appeared: Over 45 supplier and distributor companies signed up for ASI’s annual summer internship program, which provides much-needed training, free ESP access and classes to get interns up to speed on our industry, along with a chance for an intern to win a $1,000 scholarship.
These days, it’s all about figuring out a new way to work. For interns, that may mean working from their home instead of an office. It’s not optimal, but I expect for young people used to living life on their screens, it’s not that big a deal. For essential businesses producing PPE products, interns can work at a factory, warehouse or office.
It’s win-win for both. Interns get much-needed experience and industry firms get affordable help.
Right now, things still look pretty uncertain. But each and every day, I see more and more signs of life, more regions of the country opening up, more promo companies seeing an increase in orders. By all predictions it will take until at least the end of the year for recovery to really get underway. Gearing up for that recovery is something interns can contribute to, whether it’s through their skills on social media, inventory help or all the essential but mundane tasks that keep companies running smoothly.
The 2020 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 an intern. Intern start dates range from mid-May to mid-June.
Hiring an intern helps companies gain brand advocates, get fresh ideas, enjoy an extra set of hands and create a talent pipeline for future hiring. It also helps the industry teach a new generation about promotional products.
Since ASI started its program in 2016 to attract more young professionals to the industry and get them excited about the power of promotional products, nearly 1,000 interns have participated. During the summer of 2019, a record 316 interns worked at 21 supplier and 222 distributor companies, including alphabroder (asi/34063), Axis Promotions (asi/128263), Genumark (asi/204588), Lion Circle Corp. (asi/67620), Pride Products Distributors (asi/299307), Proforma (asi/300094) and Vantage Apparel (asi/93390). Interns attended schools like Stanford, UC Berkeley and Hofstra.
Visit internprogramasi.com to get more information or to register an intern. ASI also provides tools on the intern website to help members find interns. Companies that already have a summer intern lined up can still sign them up for the ASI Summer Internship Program today.
If you have questions or need more info, please contact Christine Shaw, ASI senior marketing manager of corporate marketing, at cshaw@asicentral.com.
Good luck, stay safe and keep in touch. I can always be reached at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.