Making Internships Work:

The Masa Israel Internship

Handbook for Israeli Employers

contents
Opening

Introduction

Section 1 - Getting Started: Preparing the Organization

Section 2 - Bringing Interns into the Organization: Effective Onboarding

11

Section 3 - Intern Off-boarding: Recognition, Evaluation and Assessment

14

Summary

16

Appendix A - Sample Job Description

18

Appendix B - Interns speak

20

Appendix C - Intern Evaluation

21

written by
Manny Contomanolis, PhD
Trudy Steinfeld, MA

Design:

Dear Partners,
Masa Israel provides the opportunity for every young Jew, aged 18-30, to enjoy a life-changing experience
in Israel for a period of at least five months. Masa Israel participants are channeled into programs which
match their fields of interest; they are provided with scholarships, counseling and support throughout the
process. These young adults develop a bond with the state of Israel, Israelis and Jewish life.
Masa Israel has developed a number of internship-focused programs targeting to young Jewish adults
with academic backgrounds from leading institutions in the United States and around the world. These
Masa participants travel to Israel to gain professional experience in their chosen fields, based on prior areas
of study, abilities and professional experience. They are placed in a wide range of organizations: small and
medium-sized businesses, international corporations, NGOs and government ministries.
Masa participants are highly educated and strongly motivated. They bring an international perspective and
have tremendous potential to contribute to their place of employment, both on a personal level through
their encounters with Israelis, and on a professional level.
A meaningful, quality internship experience greatly contributes to the organizations in which these interns
work as well as to the interns understanding of and personal affiliation with Israel. The experience even
encourages many to consider a personal and professional future in Israel. Those who choose to return to
their home communities abroad do so with a stronger affinity and relationship with Israel; they act as
young ambassadors for Israel in their communities.
This booklet was prepared for you, organizers of internship programs and organizations/companies that
take on interns. It is designed to help the internship program succeed. The booklet contains information
and advice on how to successfully absorb an intern, and how the organization can benefit from the
arrangement in a meaningful way. Here you will find guidance on developing an effective job description,
steps involved in choosing the most suitable intern, how to absorb interns into the organization and
mentor them, and examples of successful internship programs.
This booklet is the result of ongoing dialog with you and is designed to help and serve you in the most
efficient manner possible. We would be delighted to address any questions, observations, remarks and
needs that arise during the course of your work.
Sincerely,
Ayelet Shiloh-Tamir
CEO, Masa Israel

4 | Making Internships Work

The young talent we can attract and acquire through internship programs is the key to
the success of our company, now and in the future, here and across the globe. Talent is too
important and the economic stakes are too great to ignore the value and contributions of
interns.
Dan Black, Director, Americas Campus Recruiting, Ernst & Young, LLP

Introduction
The success of any organization depends on its
people and the success of any economy - local or
global - depends on the productivity, creativity,
knowledge, and innovation of those that work in it.
In an increasingly complex and competitive world
talent is the essential component of any successful
venture.
This handbook was prepared to assist you in
making the most effective use of one of the most
critical sources of talent for your organization
university educated interns. Internships are one of
the fastest growing methods that organizations
around the world are using to identify, recruit, and
hire the talent they need to grow their organization
or business. This is true whether the organization
is a small start-up, a government agency, or a large
corporation or whether one intern or a team of 20
interns is being employed.
In the case of the nation of Israel, the need to
acquire and develop the very best talent available
becomes even more critical. The political and
economic strength of the nation indeed its
survival and success depend on the effectiveness
of all its institutions, agencies, and organizations:
large or small; public or private; business or
government. Through Masa Israel accredited
programs, talented and motivated college and
university graduates from around the world are
attracted to internship opportunities in Israel.
Through these internships participants learn, grow,
and experience life in this amazing country. Many
of these interns, as a result of their experiences,
opt to dedicate their professional and personal
lives and futures to Israel. Even those who opt to
return to their home country or region become

ambassadors and spokespersons for the nation,

sharing with others what they learned during their
internship experience.

What is an internship?
Internships are work experiences for a set period of
time during which the intern actively contributes
to the work of the organization and by doing
so learns more about a particular career field,
employer, business, government or not-for-profit
entity. Internships usually range from five months
to a year, may feature a full-time or part-time work
schedule, and involve either students who have
already completed their university degrees or are in
the process of doing so and are participating in an
internship to gain both experience and academic
credit. Interns through Masa Israel accredited
programs also participate in complementary
activities including Hebrew and travel throughout
Israel.

Why host an intern?

