Inland InternMatch
May 18, 2010 
6 Comments
In an era of iffy employment, Spokane has fared relatively well compared to other regional hubs. Some people like to say we never had as far to fall in the first place, others point out our well-rounded economic base. Regardless of the cause, or what your job-seeking friends might tell you, Spokane’s unemployment has consistently hovered below that of other regional markets, like Portland, my favorite personal example.
With all the graduations last weekend, many young people are now faced with how to start paying off that pesky student debt. But the question of achieving financial independence begins long before the loans go into repayment. Students (and their parents) are often wondering about employment prospects right out of high school, and rightly so. This question of gainful employment plays into the programs of study students choose to pursue, and the extracurricular experiences they seek out while in school.
Too often college students try to “follow the money” without understanding the complex demands of the modern job market, or having the faintest clue about the kind of work they might actually *enjoy* doing. There is an assumption that a law degree or a business degree with high marks is some kind of ticket to employment entitlement. Think again kids. While the traditional college job fair might be fine for those going into accounting or insurance, the knowledge economy is evolving faster than degree programs can keep up, and has an insatiable demand for students with interdisciplinary skills that can prove their worth in real work settings.
Internships are a familiar, if underutilized tool for businesses to trial run the next generation of talent before signing on the dotted line. The challenge is how to reach out to these new recruits, and effectively manage them once they get into the work environment. For many organizations the risk and the burden are too high. Finding the right student for the right internship at the right time can be tricky. College career offices are great resources, but are not equipped to offer one-on-one services for every business and student that comes through the door. If you are a local nonprofit, chances are you don’t even have the resources to think about which door to knock on. Resolving these dilemmas is the domain of a social enterprise called InternMatch.
Click the picture above to get a glimpse of an InternMatch reception.
The founders of InternMatch are young people themselves, and have proven adept at utilizing the tools that many college students use to communicate. They have tested their match making models in Seattle, and are preparing to branch out into other markets. I’ve encouraged them to consider working in Spokane. If you think there is a need for this kind of service locally, let us know in the comments section below.
About the Author
I always have a hard time finding good, ambitious interns — I would absolutely use this site to find them and post our calls for interns.
I need an intern. You read my mind.
I was reading the Spovangelist today and saw your article on internships, and InternMatch. Really enjoyed the content and spirit of the piece. Thank you for keeping us on your mind.
Best,
Nathan
Director of Marketing / Founder
206.588.1561
http://www.internmatch.com
Hello All!
My name is Nathan Parcells and I am one of the founders of InternMatch. I wanted to thank the Spovangelist for the great article and for writing comprehensively on the issues now facing students and organizations trying to maximize the benefits of internships. We are working hard to improve this process for both sides, so please feel free to send me any questions or suggestions at the email address below.
I also wanted to mention that InternMatch is now operating in all of WA State including Spokane. The majority of our users are in the Puget Sound region but for anyone trying to learn more about internships, find positions, or attract capable students you can check out the site at internmatch.com and start using it.
I would also like to add that I am extremely excited about everything that is happening in Spokane from the efforts to attract more young people to find work in the area, to all the socially conscious organizations that are making a positive impact — I hope we will be able to play a small role in facilitating these efforts.
All my best,
Nathan
nathan@internmatch.com.
There are some possible interns that I’ve interviewed over this past year but none have fit the job quite right. I will defiantly check out internmatch.com for more possible interns in the Spokane area. Nathan, are you planning on having an InternMatch event here in Spokane to get more involvement from the East side of the state?
There’s already some cool businesses on here, let’s hope they keep it up and continue to find good new employers. Of course there is a danger in the site becoming another Craigslist-opportunity to shoot off any old resume you have lying around. The more “ambitious” interns should become inspired to research the company after viewing the ads.
I don’t want to criticize the site too much because it has its advantages. However, I’m baffled as to why someone, as an employer, would prefer an intern to apply through an outside source (intern match) as opposed to directly through hr or a managing editor?