It's not easy to find the right person for a job. Weeding through resumes and conducting interviews can be time consuming and even discouraging if no one really seems to stand out. Finding quality interns isn't any easier; however, if you offer quality candidates internships that provide them opportunities to apply what they've learned at school and to participate in work groups with regular employees, you will probably solve the problem of how to find quality new hires.

More and more, companies are looking to former interns when they want to hire someone for an entry-level job. This can work out well if the company provides a challenging and enjoyable internship, and if the interns are hard working, qualified, and eager to learn and become a part of the team. Jim Stroud, in his article "When Recruiting Interns Remember, You Can't Fake Being 'Cool,'" he recounted a story about an intern who had a disappointing experience interning with Intel. The intern in question told a friend who then told Stroud, and the story continues to spread, because students will talk about their internships. And they'll talk more about a bad internship experience because they feel cheated. The complaints of the Intel intern got around to the career services department of his university and they are no longer interested in working with Intel. According to Stroud, "many companies have blacklisted themselves at major universities" by not providing enjoyable internships.

Dr. John Sullivan, Professor of Management at San Francisco State University's College of Business offers 13 ways to find quality interns in his article "Internships: Recruiting the Very Best College Interns."

First: Make use of graduate assistants because they often work closely with the best students.

Second: Use interns who are already doing internships with your company. Dr. Sullivan suggests paying the interns a stipend to recruit other students.

Third: Seek help from recent graduates who are new hires with your company.

Fourth: Use student referrals. Offer some sort of compensation ( i.e. mugs with the company logo, daily planners, t-shirts, etc.) to students who send top candidates to your company for internships.

Fifth: Use online contests to attract students and assess the level of talent that's currently in the market.

Sixth: Use professional student groups. Offering to sponsor the group or one of their meetings, Dr. Sullivan says, will give them a positive of impression of your
company, which can serve you well when seeking referrals.

Seventh: Use networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Eighth: Conduct Internet searches, looking for students who have won
scholarships or awards.

Ninth: Enlist the aid of faculty internship advisors. They know which students are looking for internships and which ones show the most promise.

Tenth: Offer scholarship contests.

Eleventh: Request faculty referrals, but be prepared for the possibility of rejection. Not all faculty agree with this practice.

Twelfth: Attempt to recruit student mentors.

Thirteenth: Purchase an ad in a campus newspaper.

These methods can help you to find just the right candidate for the internship your company is offering.