The rapidly growing success of internships can be
attributed to the value they bring to the two key
partners the employing organization and the
intern. The benefits are clear:
The organization can increase productivity by
using intern talent to help complete existing
projects, launch new ones, and introduce new
ideas, new energy and new perspectives to the
business or agency.
Existing organization employees benefit from
the opportunity to utilize interns in their
Making Internships Work | 5

own work creating opportunities to take on

new or more demanding tasks. Further, many
organization employees are enriched by the
experience of mentorship and guidance they
can provide to interns.
Finding future employees and helping shape
that talent to the needs of the organization is
made possible through internship programs.
Employers can test-drive new intern talent
and make better decisions about who to
hire for the long-term. Global research on
internships suggests that interns who go to
work for their employer upon the completion
of their internships stay longer, are promoted
more quickly, and are more productive than
those hired by the company and organization
that did not have an internship experience
with the organization.
The organization contributes to the overall
education of the student strengthening the
talent pool and benefiting society and the

6 | Making Internships Work

country as a whole. Many students upon the

completion of their Masa Israel experience have
chosen to make Israel their permanent home.
Interns who do not remain in Israel are able
to articulate to others outside of Israel a rich
and meaningful experience that profoundly
influenced their lives.
Many employer organizations around the world
have developed very sophisticated large-scale
internship programs and use these programs to
recruit the majority of their entry-level hires. On
a global scale most interns, however, work for
small and emerging organizations. A growing
number of universities in nearly every country in
the world similarly offer these programs to enrich
the students education and form productive
partnerships with the employing organizations.
Masa Israel partners with universities around the
world to attract the best and brightest students for
internships in Israel.

Section 1 - Getting Started: Preparing the Organization

We spend a great deal of time in ensuring that our company is ready to take maximum
advantage of the interns we hire. We expect our interns to be incredibly productive but
also to have a wonderful experience and tell their friends about the great organization they
were a part of. Those happy interns may not only become valuable employees but also loyal
customers. Setting the stage for the interns within our company is key.
Kerry Olin, Senior Director, Talent Acquisition - College, Microsoft Corporation

Preparing your organization and team for an

intern is a critical step that most organizations
skip assuming instead that finding a person,
giving them a desk, a project, and a supervisor
is as much preparation as is necessary. Position
your organization for success by completing the
following activities before any interns arrive.

and gain meaningful experience. Assignments that

are progressively challenging, provide a variety of
experiences, and align with the interns academic
preparation and career interests, and that provide
real value to the organization greatly enhance
prospective candidate interest in the assignment
and the motivation to perform well.

Identify intern projects and tasks

Developing the intern job description

The ideal internship assignment will:

Provide real work experience for the intern
that directly supports the goals and objectives
of your organization.

An effective job description is a critical component

to hosting Masa Israel interns at your organization.
Masa Israel interns come from top tier institutions
around the globe and have many internship
options to choose from. These interns can afford
to be very selective when applying to internship
programs. They will be making the decision of which
programs to apply to based on the description of
the internship opportunity and the type and scope
of responsibilities described.

Include assigned tasks that have clear outcomes

or deliverables and provide an appropriate level
of challenge to the intern.
Provide some flexibility that allows, based on
intern performance, for additional tasks to be
assigned or adjustments to be made to further
accommodate the interns strengths and
abilities or the organizations shifting needs
and requirements.
Allow for the intern to gain broad exposure
to the organization, its culture, and its
leadership.
Particular care should be given to making sure that
there are sufficient projects to fill the full length
of the internship assignment and that there are
employees in the organization who are invested
in those projects and supportive of the concept of
utilizing interns to complete them.
Interns want to learn new things, grow their skill set,

Intern job descriptions should:

Clearly describe your organization (if your
agreement with the internship program that
sends interns to your organization allows) and
the specific departments or areas in which the
intern will work.
Define in specific terms the interns job
duties, responsibilities and expectations
and, as applicable, any desired outcomes or
deliverables.
Describe the desired skills, competencies,
experiences, and qualifications of intern
candidates.
Detail the interns reporting structure and
Making Internships Work | 7

the assignment.

responsibilities.
Opportunities for additional formal training,
participation in organizational activities, and
exposure to key organizational leaders.

Be a mentor and advisor, as necessary, to help

the interns put their work and experiences in the
context of a broader career and professional life.

Any additional information relevant to the

assignment including work schedule/hours;
dress code; stipends or allowances (e.g. for
meals, housing, transportation).

Be able to treat the interns with the respect

appropriate to them as potential future
colleagues.

See Appendix
descriptions.

