netlogx Rethinks Traditional Internship Program
May 2019 netlogx interns (photo courtesy of netlogx)
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based consulting firm netlogx says it is rethinking the typical internship program. The firm says the pandemic further reinforced the need for applied internship positions and alternative avenues for students to gain real world experience. The completely virtual program intends to provide students with the same opportunities for career advancement as those who graduated pre-pandemic, and the firm believes it can make an internship just as impactful as if it were in-person.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Chief Human Resources Officer Vicki Chabot says the firm already had the infrastructure in place for an all remote work environment.
“We’ve really mirrored many of the company-wide changes and used those as a foundation for the intern development program,” said Chabot. “I think one of the main changes is really just having more one-on-one touchpoints with the interns. We recognize that just popping over to somebody’s desk if they have a quick question isn’t an option now as it would have been in person.”
The firm says its experience guiding change management and organizational upheaval on behalf of enterprise-level public and private sector clients opened the opportunity to try new ideas internally that it otherwise may have been hesitant to approach.
The program includes a mid-point assessment and a final evaluation. Interns also take part in a book study club to help their professional development.
“So all the things we already had in place are still going to take place, its just going to be done via video conferencing rather than in-person,” said Chabot.
Chabot says the program is designed to give interns a bird’s eye view of company operations, while most internships provide only one view of how the company works, leaving holes in the overall experience.
netlogx says interns have been nominated and won awards for the Indiana Chamber’s INTERNnet IMPACT Intern of the Year in 2019 and 2021. Several have accepted positions with netlogx to start their careers or gone on to other post-graduation job opportunities.
Chabot discusses the importance of giving students meaningful intern experiences post-pandemic.