Best Practices - Nexus Works

Students:

Take charge and initiative with your project – follow the lead of your project manager, but maintain autonomy, go above and beyond expectations
Ask questions – you are working to help your project manager and the business, but you are also working to learn. Do not get caught up in gaining the experience for your resume, absorb the information provided to you.
Ask questions unrelated to your project (to an extent) to build mentorship and personal relationships – the business knows that this is more than just a project; it is a part of NexusWorks! The businesses you work with want to get to know you as a student as well.
Stick to your schedule – make it to all your check-ins and meetings you’ve agreed to on time. If you have to reschedule, give ample notice
Come prepared – whether a mentorship meeting or a check-in, make sure you have all the materials and questions organized in order to best utilize both you and your project manager’s time.
Present your best self – always proofread and edit your own work prior to presenting it to your project manager.
Utilize your resources – do your own research to educate yourself regarding the company, industry, and what projects similar to yours may look like
Accept constructive criticism – you are here to learn and want to gain feedback from future potential employers. be open to their ideas and suggestions on ways you can change.
Take notes throughout your project so you can remember what you have learned and notice what went well and what did not.

Businesses:

Your intern is a student that is here to learn from you and gain experience. Be understanding, patient, and supportive.
Have a casual conversation to get to know each other better at the beginning of the project. We want you to form business and personal connections. Share information about your company, culture, and goals.
Explain your project and its goals and WHY it is important to your business.
Set expectations together for communication and how your working relationship will look.
Set up regular check-ins with your intern to make sure that you are reviewing work, answering questions, and providing constructive feedback. We want to maximize both parties’ efficiency.
Encourage questions, but make sure the intern feels as if they still have a level of autonomy over their project. Allow them to provide feedback and input.
Remember that this is not a freelance project. This means you have more input in the direction of the project and are also expected to connect with the student on a mentorship level. All we ask is a small amount of your time dedicated to mentorship (at least 1 hour of one-on-one time throughout your project).
We encourage you to connect and recommend your intern to other connections you think they may get along well with. NexusWorks aims to form a community, and this is one of the best ways to do this!
Interns want to learn from you about your field of work, so be sure to provide your insight on the industry. Allow conversations to extend past the scope of work but to also include general questions.
Take notes throughout your project so you can remember what went well and what did not, as well as better provide feedback to your intern.