Internships: Your Ticket in the Door

Dec 21, 2023

Launching Your Career

Jackson was a high school senior, working a part-time job at McDonald’s. During his spare time, he took an interest in video editing and 3D animation. He spent hours learning and perfecting his work on the computer, and his efforts eventually paid off.  He knew he wanted to pursue a career in the field and began networking with friends. A neighbor saw his work and was impressed. He reached out to Jackson and connected him with a friend’s commercial ad agency in a nearby city. Jackson sent his work off to the company, and they were impressed as well. The summer after his graduation, they invited Jackson to intern at the company. The pay? A few bucks of gas money to cover the 45-minute commute. Jackson jumped on the opportunity, keeping his burger flipping job in the meantime.

            Jackson’s time at the company proved invaluable. After a couple months, his work caught the eye of his superiors, and they bumped him up to $10 an hour. He still wasn’t making the big bucks, but the experience was priceless. A few more months into his internship, the company offered to hire him full time and give him a regular salary. Jackson happily accepted the offer and quit his McDonald’s job at last. He stayed on with the company for several more years, eventually working his way up.  What began as a small internship paying only a few bucks for gas turned out to be a life-changing career opportunity.

            Students like Jackson are not unique. According to studies by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, otherwise known as NACE, 60 percent of students from classes of 2013 to 2017 partook in some sort of internship, with that number growing every year. Employers see internships as a win/win for both parties, with employers being able to scope out prospective employees and interns gaining valuable experience before or right after college. A few other interesting statistics:

            *Interns are nearly twice as likely to land a full-time job versus those who do not intern.

            *68 % of interns land a full time job offer after completing their internship.

            *60 % of internships are paid.

            *The average paid intern makes approximately $20 an hour.

            *Tech and banking internships are among some of the highest paying positions.

            *Employers seeking interns value communication skills, teamwork and critical thinking skills.

            *The average starting salary for a paid intern is $60,000 a year versus $40,000 a year for non-paid interns.

            *Tech and political internships are most likely to result in a full-time hired position.

            So just where did the concept of internships originate from? According to Melissa Snell, a Medieval History Expert, formal college internship programs started back in the Middle Ages. Around the 11^th century, the craft Guild System began. Within a formal arrangement, students could train in hands-on, practical ways with craftsmen, tradesmen, artisans and masters. They could increase their skills until they became proficient in the trade of field study and then officially enter the local guild for their trade. They rarely had a choice of the craft they apprenticed in. The wealthier the family, the more likely one was to get into a prestigious and influential guild.

Many apprentices went on to pursue other professions and became highly important in our country. Notable figures include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere. Washington was trained as a surveyor, Jefferson as a law apprentice, Franklin as a printer and Revere as a silversmith.

Medical internships became common as the scientific revolution required more expertise and practical knowledge at the start of the 20^th century. Professional formal education came along to meet the demands of the 19^th century industrialization boom. The first U.S. academic internship began in 1906 at the Accounting Department at the University of Cincinnati. By 1937, the National Apprenticeship Act was passed, leading the Department of Labor to formulate and promote the furtherance of labor necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices.

So just what is the major difference between apprenticeships and internships? Generally, apprenticeships involve in-depth learning, training and practical experience usually for a timeframe of several years for someone who has a commitment to a specific trade. An example might be a journeyman studying to become an electrician. Internships, on the other hand, tend to consist of much shorter durations and focus more on gaining a general knowledge and breadth of experience in a certain field.