A.

for

sample

intern

job

Preparing and engaging your

employees
It is vital that not just key organizational leaders
understand and support your internship program
but that employees likely to work with and
supervise interns are fully engaged and enthusiastic
about the program. This support is especially
important in organizations where utilizing interns
is a relatively new concept. Interns should be fully
embraced by the organization and fully integrated
into its operations. Its helpful for key leaders to
communicate broadly within the organization
about the benefits of internship programs, the
specific goals and objectives for the programs,
and to express their enthusiastic support for the
effort. Organizational emails and related internal
communications as well as employee meetings
and informational sessions are effective ways to
build employee understanding and engagement.
The role of the intern supervisor is essential to
the intern's success. Potential supervisors should
be carefully selected and ideally demonstrate the
following attributes:
Be a positive role model for and a strong
advocate of the organization.
Be knowledgeable of the organization, its
culture and its people.
Be available to the intern and willing to answer
questions providing appropriate guidance and
direction.
Be an effective teacher and instructor by
helping the intern to learn whats necessary to
8 | Making Internships Work

Be able to provide positive and constructive

feedback and a fair evaluation of the interns
performance.

Marketing your internship program

Recognizing that Masa Israel has various
distribution channels in place to advertise your
organizations internship positions, it is still
important to ensure that you are able to attract
the most qualified candidates possible. Potential
intern applicants will routinely collect as much
information as possible before determining what
internship is the right one to apply to.
Enhance your intern marketing efforts by
considering the following:
Provide the program with which you work
with a detailed intern job description and
comprehensive overview of your organization.
Allow for sufficient lead-time to ensure the
information can be broadly disseminated.
Ensure your organizations web site is
current, easy to navigate and includes as
much information as possible to help provide
candidates a fuller understanding of your
organizations mission and goals, the unique
aspects of your internship program, and your
connection to Masa Israel and the program
with which you work.
Develop a one-page program summary that
provides potential intern candidates with key
information and points them to where they
can find additional details about internship
opportunities and application procedures. The
summary should be available in a variety of
formats (e.g. hard copy as well as electronic
versions) so that it can be easily distributed
through diverse channels.

 Utilize your existing employees to market

the internship programs through their own
personal and professional networks to students
from abroad.

Selecting the intern

Selecting the right intern is among the most
critical of steps in establishing and operating
an outstanding internship program. The Masa
Israel accredited program that you work with
vets candidates through its application process;
however, the more information you can provide
about the internship, the better the chance for
a great match. Ideally, the intern selected will be
fully capable of undertaking the tasks identified
by your organization and able to demonstrate the
skills you desire. By the same token, the intern will
ideally feel highly motivated to learn, grow and
perform during the internship assignment with
your organization.
The intern candidates you will likely attract
through Masa Israel accredited programs
include outstanding students and graduates
from prestigious universities around the world.
These candidates will likely have internship
choices to choose from and so its important for
the employing organization to treat the intern
candidates as potential clients or customers. The
internship recruiting and selection process is
consequently a two-way street during which the
employer is evaluating the candidate as much as
the candidate is evaluating the employer both are
searching for the perfect match. Every candidate
interacting with your organization, regardless of
selection outcome, should feel good about the
experience and have a positive impression of your
organization. Commitment to this type of process
greatly strengthens the talent brand appeal of
your organization; a very positive and powerful
tool not only in further attracting talent but also
in building a pool of future clients, customers,
business partners, supporters, and patrons in the
future as those intern candidates progress in their
careers.
The three keys to a successful selection process
include the following:

Be sure to organize and prioritize those abilities,

skills, and experiences you value in candidates
and assess those as part of the process. Ideally,
chart those in an interview form you can
use to summarize candidate strengths and
weaknesses. Typical candidate selection criteria
include:
 People skills the ability to work effectively
with others
 Communication skills ability to write and
speak effectively
 Technical or other skills specifically related
to the position
 Job experience
 Education and other forms of training
 Volunteer experiences
 Recommendations from professors and/
or prior employers
Work with the Masa Israel accredited program
which supplies you interns so that the program
knows what your needs and selection criteria
are.
Include the right people in the selection
process. Rely not just on the views of the
interns supervisor but also involve others
in the organization as part of the interview
process to ensure a diversity of observations
and insights regarding the candidates.
Become highly proficient in conducting
interviews whether in person or over the
phone. Behavioral interviewing is the most
popular and effective way to focus on a
candidates qualifications and abilities. In
simple terms the behavioral interview assumes
that the best predictor of future performance
is past performance. Consequently, rather
than general questions such as What are
your strengths? behavioral interviewing asks
the candidate to provide specific examples to
help substantiate any responses to interviewer
questions. If your organization, for example, is
looking for candidates who work effectively in
a team setting, the interviewer might ask the
intern candidates to describe a situation in
which they worked with a team to achieve a
Making Internships Work | 9

certain outcome, probing into the candidates

roles, responsibilities, and contributions.
Another way to think about this approach is
often described as the STAR system: ask the
candidates to describe a Situation, the Task
that was to be completed, the Actions taken by
the candidates and the Result of their efforts.

