For Soon-To-Be FGPs (and Their Employers): Maximize the Internship

Thousands of first-generation college students are beginning their summer internships and entering the foreign environment of the white-collar workplace for the first time. First-generation college students may come from families whose members lack the experience, knowledge, and know-how of navigating and excelling in this type of work setting. With the understanding that a solid-to-exemplary summer performance can set up an intern for future professional success–while helping the employer identify talent to bring onboard full-time after graduation–both parties have much to gain from a robust, productive, and educational summer. How can this be created? Here are three tips for companies to maximize a summer internship for soon-to-be First-Generation Professionals (FGPs) and get a jump on identifying and attracting this high-potential talent. 

 1. Create structured networking opportunities.

Networking doesn’t come easy for a lot of people, and it can especially be challenging for FGPs. Our research shows that FGPs do not understand the role of relationships in facilitating professional, upward progress at the beginning of their careers and, therefore, do not see the value in events like happy hours or other social gatherings, especially outside of work hours. Further, FGPs may be disinclined to socialize in work settings as they tend to view work as means to display and sharpen their technical skills, not build relationships. Resist hosting events that offer only food, drink, and entertainment, and instead host events with activities that promote conversation and connection. Bonus: Managers, have a chat with your first-gen intern before the event and share how relationships have helped you in your career. For fun, give an assignment with questions like: “Meet a person from X department and ask them about their day-to-day in the company.” Also, debrief the networking event with them to help them get more comfortable for similar events down the line.

2. Emphasize people skills, not just technical capabilities.

Remember being a college student stuck doing all the work for a group project and wondering how it could be that your grade would depend on the efforts of others? And, after you graduated and started working, do you remember when all of that made sense given how so much work in the real world requires collaboration and is done through teams?

Go back to how you thought as a college student, and consider how that mindset could influence a summer intern’s approach to work. Chances are they’re focused on how well they’ll execute their tasks independently, aiming for manager approval akin to an A on a school assignment. With this in mind, managers would help interns–and get a sense for how they collaborate–by giving them projects that call for input from others. In doing so, educate them on how best to communicate requests, what stakeholder management looks like, and how to share a perspective that may be different from the consensus. This kind of education and experience will prove invaluable for the intern’s growth–and give the company insight into their potential performance as a future full-time employee.

3. Encourage reflection and feedback.

First-generation college students are often on a lonely journey. While their families can provide moral support and encouragement, first-gen college students often struggle to find those who can relate to their experience as the first in their families to navigate previously unseen educational and professional terrain. A manager encouraging reflection on a developing FGP’s white-collar experiences invites a dialogue in which the intern can ask questions and seek clarity. A developing FGP’s manager may be the only professional figure the individual has in their life and can have a significant impact on their career trajectory. These kinds of conversations not only deepen relationships but widen the intern’s aperture for what a workplace can be. In turn, the manager and company can serve as a trusted resource for a future employee and, in reciprocating that trust, can invite feedback from the intern on how their employee experience could be improved to help with early-career talent attraction and retention efforts.

Those are just a few ways companies and developing FGPs can have a professionally rich, fruitful summer.

How is your company identifying and developing first-generation college students this summer? What would you add to this list?