Many college students desire internships but don’t know where to begin. Some believe they don’t have enough time in their already busy schedule to squeeze in one more thing. Others feel intimidated because they lack experience in the field. Some simply don’t know where to begin seeking out one. If this is you, don’t sweat it!  Start by speaking with your college guidance counselor about potential opportunities, or network with your favorite professor. You’d be surprised by the resources they may have to offer. Consider reaching out to local companies you’re interested in. Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience. They know this. Show enthusiasm and display a strong work ethic, and you’ll soon impress them. Don’t be afraid to network at the company you intern for. You never know what sort of lasting connections you might make while grabbing a coffee or donut in the break room. Be professional, dress to impress, and be prompt, reliable and eager. While you might not find yourself making the big bucks, consider it a win if you bring home even a small paycheck while advancing your knowledge in your field of study. And if you’re feeling crunched for time? Consider a summer internships when you’re home from college on break. It’s the perfect time to hone your skills. Like Jackson, you just might find yourself landing the job of your dreams!

For more on paid and unpaid internships, check out College to Career today!

Mark A. Griffin | Career Coaching, Christian Higher Ed HR, Job Search Tools

Integrate — Creating Successful Training and Development

Dec 20, 2020

Integrate — Creating Successful Training and Development

In our final example of integration of MVVs into HR practices, we will explore Training and Development (T&D). In the past 25 years, I have watched T&D dwindle to an almost nonexistent state in most companies. I could write a book on the impact of not investing in the development of your people, but you might find it boring. It is what it is, and it won’t change all that soon, unfortunately. But, as leaders of organizations, we must decide how we are going to right ourselves and guide our employees to work in alignment with our Missions, strive for our Visions and operate within our organizational Values.

Here are a few steps you can take to ensure you are addressing the T&D needs of your organization without going overboard:

• Discover what is needed
• Define what needs to be addressed
• Seek the resources to accomplish the T&D
• Initiate the T&D
• Follow up to ensure it was worth the investment

Discover what is needed

Do some basic fact-finding and discover the gaps within your organization. Simply going through a job description review project can help you discover what skills and abilities are lacking in your team. Summarize these by category and you will start to discover trends across your organization. Take it even further and include a development aspect to your performance review process, and document what development is needed by each of your employees. When you couple this with rewriting your company’s job descriptions, you will take it to a greater, more desirable level of detail.

Define what needs to be addressed

Without a good outline of what gap(s) needs to be closed, you have the potential to be scattered all over the place. Take the list of items that you captured during your assessment stage and better define what is needed. Employees stating they need ‘communication training” is, frankly, too broad. Do they need public speaking classes? Would they benefit from e-mail etiquette guidelines? Or is it interpersonal conflict resolution training that is needed? Just saying we need “communication training” paints in overly broad strokes.

Seek the resources to accomplish the T&D

 I am not generally an advocate of online training. While it may be good for some, I do not believe it is effective for the majority of employees. My experiences have demonstrated that people learn when there is real interaction. There is more than one way to develop and train an employee. For years, it has been customary to send people to seminars. That just does not happen much anymore.

Think outside the box.

A few years back, I was supporting a company that tragically allowed many immigrants to work without the benefit of English as a Second Language training for several years. When I discovered this, I was frankly outraged that these folks were never given the resources to better themselves. When the gap was discovered, I identified a resource, hiring a gentleman who had recently returned from Asia and who had been immersed in this same immigrant culture. He developed a curriculum to deliver and help these folks speak English for less than $1,500. Now, that is what building a ‘Kingdom Minded” organization is about. Ignoring the needs of your employees is not.

Follow up to ensure it was worth the investment

Another creative solution to a problem such as this is tasking an employee to become a trainer within an organization to deliver a topic that is relevant to the need that was discovered. One organization was lacking financial management skills within the company’s leadership. The American Management Association’s program, Finance for Non-Financial Managers, was delivered by an HR leader. Doing it in this fashion saved the company tens of thousands of dollars by avoiding sending managers out to seminars and also allowing the customization of the materials. 

Was it worth the investment? The CEO said it was. 

The CEO in this case witnessed an increase in the attention to detail of certain executives, an embrace of principles not so easily understood before, but it also gave him insight as to who were the “A” players versus who were the “C” players.