10 | Making Internships Work

Time and effort invested in preparing for

interview; conducting it well; and keeping
focus on the fit between the position and
candidates skills, experiences, and interests
always pay off in better candidate selection.

the
the
the
will

Section 2 - Bringing Interns Into the Organization: Effective

Onboarding
Our organization believes that a great start to the internship is more likely to result in a
great finish. From the moment interns arrive we engage them fully in their assignments
and the culture of our company.
Adam Ward, Director Staffing, Qualcomm Corporation

Bringing interns into the organization often

referred to as onboarding is a critical step that
significantly influences the overall success of the
internship program. Current best practices among
leading global organizations include a variety of
strategies designed to do everything possible to
ensure the intern is productive and fully engaged.

Pre-arrival
intern

Pre-arrival activities within your

organization

Provide them with any documents or other

materials you would like them to review prior
to their arrival.

Communicate within your organization that

interns will be joining your team reminding
employees of the goals for the program and
sharing with them pertinent information
about the interns background and experiences
as well as their anticipated job responsibilities
and project assignments. This is a good
opportunity, as well, to make sure everyone
knows who in your organization is responsible
for intern supervision.

Confirm that the intern supervisor has set

aside time for the interns initial orientation
and has the interns work areas ready as
appropriate. The time commitment of
supervisors tends to be greatest and most
critical early in the onboarding process. Time
commitment decreases as the interns become
more confident, independent and productive.
Encourage employees to make the interns feel
welcome when they arrive and be available to
meet and greet them as appropriate.

activities

with

the

Communicate with the interns before their

arrival alerting them to any first day activities
and indicating your organizations excitement
at having them join your team.

Be sure that the interns are aware of and has

confirmed the expected assignment start date.
Also confirm that any necessary paperwork
and employment documentation has been
provided by them and appropriately recorded
with your organization.
If you are bringing in more than one intern
consider sharing information about each
individual with the full group of interns. If
possible you may want to establish an on-line
group through a social media site to encourage
interns to communicate and get to know each
other prior to their arrival.

Intern orientation
The first day on the assignment is a critical one
for interns and signals the beginning of their
orientation to your organization and their work
assignments. Essential first day activities ideally
conducted by the interns direct supervisors or
lacking that, an appropriate level organization
representative - include:

Making Internships Work | 11

 Greeting interns upon their arrival.

Conducting a tour of the organizations
facilities.
Showing the interns their specific work areas.
Making introductions to supervisors and work
colleagues. It is especially impactful if a senior
member of the organizations leadership team
is able to meet and address the interns early in
their orientation.
Processing any necessary final employment
paperwork, identity badges, and so forth.
Providing any relevant organizational
information (e.g. organizational charts, mission
statements, product/services descriptive
materials, employee policy manuals) that
was not provided to the interns before their
arrival.
Intern orientation programs take on many different
forms they may last for part of a day or over
multiple days; they may be conducted individually
or in groups; or they may involve the interns direct
supervisor and/or other company representatives.
All highly effective intern orientation programs,
however, are characterized by focusing on certain
key dimensions critical to both the interns and the
organizations success.

Understanding the organizations

mission, goals, culture and values
Many organizations communicate well what they
do but it is also critically important to communicate
how they go about accomplishing what they do.
Understanding and commitment to the how
of an organizations work is the dimension that
can often differentiate outstanding performers
from others. For the intern consequently both
the what and how of an organization need to
be understood. In addition to the organizations
mission and goals as well as the broader context of
the industry, business or economic sector in which
it operates there are several additional issues to
address early in the orientation program. These
include:

12 | Making Internships Work

Expected intern work schedule including

policies on lunch breaks, reporting absences, or
requesting work schedule changes. Company
policies concerning national holidays and
religious observances are also important to
review with the interns.
Workplace dress codes.
Use of cell phones or personal emailing/texting
during work hours; computer usage policies
including any dictating access to social media
and other Internet sites.
Office etiquette and communication protocols
involving colleagues, supervisors, visitors,
customers or clients.

