What is the Director's proper response to a company that wants to rehire an Academy intern who has just graduated from high school?
It is understandable that firms may wish to rehire students who performed wonderfully as interns during the previous summer.  If this were to be done systemically, however, the Academy would be unable to meet its commitment to those students yet to experience the workplace.  The Director needs to emphasize this when first establishing a relationship with the firm and should be prepared to reiterate it if necessary.  The suggested response is to tell the firm that the Academy would welcome the rehiring of the student if this placement would not come out of the agreed-upon number of slots set aside for Academy juniors.  If this is not possible, then the Director should state simply that the Academy's first obligation is to the students still in the program.  It would also be politic to tell the firm that a junior of comparable ability will be provided. Back to top...

When is the best time for a Director to secure future internship positions?
The best time to secure future internship positions with an organization is immediately after a good experience with the current year's intern.  The Director should speak with the intern's supervisor, ascertain that the internship went well, and then ask who to talk with about making sure that the company has a position the following summer for the "next generation" of interns.  Better yet, if the experience was exceptional, the Director should "push the envelope" a bit, and ask if the company can provide a few additional internship slots for Academy students.  This is the best time of the year to push the idea, since company budgets are just starting to be talked about, and will be finalized by the November timeframe for the ensuing calendar year. Back to top...