You’re probably wondering by now how this all fits into the integration of your organization’s Training and Development and its relation to the MVVs of the organization. I believe it dovetails, such as in the example of the Asian immigrant employees.

 When you honor your employees by developing them, they will honor you.

When you honor your employees by training them, they will honor you. And when God is reflected in your heart and the way you respect your employees by not only paying them correctly and protecting them with benefits, but truly caring about their development, your employees will see Christ in you.

So don’t look the other way when it comes to T&D. Your employees will see you in a whole different way.

We value your contribution.  What training and development programs have you worked with that were successful?  Why were they successful?

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Kingdom Company Building

Integrate — Creating Meaningful Communication Processes

Dec 12, 2020

Integrate — Creating Meaningful Communication Processes

The first question most management teams have after creating a new Mission, Vision and Values statement (MVV) for an organization is: What do we do with it? Integrating into all aspects of your HR processes is paramount to the success of your MVV. The heart of these processes typically lies within the communication processes and employee relations materials of the organization. Since HR typically controls this function, it becomes that much easier for them to communicate the MVV statement effectively.

There are countless avenues to share and ingrain your MVVs within your organization, as well as clients and customers. These can include but are not limited to:

• Your organization’s newsletter
• Your organization’s website
• Brochures in the front lobby as a takeaway for visitors
• Postings in employee break and meeting rooms
• Hand copies to applicants during employment interviews
• Your organization’s marketing materials
• The reverse side of your organization’s business cards
• Inclusion in the packaging of all shipments

If it is important enough for the company to include in the employee handbook, the recruitment process, the performance review process and the employee job descriptions, then it is certainly important enough to include in the above areas as well.

Several years ago, I worked with a company where more than a few of the employees were nervous about sharing the company MVVs with people outside of the organization. Their fear was that the Christian overtones in the MVV statement might offend customers in the Middle East. Others were nervous that prospective employees might be offended or misinterpret our intent.

When the smoke cleared and time went by, employees started to realize that the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages; it did much more good than bad. 

Ultimately, the majority of employees supported it, and, as a result, customers displayed a newfound confidence in us, and our integrity. The customers from the Middle East never complained, and we received more compliments than complaints from applicants. I believe that is how God works. When we stand for Him, unashamed, anything is possible. When we don’t, we are subject to a not so nice outcome.

What will you do? I say, be a difference maker, and be bold in your faith. At the end of your life, what will you tell God? I will say, “Father, I hope You can see I was not afraid and tried to be Your good and faithful servant.

How have you chosen to share your MVV with your employees? How about the community and your customers/clients? Let us know by sharing your comments below. Thank you.

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Kingdom Company Building

What Is a Mission?

Feb 11, 2020

Organizational Mission

All successful organizations have a Mission.  Without a Mission, well, no one will know what it is they are doing and why. Another problem organizations have when absent a Mission is that their customers and vendors often end up confused, having mixed expectations.

I have worked for many organizations in my time. Probably more than most, and I consider this to be a good thing. The reason I consider this a good thing is that the experiences that God has given me in these numerous and diverse organizations has made me a far more competent counselor to businesses across the marketplace than if I had occupied one narrow niche for most of my career.

One common denominator I have identified is that the businesses that are successful all have an established Mission  for their organization, a Mission that is co-developed by all of their employees and is ingrained into the culture of the organization. In fact, in high-performing organizations, candidates are exposed to the organizations ’s Mission before they’re even hired. Vendors know the Mission and Customers are aware, as well.

When Vendors know the Mission and Customers understand it, that’s enormously positive, but the most powerful and impactful group are your Employees. In my wealth of experience, I have discovered an absolute truth by simply listening to employees for more than 20 years. Fully 99 percent of all employees who come to work every day, want nothing more than to do a good job; in fact, most want to exceed your expectations.  It really is the American way. Work hard, play hard and love your life. The problem, though, that many organizations suffer from is a lack of leadership to help steer the organization.

