Sum

mer

19Startup Internships

Playbook

Playbook Chapter 1

Version 1, Summer 2019 Images © 2017, Toby Burrows UTS Innovation & Entrepreneurship Unit Building 15, Level 2 622-632 Harris Street Ultimo NSW 2007 Australiaentrepreneurship.uts.edu.au

3

Welcome to the Startup Internships Playbook

Thank you for being involved in the Startup Internships program. You are directly providing an entrepreneurial learning experience to students who are hungry to learn entrepreneurial skills, in a practical setting.

Why a playbook Improving the process of internships for startups and startup communities

will mean mutually beneficial learning experiences. This playbook covers working with the Innovation Entrepreneurship Unit at UTS, preparing for an internship and commencing and managing an internship. At any stage in the Startup Internships experience, you can reach out to us for assistance or to answer your questions, by emailing entrepreneurship@uts.edu.au.

4

Working with us“UTS recognises the incredible potential of this generation of startup founders and business disruptors. We're fully committed to supporting our students to start that entrepreneurial journey.”

-Margaret Maile Petty, Executive Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, UTS.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UTS (IEU) The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit partners with industry, the local ecosystem and the emerging technology precinct here in Ultimo, to deliver entrepreneurial education experiences to students across the University.

Whether students are interested in creating a startup, working for one, or adding value within a future corporate industry career, our programs and opportunities will prepare them for jobs of the future, now.

By 2023 we plan to reach 50 per cent of our students with entrepreneurial experiences. Equipping students with the tools to think and work entrepreneurially will be critical to their success – whether they go on to start their own business or innovate within an organisation. Piloted in 2018, the Startup Internships program aims to introduce UTS students to startups and startup communities where they can apply learnings to real-world problems.

6

Startup Internships

The model● Students apply to the Startup Internships program. IEU sends a shortlist to the

Community Manager who organises interviews and matches the students directly with a startup;

● Students report to the Community Manager to ensure adequate desk space, accountability in the workplace, and manage uncertainty;

● Startups still oversee day to day work and are responsible for ensuring a positive learning experience;

● Students develop their problem solving and communication skills while getting insight into the local startup ecosystem.

The benefit for startups The UTS Startup Internships model minimises the risks and complications associated

with hiring an intern. It is inevitable that startups will need to expand their team as they grow. Through interns, founders can learn and evaluate what type of employees their startup requires, as well as what type of people they want to work alongside. It’s also a valuable chance for startups to develop their skills in effectively managing a team member. At the end of the internship, startups can identify what went well, and what could be improved, and take this on board for when they hire part-time or full-time employees. While UTS recommends that an internship end upon completion, the benefit to startups is that they can also bring on the intern in a paid role beyond the scope of the internship, should they wish.

The UTS Startup Internships program aims to facilitate mutually beneficial internships between students and startups.

8

ConnectFinding your internThe Startup Internships program will select suitable student candidates and match them to the startup, or community. Startups will then receive a shortlist to select and contact candidates for interviews. These interviews can be done in person, over the phone, or via video call. Once candidates are selected, the startup or community manager will notify the internships officer, and the student will receive a formal letter of offer. Once the student accepts this offer, the internship can progress.

Already found an intern?If you have already found a student who wishes to complete an internship with your startup, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit can facilitate the internship by helping the startup and student meet the internship requirements of the University. To book a time with the internships officer to find out more, email entrepreneurship@uts.edu.au.

9

PrepareBefore the internship commencesWhen deciding whether to take on an intern, it is important that startups have a clear understanding of the skill gaps in their team and a realistic idea of how an intern can meaningfully contribute to their business. An internship should provide both a valuable learning experience for the student, and continued growth of the business. Once matched, the intern and startup should meet to discuss learning goals, work plans and timelines in order to meet the learning requirements of the University and the needs of the business.

The UTS CareerHub workflowUTS utilises a platform called the UTS CareerHub, which organises many aspects of student career education and development. Internships are managed by a process called a ‘workflow’, which will be referred to within this document, and in communication between UTS staff, community managers and students. Individual startups are usually not required to be involved in this process.

No internship can commence before it is approved via the UTS CareerHub platform. The student must register the internship and complete the necessary workflow (see above). This may require the community manager to approve the internship via email or signed declaration. This ensures the student is protected by insurance and helps confirm that the startup is meeting Fair Work requires.

Carefully consider• Legal and financial consequences; if unpaid interns are undertaking tasks which are not

directly related to their course of study (for-credit internships especially); • Allocating time; as interns will have a lack of experience, startups will need to allocate time

for training and learn how to effectively manage and support an intern;• Finding a balance; weigh up priorities between the growth of the business and the growth of

the intern and their experience.

Types of internshipsDepending on the type of internship, learning goals, duties, hours and expectations will vary. There are different forms of internships at UTS, and the Startup Internships program accommodates all of these, in order to allow the best fit both for the student, and the startup. These are:

• Paid internship (for course credit, approved by the faculty, employment contract applies); • Paid (not for course credit, employment contract applies);• Unpaid internship (for course credit, approved by the faculty); • Voluntary internship (unpaid, not for course credit, approved by IEU).

