Your office is welcoming a new class of summer interns who can make a big splash in your office’s operations if given the tools to succeed. Three simple steps in their onboarding process can make all the difference: technology, training, and mentoring.
Technology
First, get them set up with the technology they’ll need to be effective members of your staff. If your office already has designated computers for interns, make sure they are in working order and have their accompanying accessories and charging cables. If more technology or accessories are required, contact your office’s IT Consultant to get the necessary equipment as soon as possible.
Intern specific IQ profiles and logins can be created for your office. How you go about it depends on how your office operates and assigns tasks and cases to interns. Your office can opt to create a generic intern account that can be reused for future classes of interns or create individual, personal accounts for each intern.
Work with our IT Consultants to create the best technology strategy for your staff and interns.
Training
Comprehensive training can make all the difference in an intern’s experience this summer and their impact on your office’s operations. Leidos can take the heavy lifting out of your staff’s hands with live trainings conducted daily.
Live trainings give interns the opportunity to ask questions and interact with each other, giving them the confidence to complete assignments and take initiative.
Video learning is another great option for initial job training and continued learning. Our extensive video learning library includes introductory topics for those just getting started and advanced topics for those who have been using IQ for years, making it a great resource for everyone in your office, including interns.
Videos can be accessed anytime and in any order, allowing interns to learn at their own pace and work on topics related to their area of focus.
Our team of experts recommend beginning with trainings on topics interns will be most likely to need in their first weeks with your office including:
- Introduction to IQ
- Logging calls
- Creating contacts
- Batching
- The Action Icon bar
Those topics and more can be found in our training calendar and in the video library.
Mentorship
Having a constructive working relationship with your interns can help them learn and progress quickly. As they become accustomed to the office, staff, and procedures, they’ll feel more comfortable asking questions and making suggestions, which can lead to essential learning and creative new avenues.
Take the time to mentor an intern in your office this summer or assign them a mentor who can give them a well-rounded understanding and experience of a legislative office. Providing interns with regular conversations with and experience shadowing someone who has been in their shoes and made a career out of public service in the legislature could inspire the next generation of lawmakers.
When getting your new class of interns set up in your office, Leidos can help every step of the way. Contact our team for help and more best practices.