Specifically, they lack leadership in creating a Mission that employees own and strive to achieve.

What is a Mission?

Your Mission is simply what you do best — every day ­— and why.  Your Mission should reflect your customers’ needs. Having a Mission is the foundation of turning the dreams and potential of an organization into reality.  So, in a nutshell, your Mission
simply affirms why your organization exists!

So what does a Mission consist of? Well, it really is not rocket science. It is simply what your organization collectively — yes, I said collectively — not top down management, or board of directors to management — developed. It works like this:

1. The senior management team develops a framework of what they believe the Mission is and should be.
2. Line management then takes the draft document to the line supervision.
3. Finally, employees and a good HR rep facilitate a roundtable session using the draft Mission as a guide.

You have a couple of reiterations, meetings back and forth, and then it’s time for “Congratulations!” because you now have a consensus on your Mission. Now, of course, when it is being facilitated, the facilitator must be skilled in getting everyone on board with the final product.

Key is letting your employees know that each one of them has an opportunity to challenge it, provide their personal input and suggest changes, but that, ultimately, when the majority of the employees and management agree to the final document, then it is up to all employees to respect it and support it.

Benefits of Creating or Revisiting Your Mission.

The benefit of creating a Mission or revisiting a current one is that it opens up the communication process inside of your organization.  An effective Mission is based on input and commitment from as many people within your organization as possible. A Mission statement should not be an autocratic version of Moses and the Tablets.  All of your employees must feel and understand your organization’s Mission.  Only then can they make the necessary personal commitment to its spirit.

Tips for great Missions:

• Keep it short.
• Describe WHY customers will buy from you.
• Define your product or service clearly.
• Identify WHO is your ideal customer.
• Specify WHAT you offer your customer — benefits, services, advantages, etc.
• Delineate what makes your product or service different from that of your competition.

Examples:

Google: “We organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Starbucks: “We inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”

Share with us your experiences with your organization’s Mission.  How was it created?  Who was involved, how would you have changed the process?  Is the Mission applicable to you and your coworkers?  Share with us and help the community to learn and grow.

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Kingdom Company Building

Why You Need Faith In The Workplace

Sep 16, 2019

Today’s churches sit empty. More than any other time in history, your employees spend increased amounts of time commuting to and from work, working in their workplaces, and working evenings and weekends, disengaged from their families and communities. These increased hours have resulted in employees spending more waking hours at work than they spend at home with their families, with friends or volunteering in their communities. Because of this, we all have an opportunity and a mission: a mission to reach those who need saving. This is the world’s untapped  harvest, a field of opportunity. And, as God proclaims, we need more workers into his fields.

Matthew  9: 35-38 (NIV) The Workers Are Few ³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

According to Pew’s 2014 Religious Landscape Survey, those who say they go to church or another house of worship at least once a week fell from 39 percent in 2007 to 35 percent in 2014. This number is probably misleading because many people may have embellished their attendance a bit out of a sense of guilt or obligation! However, assuming it is accurate that would leave a whopping 65% of U.S. residents not attending any religious services each week. This is a concern, because it clearly proves that, statistically speaking, your employees are probably not spiritually grounded.

This is where Christian business owners and executives
must step in to help God fill the void.

As a human resources professional with 25 years of experience in both public and private companies, I can tell you from firsthand experience that the lack of faith in our workplace affects every aspect of the workplace. Employees’ lack of time to focus on their own spiritual needs will undoubtedly affect productivity, quality and safety. Harder to measure but just as important, it affects their own and their coworkers’ morale. Employees lacking in faith will bring far more problems to the workplace than those who are seeking God or are Christ followers.

You can try to run your business without God.
Or you can include Him in your plans.
I urge you to include Him.
God is the ultimate business partner!

Therefore, those of us that are hesitant to embrace Christianity in the workplace must really look at it not only from a spiritual perspective, but from a business perspective as well.  Far from being self-serving, this shows the attitude of a responsible business owner, attempting to prosper their business for the financial security and future of their employees and employees’ families.

