PCDC Intern Cultivates New Opportunities

At least three local businesses plan to offer internships in 2017 thanks to work by PCDC intern Paige Dexter during her time in Phelps County this past summer.

Internships are a great tool to recruit future employees, and they can bring fresh new ideas to businesses or help with projects that have been put on the back-burner.

Phil Hinrichs, owner at Farm Bureau Financial Services in Holdrege and Curtis, said he will be seeking interns interested in marketing, sales or office administration for both offices.

Hinrichs said he has previously hired interns and has found that it’s a great way to evaluate a potential employee and teach them about the industry.

“Internships are a great learning experience and offer professional development for both the student and the employer,” Hinrichs said.

Two of those interns have become full-time employees.

Hinrichs said Dexter offered him some great tools and resources to help find candidates for the internships. He will begin the process already in October by applying for a grant to help fund the intern and then posting the internship openings. Hinrichs said the early postings may also allow him to snag students looking for second semester internships.

Karla Axtell, owner of the Bridal Isle in Loomis, is looking to hire an intern for the first time next summer. She is seeking someone who can work as a seamstress and help boost the business’ social media presence.

“I am always looking for new ideas and young ideas, and I just thought it would be a good way to accomplish that,” she said. “Also, we are needing a seamstress. We are always needing new seamstresses, so I’m interested in getting someone in to learn that.”

Axtell said the intern or others interested in seamstress work need a basic knowledge of sewing, and she can teach the rest. She currently has four part-time seamstresses and one full-time seamstress.

“I am looking forward to some help for my seamstresses, the fresh ideas that interns have and the understanding of the internet that I lack,” she said.

The Bridal Isle will be advertising the position on the InternNE site. Dexter helped with creating the job description and posting it to the site.

“Paige was extremely instrumental in this process,” Axtell said.

Axtell said she had previously considered hiring an intern, but the help from PCDC’s intern put her into action.

Dan Christensen, director at the Nebraska Prairie Museum, will also be seeking an intern in 2017.

The possibilities are endless for learning and opportunities at the museum, Christensen said. Ideally, he would like an intern with an interest in history or genealogy, art, communications or photography.

The museum is currently working on a cataloguing system to be able to locate every item in the museum, and he said there is always work to be done in the genealogy library and with promotions.

“There’s many things an intern can do,” Christensen said. “There’s always design work, setting up scenes. I always like to do different things to keep people coming in.”

Christensen said he was grateful to Dexter for brainstorming with him and getting onto paper all the ideas he has for an intern.

If you are a business owner who would like more information about internships, please contact Alli Donohue at PCDC at alli@phelpscounty.com or (308) 995-4148.