UTS requires that all students undertaking a UTS

internship, complete an internship workflow, through the UTS

CareerHub platform. There are different steps in the process

depending on the internship. Some students may require a signed

agreement form, and some may require electronic approval from the organisation. The IEU team will be able to guide startups through this

process in the case of any difficulties.

10

Your obligations to internsDepending on the internships, there are different levels of liability for startups, and communities. If the community is hosting unpaid interns, there is a requirement that adequate workplace health and safety procedures are in place. Once the Community Manager (or equivalent) confirms this with UTS, the internship can begin.

For course-creditDepending on the faculty and subject, students will need to complete a set-number of hours and specific tasks to satisfy course requirements. For communities that have multiple interns, this may mean that there are different hour-requirements for different students. The internships officer and the student will be able to confirm exactly what is expected by the University.

Paid-internshipsAn employment contract comes into effect when the internship is paid. The minimum wage in Australia depends on the industry and award, and therefore cannot be immediately stated without some understanding of the internship role. For minimum wage requirements, by industry award, see www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/minimum-wages

Unpaid, voluntary (not for course-credit) internships UTS offers students the option to undertake an unpaid internship, not for course-credit, in order to allow students to develop professionally. Some key guidelines around these internships are:

• The internship is only for 210 hours (30 working days) or less; • The student is not required to perform activities that would usually be done by an employee.

Some examples of ‘work’ could include: delivery driving, setting up an accounting system for a business, doing banking, booking travel and hotels, etc.

• The student is motivated to do the internship by the desire to improve their job prospects, or for social or community reasons;

• The student has some flexibility about when they attend; • The student can end the internship on short notice (without any formal notice); • It will also be required that a UTS Voluntary Placement Agreement is signed between the

student, and the 'host organisation' (which is signed by the community manager, or equivalent).

Confidentiality and intellectual property Startups and communities may want to protect valuable IP, maintain confidentiality around business opportunities and ideas, etc. There is a UTS recommended template for creating a contract between a UTS student, and a startup hosting the internship. This template can be adapted to suit the startup’s needs, and should be signed by both parties before the commencement of the internship. This would be a contract directly between a startup and an individual only, wherein UTS is not a party. Contact us at entrepreneurship@uts.edu.au to request this resource.

Useful links For minimum wage requirements, by industry award, see www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/minimum-wages

For guidance in creating a contract and setting internship wages, visit www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/unpaid-work/work-experience-and-internships

UTS also provides a service for employers called Intern Connect. This manages all aspects of employing UTS students, including super and workers comp insurance, which is then invoiced to the employer. To find out more about Intern Connect, go to www.wehire.uts.edu.au

More guidelines and legalities around unpaid internships:www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/unpaid-work/work-experience-and-internshipsMore guidelines around activities which are appropriate for an unpaid internship: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/unpaid-work/student-placements

13

When planning the first day of an internship, these “do’s” and “don'ts” are a helpful way of auditing your workspace and practices to ensure the smooth induction experience. It’s also a good thing to check in with yourself and your team intermittently.

Do’s Don'ts•Do block out an hour for orientation •Do ask questions and encourage the intern to ask questions

•Do provide written task lists•Do provide quantifiable goals (weekly)•Do lead by example and aim for mutual respect

•Do have regular face-to-face meetups•Do establish best methods of daily communications

•Do invite them to meetings and activities

•Do provide constructive feedback and encourage them to share their ideas

•Do show how their tasks will impact the company

•Do encourage all staff to set some time to approach the intern

•Do be a mentor•Do help them reflect at the end of their internship

•Do continue to have fun and ensure your intern is a part of that!

Don’t discourage your intern from approaching you (e.g. closing your office door, wearing headphones consistently)Don’t have high expectationsDon’t check in too muchDon’t forget their interests and passionsDon’t lie to your internDon’t discourage initiativeDon’t be reactiveDon’t be impatientDon’t overload your internDon’t spend just 30 seconds reviewing their workDon’t be aggressive or intimidating Don’t fail to plan authentic learning experiencesDon’t make your intern bring coffees unless you’re going with them!

Image: Pixabay

14

Examples for creating learning goals, primary duties, tasks and a work planSome examples of a Voluntary Internship (that is, unpaid and not for course-credit) learning goals, duties and a work plan. Students need to submit this information as part of the CareerHub workflow.