If you are a business owner, sometimes you might feel like your the only christian in the workplace. Often times these feelings are not necessarily accurate. They are real feelings, but we find many organizations have faithful Christians working along each other, they just are not aware of it because of the fear of talking about faith at work. We are not in the business of creating “religious companies”, on the contrary we are in the business of helping to create a “Kingdom Minded” company. There is a big difference.

 Makes Financial Sense

Leading a company with Christ-centered values just makes good business sense.  I believe that Christ-centered organizations can experience:

• Lower absenteeism
• Higher quality products
• Fewer employee morale issues
• Safer work environments
• Better perceptions by customers and vendors

 What I have found to work

You must have a Vision, Mission, and Core Values. Many business professionals stop there. I urge all of you to go further. Integrate your core values into your Human Resources practices. This will:

• Memorialize your standards
• Provide guiding principles in all you do
• Make your values easily understood by  employees
• Drive a values-based culture with your customers

Don’t just hang your Vision, Mission, and Core Values on the wall! Integrate, Integrate and then Integrate some more. Get your values into your culture and make it an intrinsic part of the way you work.

I believe that employees who work for an outwardly faith-based Christian organization are committed at a different level than those in non-faith-based organizations. Employees are more likely to go the extra mile, to trust their leadership, to deliver on their promises and be led by those who demonstrate Christ-like servant leadership, because they can!

Feel free to reach out to me and ask for my assistance in helping you develop and prosper a “Kingdom Minded” company. Contact Us

Have you worked for a company that has been outward in their faith?  What were some of the obstacles the leadership faced?  What were some of the benefits that the company enjoyed because of their desire to lead with principles?  What’s your opinion? we would like to know.

Post your comments below-

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Kingdom Company Building

Business Matters Roundtable Discussion Live 1080 WFYL Philadelphia PA

Nov 20, 2014

Recorded live November 18, 2014 on 1180 WFYL-AM Philadelphia PA

Mark, Bruce and Corinne discuss the current business climate and  how Christian business owners can prosper their businesses using sound HR Practices while being outward in their faith.

Have iTunes? Podcast is available through iTunes.

A  Little bit about: 1080 WFYL 

WFYL 1180 AM radio is located in the heart of historic Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The station lies in the center of an area rich in Godly and strategic history which has influenced the United States and the world.   We in this area stand on the figurative shoulders of many memorable and heroic figures.  WFYL strives with excellent local and national hosts, quality programming, and live internet streaming both to honor that heritage and to inform our listeners here and around the world of present-day notable news, encouraging them to build on the past to a better future.

A  Little bit about: Mark

Mark has a Bachelors degree in Human Resources from Saint Leo College and an MBA from Bloomsburg University.  Mark Lives in Lancaster Pennsylvania with his wife, Gail.  Mark and Gail attend LCBC Church. Having spent over 20 years working in Human Resources, Mark has encountered many changes in the workplace. Mark leads a HR Consulting firm he launched in 2011:  In HIS Name HR LLC .

Having authored the book, “How To Build Kingdom Minded Organizations”, Mark has become an authority on Christianity and the workplace.

Mark is passionate about the workplace, and  especially Christian business owners’ opportunity to reach their  employees.   He believes employees and  companies should work closely together to prosper the company for mutual purposes.

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Podcasts

Labor Day Special Christian Family Radio with Susan Woodard

Aug 27, 2014

During this Labor Day special broadcast, Mark A. Griffin and Susan Woodard discuss how Christian business owners can prosper their businesses using sound human resources practices that support their Christian values.

A little bit about Christian Family Radio…

Christian Family Radio transmits from Bowling Green, Glasgow, and Owensboro, Kentucky and can be heard by listeners across two dozen counties in Kentucky and about another dozen in northern Tennessee.

