Why I Hired An Intern

April 1, 2016, by Carla

Five Reasons Why I Hired An Intern

By Dean Boyle, EkkoSense

As a business that is developing innovative products and services for some of the largest UK blue chips, at EkkoSense we are constantly looking for skilled people who can come in and add value almost immediately.  Over the past couple of years, we’ve worked closely with the University and taken on a number of interns. 

This has been a huge success, mainly due to the following reasons…

1. Skills and knowledge

All of the interns have an excellent knowledge base and a wide range of applicable skills for the sectors and applications that we work in.  These skills range from mechanical cooling design through to data analytics and software development.  Of most benefit has been the option to take on an intern for a very particular project when we have a new piece of development or product to design.

2. Work ethic

We’ve found that all of the interns have a very strong worth ethic and will go that extra mile to ensure we meet our customer commitments. Combining study and work isn’t always easy, but the interns we’ve used have all managed to successfully manage their time.

3. Flexibility

Our business often means that we need to be at customer sites, often in very remote locations, and the flexibility and willingness of the interns has been crucial as we deliver customer projects. The option of taking interns for different project lengths has also been extremely helpful – occasionally we have a very short requirement of one month or so, but we also have longer-term requirements where an intern might be with us for several months.

4. Location

This is very specific to EkkoSense but, being based at the Innovation Park, has allowed us to provide a very convenient base for Nottingham interns. This has allowed us and them to manage time effectively.

5. Cost support

One of the key enablers that allows us to use several interns has been the financial support we get from the University. Although the support obviously doesn’t cover the full costs, the contribution helps make the decision a ‘no brainer’ when we have a particular requirement for a new or additional skill set.

Applications for the 2016 Nottingham Internship Scheme are now open, and with over 60 internships to choose from, what are you waiting for? 

Image Credit: IntoConnection

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