Setting intern expectations

A very clear goal of any intern orientation program
should be clearly setting intern expectations. Of
particular focus here are those expectations related
to the specific work assignment. This segment of
the orientation should focus on the following:
A review of the intern assignment tasks,
responsibilities and expected outcomes.
A clear statement from the supervisor
concerning work timelines, schedules, and the
role of other individuals and/or teams relating
to the interns assigned responsibilities.
Examples of issues and questions that the
intern should direct to the supervisor as well as
those that might better be directed to others in
the organization.
Expectations concerning the nature and
timing of regular progress reports and other
performance feedback.
The nature and timing of any expected
equipment, systems, or work processes
training.
Review intern expectations with Masa Israel
program providing the intern
Benchmark internship onboarding programs will
also incorporate other strategies and activities
that have proven to be of value to both the interns

and the sponsoring organization. These include:

Using senior executives and recently hired
employees as part of the information sharing
process. Whether as individuals or through
group panel presentations these executives
and employees can offer valuable and helpful
insights to incoming interns signaling both
the commitment of the organizations senior
leadership and sensitivity to the generational
perspectives of younger workers.
Developing out of office program and
activities which allow interns to learn more
about the area and the community and interact
with fellow interns and work colleagues in
a more relaxed and social setting. A strong
sense of community service is typical among
this generation of young professionals and
opportunities to participate in such efforts
along with other work colleagues are also very
well received.
Involving interns not only in standard
organization training programs but also
offering additional training and development
opportunities consistent with emerging intern
interests and goals.
Providing for interns to learn more outside
their primary areas of responsibility. Inviting
representatives from other parts of the

organization to address interns on the

nature and goals of other functional units or
addressing broader professional issues, trends,
and research can be extremely valuable to
interns.
A very effective strategy for assisting interns in
becoming acclimated and engaged with your
organization is the use of a mentor. While direct
supervisors may often evolve into that role in
addition to their supervisory responsibilities, in
ideal circumstances the mentor is someone else
in the organization who can meet with interns to
answer broader questions, share their knowledge
and expertise, and provide advice and counsel
concerning the interns longer range goals and
interests.
Since interns that come through Masa Israel
accredited programs come from universities
around the world it is particularly important to be
sensitive to cultural differences among interns. It is
wise not to assume that every intern will intuitively
understand all the important aspects of living and
working in Israel. Other foreign nationals who
have joined your company or organization may be
especially helpful in identifying issues unique to
your setting and of value in communicating with
interns early in their work assignment.

Making Internships Work | 13

Section 3 Intern Off-boarding: Recognition, Evaluation

and Assessment
We are constantly assessing the nature of our internship program. We want to know what
our interns think about their experiences with us and what we can do to improve our
program. In order to continue to attract the very best talent we need we must constantly
focus on program improvement efforts.
Doug Fauth, Global University Relations and Diversity, Life Technologies Inc.

Off-boarding is the term increasingly used to

describe the steps involved when interns approach
the completion of their work assignments. Offboarding involves important aspects of intern
recognition as well as evaluation of both the
interns and the overall internship program.

Intern Recognition
Recognizing the contributions of the interns
is an important strategy that celebrates their
accomplishments and contributions to the
organization. Highly effective intern recognition
strategies include providing interns with the
opportunity to showcase their project work
and notable achievements through formal
presentations to colleagues or through intern
prepared reports to both supervisors and senior
organization representatives. All interns especially
value a letter of recommendation from their
supervisor recognizing their accomplishments
and acknowledging their skills and capabilities.
This is very useful to interns as they pursue future
employment opportunities.
Although many organizations do not provide
compensation to their interns most provide a small
token gift to recognize and reward the interns for
their work and their contributions. This is often
done during an organization arranged modest
celebration or small gathering over lunch or dinner
to acknowledge publicly the interns contributions.

14 | Making Internships Work

Evaluation and assessment

Evaluation and assessment strategies should be
integral elements of any organizations internship
program. These strategies typically fall into two
major categories: focused on the individual intern
and focused on the overall program.

Evaluating the intern

The most effective evaluation system involves both
formal and informal efforts to:
Regularly assess intern performance against
established standards for the job assignment
and the goals for the assignment established
by interns and their supervisors.
Provide on-going feedback and coaching
necessary for the interns to complete tasks
effectively, develop necessary skills and
enhance performance.
Offer a cumulative and summary assessment
that focuses on notable intern accomplishments
and achievements, areas for continued
development and suggested activities to
further that development.
Consider sharing the successes and challenges
interns experience with the Masa Israel
program theyre participating in.
Working effectively with interns, as with any other
employee group, requires a regular and ongoing
cycle of assessment and feedback. There are several
proven operating strategies to accomplish this.

