Every year, usually between February and May, university & college students from all around Belgium carry out internships within the framework of their studies. Many 3rd year Bachelors students and MBA students require internships in the 2nd semester of their school year to complete their degrees. These internships are on average 3 months, however depending on the domain and school the length and period may vary.
Inters can be a great cost-effective (usually free !) addition to a startup by bringing in young people with a new perspective and skills sets you might not yet have in your team. And who knows, you might even find yourself a new permanent member in the end of it !
Where to find interns ?
A great way to start is by putting your offer on websites such as www.student.be or jobteaser.com. Also, many schools create their own internship database for their students, so don’t hesitate to contact school in the domain you are looking for students in.
And ofcourse you can always announce it on your own website and social media platforms.
what are the general rules in Belgium ?
– You need to write a contract detailing the tasks and activities which will be carried out during the internship. Many school already have templates where you just need to complete.
– Paying interns is usually optional, it all depends of their school
– There is no legal duration for internships, but of course it’ll most likely be determined by the student’s school
– Students carrying out internships within the framework of their studies are insured by their school the internship.
– Students from outside of the EU don’t need a work permit for the internship if it’s done within the framework of their studies.
The interview :
Just like any recruitment interview it’s important to make sure the student is motivated, would be able to carry out the tasks required and adhere to your company’s values. And don’t forget, to make sure it’s a right match inform yourself on what the intern expects from this experience and what their motivations are.
Starting the collaboration
We suggest that you use the first week to smoothly integrate your new intern into your team because in the begging they’ll surely be lost (and probably a little nervous about the new job !).
Also, it’s a good idea to have a sort of daily meeting with him/her to make sure everyone is on the same page and things are running smoothly. And, a task list could also be an excellent tool to helps them stay on track.
Evaluation time !
You’ll most likely be required to fill out an evaluation form from the school during and/or at the end of the internship.
And so, interns can be an amazing new addition to your team but it’s advised you only hire them if you have the time and patience. It’ll most like benefit no one if you hire a student with the goal of just getting a new pair of hands to do the work no one else wants to do !
Extra tips:
- Announce the role on your website
- Consider the branding of your company to attract them
- Give them responsibilities and opportunities to express their best skills
- Encourage interaction with other interns and colleagues to share best practices
- Use tools like Trello or google drive to share to do’s and documents
Meet the interns collaborating with us and our coworkers :
Special thanks to our members Guillaume Tourniaire, Theodore Taymans, Marieke Sopers who shared their knowledge and contributed to this exchange of best practices
#Growing Together
Discover our calendar here
Special thanks to our members Guillaume Tourniaire, Theodore Taymans, Marieke Sopers who shared their knowledge and contributed to this exchange of best practices
#Growing Together
Discover our calendar here