As we are finishing unpacking in our new location at 1711-C King Street I am struck by the fact that the team working with me is comprised entirely of people whose first exposure to Stokefire was through our internship program.
We’ve had team members hired directly into positions, of course, and we’re about to bring on new staff that will bypass the internship program (due to the fact that interns responsible for tax filings and accounting may be fun, but doesn’t make much sense), but the majority of Stokefire’s current employees came in through the door initially as interns.
Perhaps this has something to do with Stokefire’s belief that, while experience counts for something, it doesn’t count for everything. Stokefire hires for attitude first, aptitude second, and experience third. The internship program allows us to get a sense for the things that matter most. Three months (the duration of each internship class) is more than long enough for us to determine if attitude and aptitude are a good fit for the team.
Of interest to potential intern applicants: The hours are occasionally long, the work intense, the job unpaid. Sounds like it sucks, right?
But then consider…
Two of our eight interns had their internship cut short for performance reasons.
Both were booted from the program… and hired as employees eligible for full benefits. One after two months… And the other? Two weeks after the internship started we made her an offer – to come work for us a senior manager.
Another was our first full-time hire.
Still another we were able to place in a university job earning over $40,000 per year. In a down market. Less than three months out of school.
Two went back to school, one went freelance, and the last… well… to be honest we’re really not sure, but if they turn up we’d love to know what’s up. We think it involves a yacht moored somewhere off the coast of Italy. And lots of Grappa.
And the real reason I’m mentioning this? We’re about to start our search for Spring and Summer interns.
Keep an eye out for three postings involving Marketing, Social Media/PR, and Design. Last time we posted we were overwhelmed by applicants, so when it comes up this time we encourage any interested applicants to get their responses in early and to bring their A game.
Why?
Because the experience is worth it. Because you’ll have fun. Because you’ll learn. Because you’ll be over-caffeinated, and because you’ll have a chance to matter and make a difference in your first job rather than just answering phones. Because we’re a great team. Because we just might be a better team with your help. And because if we are a better team with you on it, we’re going to do what we can to keep you.
Good luck to all the applicants. I look forward to seeing you soon.