Regular opportunities to assess intern progress

and provide feedback should be welcomed when
initiated by the intern but should remain largely
the responsibility of the employing organization.
These opportunities can be either face-to-face or
via written progress reports and updates. The focus
should be on the regularity of the opportunities;
the specific means of reviewing and providing
feedback may vary depending on organizational
culture, the nature of the work assignment
projects and tasks, and the preferences and needs
of the supervisor and intern. Blending face-toface meetings with written summaries works very
effectively in most circumstances.
At appropriate intervals during the course of the
internship typically two to three times depending
on the duration of the work assignment - intern
accomplishments relative to project and individual
goals as well as overall performance should be
summarized formally. These periodic summaries
help in completing a final intern evaluation.
The goal of that final summary document is to
provide an overall assessment of the interns
performance. This evaluation helps put the interns
accomplishments in a broader context and is
tremendously useful to the interns in thinking
about their future career plans and activities. The
final evaluation should provide both quantitative
and qualitative assessments and cover both the
interns project related accomplishments as well as
skill development.
A sample intern evaluation instrument is included
in the Appendix B.
Evaluation systems are greatly enhanced when
feedback goes both ways between the supervisor
and the intern. Consequently, interns should be
encouraged to provide feedback on the internship.
Supervisors should encourage interns to comment
on their experiences and reflect on what they have
learned. In particular interns should comment on
the effectiveness of the training and supervision
they received and provide a self-assessment of
their own skill development.

Evaluating the internship program

Internship program evaluation involves gathering
and interpreting useful information with an eye
toward improving the overall internship program.
Among the most helpful information is that
provided by the interns themselves. The following
activities are very effective in gathering this type
of information from interns:
Focus group discussions
Confidential surveys
Individual exit interviews
All these activities provide the opportunity for interns
to share insights about their experiences including
what they believed was most appealing about the
work assignments and what might be changed to
make a better experience for all participants.
Information from these activities should be combined
with supervisor evaluations of the interns and internal
discussions with all organizational representatives
involved in the internship program to gather the
most comprehensive array of thoughts, comments,
and suggestions about the programs effectiveness.
The assessment process should use all the gathered
data to focus on answering several key questions
about the effectiveness of the program including:
1.
2.
3.

4.


5.

Intern recruiting and selection.

Orientation and onboarding
Quality of work assignments and alignment
with intern skills, interests, and abilities.
Supervisor activities including intern
coaching, guidance, performance evaluation
and day-to-day management and supervision.
Off-boarding activities and programs.

Provide feedback to the Masa Israel program

providing the intern. Working with the program
allows your company to select the right intern for
your company in the future.
The most critical question to assess, of course, is whether
the program contributed to the accomplishment of the
goals and objectives established by the organization
for the internship program.
Making Internships Work | 15

Summary Comments
This handbook has been designed to assist any
Israeli employing organization in maximizing the
use of interns. While there are many strategies
organizations can utilize in managing their
internship programs there are 10 key operating
principles that describe the very best of those
programs. These include the following:

1. Be prepared and organized

Interns want to feel that the organization is well

prepared for their arrival and that the people they
will be working with are aware of and are excited
about the internship. The organization should
provide, in advance, materials that describe typical
work responsibilities and possible projects interns
will be assigned to as well as a schedule that
allows introductions to colleagues, and provides
necessary training.

2. Provide a place to work

Although every work setting is different (e.g.

school, government office, health care facility,
business operation or agricultural environment),
all interns want to feel at the outset that they
belong and have a place to work. This often is as
simple as having a desk, a computer, a set of tools
or materials or a place to store their belongings.

3. Be clear in setting expectations

Interns value honesty and transparency. They

want their supervisors to give them as accurate
a picture as possible about their internship
job responsibilities and any expectations the
organization has for them.

4. Provide real work experiences

Interns want to contribute to the organization they

are working for and they want to learn, but most
importantly to contribute to meaningful projects.
Interns are especially motivated to perform when
they understand how their assignments contribute
to the overall efforts of the organization.

5. Encourage coaching and feedback

Interns benefit greatly from constructive feedback

and supportive coaching on how to improve their
16 | Making Internships Work

performance. Interns and the organization both

gain from this open line of communication.

6. Be generous with time and patience

Your interns most often come from outside Israel

and consequently they need time to not only
acclimate to their work responsibilities but also to
living and working in a new country. Supervisor
patience, support, and understanding goes far in
helping this transition.

7. Provide value-added experiences

Look for ways to complement intern work

assignments
with
value-added
learning
opportunities. Meetings with senior organization
leaders, opportunities to make presentations about
their work, or participation in training programs all
enhance the intern experience.

8. Involve interns in the evaluation

process

Your organization, Masa Israel and the Masa Israel

program you work with will benefit greatly if the
intern is encouraged to provide useful information
about the scope and depth of their experience.
Although ongoing feedback should be solicited
it will be beneficial if the intern also has the
opportunity to provide thoughtful suggestions
and comments that can be used to enhance the
program for future interns.

9. Treat interns like other employees of

the organization

Interns that are joining your organization want to

be included and thought of as part of your staff.
That means including them in meetings, projects
and the daily activities of your organization
whenever possible. If there is a group activity or
celebration, be sure to invite them to attend and
participate.

