Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/817722
28 SMT Magazine • May 2017 Qualified students must demonstrate that they have the knowledge, maturity, and attitude to perform as meaningful members of internal corporate teams. McCoy said this program has been a valuable tool in identifying whether or not a student can fulfill the company's expecta- tions. "We are testing the capabilities and skills of what we hope will be our future employees. We use these internships as part of our critical talent acquisition process—that's why we seek the best of the best." Not Your Average Internship After final selection, interns are put to work to complete projects and initiatives that sup- port or achieve business goals and objectives. This includes everything from participating in an R&D project to implementing a new process or system. Roller has led the initiative to transform In- dium internships into a formalized program. "While the goal of our internship program has always been to identify potential employment candidates who are an ideal fit for Indium," Roller said, "it is equally important that the pro- gram serve as a mechanism to advance depart- mental goals." "They're completing real projects that ei- ther we needed to achieve and couldn't spare the manpower, or that needed a single person's undivided attention," McCoy added. During their 10-week experience, students also participate in at least 10 hours of profes- sional development. This includes workshops and presentations on topics such as managing intellectual property, networking and commu- nications skills, personal brand building, social media skills for business, and résumé develop- ment. The students are also expected to become Indium ambassadors by authoring blogs about their experiences and to contribute community service within the community. "We're looking for individuals who fit into our company's culture to make sure they are a good fit, right from the start," McCoy explained. "When we go out and perform community ser- vice or interact during a professional develop- ment activity, we get a glimpse into whether or not we're a good match for each other." At the conclusion of the program, students walk away with real-world experience and a portfolio of projects. Others come away from the program with much more. Over the past two years, five former interns have also gained full-time employment, with six others joining part-time as they continue to pursue their de- grees. But McCoy and Roller agree that Indium sees an even bigger return. "When you think of an internship, you may only think of it as a one-sided relationship – KEEPING AN EYE ON THE NEXT GENERATION Figure 2: Dawn Roller and Jim McCoy speak dur- ing an intern event. Interns deliver presentations on their work periodically throughout their 10- week program. This gives the interns, supervisors, and management an opportunity to evaluate the experience and ensure that projects are on-track to achieve specific business goals. Figure 3: As part of their program, Indium Corporation interns participate in community and volunteer opportunities.