Example 1:

Learning goals:

Understanding marketing plans

Primary Duty:

Develop a draft marketing plan

Task week one:

Draft marketing plan

· Overview of marketing materials, messaging and brand identity of the organisation

· Identify existing and new channels for reaching our audience

· Research case studies of successful campaigns which relate to this startup

· Source some campaign ideas which could produce new leads in these channels

· Provide a draft strategy plan around one possible campaign approach

Goal:

Summary email

One page report

Present to supervisor

Plan a team ideation meeting

2-3 page draft marketing plan

Example 2:

Learning goals:

Understanding product market fit

Primary Duty:

Develop a user survey for distribution

Task week one:

Develop a user experience survey

· Overview of current product offering, market, opportunities and limitations

· Identify hypothesis questions to test

· Develop draft survey to approve

· Present summary overview, hypothesis questions and draft survey to startup

· Incorporate feedback and reiterate

Goal:

Summary 1 page doc

Summary 1 page doc

Presentation with PPT

Final survey for approval

15

What makes a relevant learning experience? Daily tasks are not always as interesting as we want them to be, however here are some ideas to make sure tasks are educational and aid in the development of the intern:• Always ensure that there is adequate workspace for the intern and that

disruptions are managed;• Ask the intern to read or watch tutorial material before using new

software tools or applications, then create a list of questions to ask;• Have an intern complete simpler tasks first, have them present the work

for feedback, and then allocate on larger, more complex activities;• Completing reflections, retrospectives and providing key learnings from

the activity that was just completed;• Attending ideation meetings, taking notes, being part of collaborative

meetings and discussions, observing client meetings, etc. Encourage note taking and reflections;

• Check-in intermittently, whether that happens a few times a day, or at the beginning and end of the day, depending on the nature of the tasks;

• As a general rule, interns should be able to complete tasks from their assigned work places (those indicated on their CareerHub workflows), at least 85% of the time;

• Remember; checking in for a coffee, lunch or just going for a walk around the block can help put the intern at ease, encourage open communication and provide you with a chance to impart your knowledge and insights.

What a great internship could look likeMary was successful in securing an internship with a fintech startup at a community in the middle of the city. The firm was only a few years old, but was already employing several staff, and positioned in a dynamic co-working space. On her first day, Mary was greeted by a welcoming Community Manager, who explained where she could find whatever she needed. A meeting was already scheduled with the startup founder, and before long Mary was reviewing her work plan with the startup. She was surprised to find that the learning goals she spoke about when she spoke with the community manager on the phone had been printed across the top of her work plan and regular catch up meetings already programmed for the ten weeks of her internship.

In the very first day, she met the whole team, was able to attend a planning meeting, grabbed coffee with the product manager and even helped to create some copy for an ongoing social media campaign. She was sure that it would be a productive, rewarding experience and she couldn't wait to start the next day.

Image: Pixabay

Remember: At any time at all, our team can be contacted to provide advice or to answer questions.

16

What an internship shouldn't look likeTom was matched with a social enterprise startup, providing legal research support. He was extremely excited to start, and could hardly sleep the night before. He negotiated his schedule and first day with his supervisor, by email, the week prior.

On his first day, Tom’s supervisor was pulled into an urgent meeting, and Tom reported to another team member, whom he'd never met, to proceed with his induction. The team member was not briefed that Tom was arriving, and so he panicked. Tom was given a pile of expense receipts to enter into a spreadsheet. Midway through the task, a team member from a different startup in the community, angrily told Tom to move from his desk, as Tom had unknowingly set up in the wrong workspace. Flustered and confused, Tom sat on the floor, as he wasn't sure which desk to use, and completed the task. After this, he was given a phone call list, and asked to make sales cold-calls to potential clients, which he did, though he had not yet had any training in sales. Most of the calls went unanswered, and so he finished earlier than expected. Tom was asked to head home early, as there wouldn't be any more work until the supervisor was free.

Image: Pixabay

17

Boosting engagementAnother consideration is how to make the workplace an engaging environment. This helps to attract and retain staff. Some good ideas here could be: • Weekly team lunch or coffee runs;• A team email update;• A sincere thank-you for a task or project being completed;• A sample of your product or some branded merchandise; • Celebrating wins and bragging about team members; • Including people as much as possible in meetings or discussions,

if time permits;• Team morale-building such as table tennis and other games.

Feedback, reflections and evaluation During the internship, it is important to give feedback to the intern in an appropriate way, that enhances their learning and development, and boosts productivity and success for the business. The internship officer will check in during the internship to ensure that things are going well for you and for the intern. We value your input in the process, your contribution to the model and your feedback on the process. An official evaluation form will be sent to you, approaching the end of the internship. At any time, should you want to provide feedback on any element of the process, please do so by contacting us.

Enjoying the internship experience Internships are as great as we want to make them. By using this playbook as a guide, and by involving your interns in the process as much as possible, we will see many positive learning experiences take shape across the internship period. Students will ignite their passion for entrepreneurship, and startups will be energised by the creativity and innovation of students. On behalf of the University, we want to thank you for being part of shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs, startup founders and innovators. As we all shoulder the responsibility to create the culture we wish to see, we can also all be proud of what we will achieve in collaboration.

Happy internships!

Contact us

Innovation Entrepreneurship Unitentrepreneurship@uts.edu.au

entrepreneurship.uts.edu.au