Reflecting on Year Two of Our Paid Internship Program

As we wrap up the second year of our Two Barrels summer internship program, we’re excited to look back on its success and begin planning for next year. Our inaugural program in 2023 focused exclusively on software roles, setting a strong foundation, but this summer we wanted to take things to the next level by expanding our program to include front-end development, marketing, and videography. This broader approach has been a solid way to give back to Spokane and a valuable chance for local undergraduates to gain real-world experience. Here’s what we’ve learned since last year.

Why We Do This

We love working in Spokane, and this is just one way we’re able to give back to our community. We spend all year on college campuses, talking to students facing an unpredictable job market with courage and eagerness. By offering these students a solid stepping stone into the professional world, we help them build their portfolios, develop key industry skills, and gain insights into the daily operations of a local business.

We make sure how the interns spend their time is aligned with the goals they define on day one. We aim to guarantee that their projects are impactful, offering real value to both the interns and the company. We strive to make the work productive and educational—challenging enough to be engaging but not overwhelming.

There are a few main things we focused on when structuring the program.

1. Networking: Building connections within your industry is crucial for long-term success, especially with local professionals. This program offered students the chance to not only meet and interact with people here currently working in their desired fields but also to learn how to continue networking and forming valuable relationships throughout their careers.
2. Portfolio: Entering the job market without concrete examples of your work can feel daunting. We ensured that interns engaged in tasks that could be showcased in their portfolios, allowing future employers to see firsthand their capabilities and the quality of their work.
3. Skills: Unlike networking and portfolio building, hands-on experience with real-world skills can’t be developed in a classroom or at a job fair. Our interns worked on actual projects, gaining familiarity with relevant technology and acquiring high-demand skills.

The grand finale of the internship program was a final presentation, where interns had 10 minutes to showcase and discuss their work, followed by a five-minute Q&A session. This event was attended by mentors, executives, and stakeholders, providing interns with invaluable experience in presenting their work and thinking on their feet. The presentation was a great way to showcase interns’ achievements and demonstrate the value of the program to our stakeholders. Plus, there was cake!

Mentorship Opportunities

In opening up the program to other departments at Two Barrels, we were able to include more mentors, providing more opportunities for our team members to step into leadership roles. Mentors had the chance to guide interns through their time here, helping them get comfortable with setting goals and achieving them. Weekly one-on-one meetings between mentors and their interns allowed for regular feedback and growth while making sure that interns’ expectations were being met.

It was rewarding to see our mentors not only support the interns but also develop their own leadership abilities. We’re continually looking for ways to help mentors balance their responsibilities, and we’re considering how to incorporate co-mentors to share the load and get more people on board. As we keep expanding and improving the program, we’re excited to bring in more of our team members so they can gain recognition as leaders.

Looking Forward

As we start planning for next summer’s program, we’re already thinking about how we can make it better. Surveys have been distributed and responded to, exit interviews have been conducted, and we’ve got plenty of feedback from mentors and interns about ways to keep improving the experience. Our goal remains to offer positions at Two Barrels to our interns upon completion of their program, and to keep attracting top talent among our local soon-to-be grads. We want students in Spokane to know that a Two Barrels internship can give them that extra leg up on their careers.

We’re excited about the future of our internship program and look forward to expanding it. By investing in local students and fostering their growth, we are not only helping them build their careers but also enriching our own company with fresh perspectives and talent.

Here’s to another successful year and more to come!