Christian Family Radio was the dream of board member James Chapman over 30 years ago. Upon returning from vacation, he and his wife shared with their youth group about a Christian radio station they had heard. The youth then made a covenant to pray for a full-time Christian radio station in the Bowling Green area. In 1984, a nonprofit corporation was set up to establish just such a station. Construction was approved in February 1985, and Christian Family Radio broadcast for the first time on April 23, 1986.

Tune in to these Kentucky radio programs at:

• 90.7 FM, Bowling Green
• 89.3 FM, Glasgow
• 91.7 FM, Owensboro

Have iTunes? Podcast is available through iTunes.

A little bit about Mark Griffin…

Mark has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from Saint Leo College and an MBA from Bloomsburg University. Mark lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife Gail. Mark and Gail attend LCBC Church.

Having spent over 20 years working in Human Resources, Mark has witnessed the varying, sometimes dramatic changes that workplaces undergo and has an established track record of effectively developing HR programming tailored to provide high-performance organizational results. Mark currently leads the HR consulting firm that he launched in 2011, In HIS Name HR LLC.

Since authoring the book “How To Build Kingdom Minded Organizations,” Mark has become an established authority on successfully implementing Christian values to create happy, healthy workplaces that benefit employees and employers alike.

Mark is passionate about the workplace and creating opportunities for Christian business owners to reach their employees. He strives to ensure that employees and companies work closely together to prosper the company for their mutual benefit.

Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Podcasts

Now Recruiting For: Controller New Holland PA

Jul 7, 2014

In an economy that is yielding very little career opportunities, we are excited to be retained by this wonderful growing organization that provides packaging and distribution for the organic and cage free egg market.

Controller 

Purpose of Position:

Mark A. Griffin | Now Recruiting For

Now Recruiting For: Maintenance Mechanic New Holland PA

Jun 2, 2014

Position Closed Want to get future vacancies and blog updates? Subscribe here: Click

Purpose of Position:  

The Maintenance Mechanic has primary responsibility for maintaining production and quality by ensuring operation of all Westfield’s egg grading and material handling equipment.

Essential Skills:

• Verbal Communication
• Professionalism
• Self-Confidence
• Detailed
• Ability to Multi-task
• Customer Service
• Basic Computer Skills

Essential Duties:

• Ensure operation of machinery and mechanical equipment by troubleshooting malfunctions and completing preventive maintenance requirements on egg grading equipment, power jacks and production printers by following diagrams, sketches, operations manuals, manufacturer’s instructions, and engineering specifications.
• Locate sources of problems by observing mechanical devices in operation; listening for problems; using precision measuring and testing instruments.
• Remove defective parts by dismantling equipment and examining parts.
• Determine changes in dimensional requirements of parts by inspecting used parts.
• Adjust functional parts of equipment and control instruments.
• Control downtime by informing production workers of routine maintenance techniques.
• Fabricate repair parts by using machine shop instrumentation and equipment including welders.
• Maintain equipment, parts, and supplies inventories by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed equipment, parts, and supplies; placing and expediting orders; verifying receipt.
• Conserve maintenance resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• Maintain technical knowledge by establishing personal networks.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Any other projects/duties as assigned by managers.

Hours:  Willingness to work Saturday if needed to perform proper preventive maintenance or to make repairs that are needed to be able to grade the following week.

Must be on site during grading hours unless prior notification and preparation is made. Must be willing to be flexible with break times and mealtimes so as to be able to work on machinery when not grading.

Mark A. Griffin | Now Recruiting For

Now Recruiting For: NY Sales & Marketing Administrative Assistant New Holland PA

May 19, 2014

Position Closed Want to get future vacancies and blog updates? Subscribe here: Click

In an economy that is yielding very little career opportunities, we are excited to be retained by this wonderful growing organization that provides packaging and distribution for the organic and cage free egg market.

NY Sales & Marketing Administrative Assistant

Mark A. Griffin | Now Recruiting For