10. Recognize and reward interns for a

job well done

Even if you cant provide a salary for your interns

find other ways to recognize and reward them
both privately and publicly for their efforts. Taking

them to lunch, acknowledging their work with

colleagues, or providing them with modest gifts
are all simple but effective ways to recognize and
reward interns.
The concept of gaining practical experience is
not a new one, however it has only been over
the last several decades that there has been an
important shift in both the demand for internships
from students, as well as the importance that
interns play in employing organizations on a
global scale. Increasingly employers across all
sectors are utilizing interns to support important

work and projects and contribute to the overall

productivity of an organization. At the same time
interns are being more selective when applying
for opportunities and asking about measurable
and practical outcomes at the conclusion of the
internship. As employers within Israel continue
to grow and compete for top young talent across
many fields, it is important that intern programs
are developed and structured in a way that will
add value to both the organization and the interns
that are recruited. Incorporating many of the
concepts outlined in this handbook will ensure
a quality internship experience and program for
both participants and employers.

Making Internships Work | 17

Appendix A Sample Job Descriptions

Sample Intern Job Description - For Profit
Organization
Position Title: Gaming Technology Intern
Employer: Aviv Technology Group
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Contact Information: David Melnick, Intern
Program Supervision
David.Melnick@example.com
Duration: 5 Months
Start Date: July 2011
Hours: Sunday Thursday 8:00-16:00
Additional hours may be required depending
on project needs
Number of Internships Available: 3

Organization Description

Aviv Technology is located in the hi-tech corridor

on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. This hi-tech startup has tripled in size in the last five years and
is known for developing innovative computer
games for all popular gaming platforms. Aviv
Technologys most popular games include Action
Hero Adventures Across Time and Invasion Earth.
In addition to its main location in Israel, Aviv has
game studio development locations in Asia and
Eastern Europe. Although most employees are
from within Israel, Aviv is made up of employees
from across the globe and all work is conducted
in English. Named one of the fastest growing
companies in Israel, Aviv is a company on the
move and has an ambitious goal of surpassing
some better-known technology companies in
sales within the next five years.

Intern Position Description

Aviv seeks interns who are ambitious and have an

interest in and appreciation for computer games
across the globe. Interns will be working as part
of a team and will be expected to perform as and
be treated as full-time, regular employees. After
an initial orientation and training program, interns
will be assigned to a specific project aligned with a
particular product line and managed by a Product
Manager. During the internship, interns will be
expected to present to Aviv staff on their project
18 | Making Internships Work

assignment progress. Interns will be considered

as integral members of the product development
teams they are assigned and provided with
opportunities to enhance their skills, interact with
senior managers and gain wide exposure to various
areas of company operations.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

Aviv requests applications from candidates who
are interested in being involved with a global
technology company that has a growing presence
within Israel, but also, increasingly, in other parts
of the world. Applicants who possess the following
will receive priority consideration:
undergraduate and/or graduate coursework in
a technical discipline with particular focus on
computer science or computer gaming
knowledge of C++, 3-D modeling and
animation (in both Maya and 3dsMAX) is
highly desirable
strong written and verbal communication skills
language fluency in written and oral English
and additional language skills (e.g. Mandarin)
would be desirable as well
general experience working in a business or
office setting

Additional Information

The Aviv Technology Group is an innovative

start up with a professional yet casual corporate
culture. Business areas include various technology
departments, as well as marketing and business
development groups. Interns will be given real
projects and given vouchers for meals and
transportation costs.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit

an on-line application form at careersaviv.com.
Any further questions may be directed to David.
Melnick@example.com

Sample Intern Job Description Not-forprofit Organization

Position Title: Educational Assistant Intern
Employer: The International School of
Jerusalem
Location: Jerusalem
Contact Information: Elena Feldstein, Intern
Program Coordinator
EFeldstein@example.com
Duration: 10 Months
Start Date: February 2011
Hours: Sunday Thursday 8:00-15:00
Number of Internships Available: 1-5

Organization Description
The International School of Jerusalem is dedicated
to providing the best and most comprehensive
education to young Israelis and other members
of the Jerusalem community. The school is
composed of students ages 5-12, who are from
all over the world, but whose families have either
immigrated to Israel permanently or are living and
working in Israel on a temporary basis. Instruction
is conducted in both Hebrew and English and
traditional Jewish customs and holidays are taught
and observed as part of the curriculum. The School
has an outstanding reputation for providing a
rigorous, innovative and enjoyable curriculum with
a relatively small student to teacher ratio.

