Future Business Leaders: Student Workers
and Interns
Volume 13, Number 16
Issue 616
Student workers are like sponges in that they absorb everything that you tell them and that you rarely have to re-train them from bad experiences elsewhere.
Clients often ask me, "What is the value of a company?" I reply, "The value of goodwill is truly centered on the value of the collection of an entities' employees. It's the employees that add value to the company." The passion, enthusiasm of students and interns give a company tremendous new value. Maybe my little accounting firm has lasting value after all.
As a company matures, so does its customer base. All generations' money is green, not just the older generation's. The business that matures by bringing in new waves (generations) of customers must do so through the use of innovative ideas to redefine its target markets. What were once target markets are no longer the ideal target markets. Put new demographics on your staff to help redefine your model customers.
Don't underestimate this new Millennium Generation that is following the X and Y Generations. Their purchasing power is important. They want to work for and spend their money at companies that have recycling programs and are sensitive to environmental, ethical and political issues.
My ally Rusty Martin, President of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, is a great fan of this new Millennium Generation--the ones that were in high school on September 11, 2001. He feels that this generation is the one that is most like Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation of the 1940s--among other things, wanting God, wanting great grades, caring about the environment, shunning drugs and alcohol and wanting to become responsible adults now, responsible to themselves, elders and their community. Having money doesn't appear to be important to this generation--ethical and responsible practices towards God, Country, Community and the Environment appear to matter most.
Embrace young people into your company. Start an Internship Program! Start a Scholarship Program! Create a part-time job position! Bring a young person into your company--you will become enriched. Only small amounts of money are involved, but you will be rich in the experiences that you both will receive. What you will pay them is a fraction of what you will receive in fresh new ideas, computer savvy, business awareness, environmental and community awareness and target market redefinition.
Young people--specifically, student workers--create urgency in my office, in their own way, and because of that, they affect change in their culture. My passion brings out excitement in them, and then they bring more passion out in me. Student workers have an intoxicating air about them and, most importantly, they survive in the face of obstacles by radiating confidence while they determine the proper solution to a problem at-hand.
Students who have high-profile jobs push their peers from the status quo by being innovative leaders. That's success in the marketplace! By being their employer, I've singled them out as a leader for their own peer group. The best future business leaders are the ones that get hooked early on entrepreneurialism by applying their innovation, creativity and fearlessness to capitalism.
Businesses that surround themselves with a workforce of only older, established workers are ignoring important trends in how our society is evolving. If a business only has a workforce of college graduates who are well-established in their careers and families, they will have "blinders" on to the importance of 16-24 year olds' purchasing power and their impact on society.
Student workers have an extreme amount of loyalty and ethics when it comes to employment. They often want the odd-hours and stressful work situations that other workers don't. In fact, if someone doesn't have preconceived opinions about "difficult" or "stressful," that usually means it isn't.
I urge each company to outreach to create a student worker position with their firm. The financial investment is miniscule compared to the benefit that will be received. Do you know an X or Y Generation young person (about ages 22 to 32) or Millennium Generationers that is successful? If you are the parent or a close friend of an innovative, smart and creative young person, it's your duty to push them towards their outer limit in the business world so that they can make discoveries about themselves and not just always be a simple follower. Exercise their work ethics and limitations--push them until they discover their limit and react. Train them to be entrepreneurs by letting them see all the costs and profits of success--monetary and non-monetary. If they break, I hope that they will let you pick up the pieces and rebuild with them. Don't be afraid--they need you!
David B. Robinson, CPA
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