Intern Position Description

Interns working at The International School of
Jerusalem will have the opportunity to train with
some of Israels finest teachers. Interns will be
partnered with a Master Teacher and given the
opportunity to assist in designing lessons and
activities for the students as well as teaching classes
and working on school wide events. Interns will
be able to contribute their ideas and suggestions
and help shape some programmatic elements of
the school under the supervision of the Master
Teacher. Interns will also be included in a variety
of professional development activities, including

training programs, lectures and workshops. At the

conclusion of the Internship, participants will be
able to demonstrate increased communication
and facilitation skills in both Hebrew and English;
enhanced organizational abilities; and a strong
understanding of best practices in providing
instruction across cultural boundaries.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

We seek Interns who are interested in learning
more about international education in Israel and
will be able to make a strong contribution to our
existing programs and our students. The successful
candidate will have the following:
undergraduate coursework in Education or
related area
excellent communication skills
language ability in English and some familiarity
with Hebrew
experience in working with children of various
ages
some knowledge of Israeli culture and
understanding of Jewish life and traditions
enthusiasm and willingness to work as a
member of a team

Additional Information
The school environment is informal and interns
can dress in casual attire for most workdays. Lunch
and snacks are provided to all teachers, students
and interns. Interns living in an area that requires
that they take transportation to and from the
school will be provided with a bus pass.

To Apply
Please submit a letter outlining your specific
interests in the internship and a copy of your
resume to EFeldstein@example.com.

Making Internships Work | 19

Appendix B Interns speak

Name: Chad Schaeffer
Hometown: Orange Country, California
Program: Oranim Tel Aviv Internship Experience

Marketing and Sales intern at SKS Innovating People

As a person, Ive grown tremendously from my internship. Ive become a lot more
confident and a better leader. In Israel, a persons ideas and hard work are valued rather
than his experience. This is an opportunity that I would not have gotten anywhere else.

Name: Hannah Heller

Hometown: Windsor, New Jersey
Program: Career Israel

Intern at Omanoot - Israel Through Art

While becoming immersed in the Israeli art scene, I met hard-working and passionate
people and became more confident in my spoken and written Hebrew. But far and away
the most significant thing I gleaned from my time in Israel was that I realized the power
of art and decided that I wanted it to be an integral part of my future.

Name: Jesse Zryb

Hometown: New York, New York
Program: Career Israel

Intern at Stav Architecture

My Career Israel experience definitely gave me more employable qualities. Being able
to work in an international office shows a level of independence and initiative. In a field
like architecture, its a great thing to get different perspectives.

Name: Leila Hesselson

Hometown: Battleford, Saskatchewan
Program: Career Israel

Researcher at Tel Aviv University

During my five months in Israel, I interned in a genetics lab at Tel Aviv University,
gaining hands-on lab experience that will be crucial in my future career.

20 | Making Internships Work

Appendix C Intern Evaluation

Masa Israel Intern Evaluation Form
Intern Information:
Intern Name:
Email:
Organization or program:
Department:
General Information:
Intern Job Title:
Department Assigned to:
Supervisor Name:
Hours per Week:
Start Date:

End Date:

Responsibilities:

Making Internships Work | 21

Please rate the intern on his/her performance in the following areas by circling the appropriate
number with 5 indicating outstanding and 1 indicating unsatisfactory.
Wherever possible, please provide a brief description of your observations.
Quality of Work (Accuracy/Thoroughness):

5 4 3 2 1

Quantity of Work (Volume/Effort):

5 4 3 2 1

Competence (Applies experience and training):

5 4 3 2 1

Ability to learn (Grasps and retains skills and concepts):

5 4 3 2 1

Initiative (Originates ideas and seeks new responsibilities):

5 4 3 2 1

Reliability (Dependable, conscientious, punctual, attendance):

5 4 3 2 1

Judgment (Reasoning ability and common sense):

5 4 3 2 1

Attitude (Willingness to accept instructions and assignments):

5 4 3 2 1

Interpersonal Relations (Ability to work effectively with others):

5 4 3 2 1

Communication Skills (Written and Verbal):

5 4 3 2 1

Ethics (Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior):

5 4 3 2 1

Self-Awareness (Understands strengths and weaknesses):

5 4 3 2 1

Leadership (Ability or potential to lead others and/or projects,

set and achieve goals, create change and inspire confidence):

5 4 3 2 1

Overall Performance:

5 4 3 2 1

Additional Comments
Professional Preparation:
Strengths and Areas that need improvement:
If a permanent position became available would you consider hiring this individual:
Any additional information:
Has this evaluation been reviewed with the intern?

___Yes ___ No

Supervisor Information
Name:
Title:
Date:
Work Address:
Phone:
22 | Making Internships Work

Email:

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