On Tuesday, Aug. 22, Fountain Hills High School seniors filed into the gym for the inaugural Internship Fair, held in partnership with the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce. Students spoke with local business leaders about potential opportunities, and while several students already work part-time jobs, many others got their first taste of a job interview.

Students were given a guided worksheet when they entered the gym that made sure they asked at least five questions of every business. The questions included: what is the company/organization, what type of work do they do, who did you speak with and how will you contact them, what are they looking for from an intern, and what skills will be gained from working with them.

The internships ranged in scope and scale, and some businesses hope to take on multiple interns. The Chamber of Commerce set guidelines for participating businesses to attend the intern fair, including attending a best practices training session for working with youth under 18, and they must be in good standing with the Chamber.

Most internship opportunities are educational, and some will attempt to teach the basics behind their whole industry. Mark Derksen of Dirk’s Electric said he’ll take interns under his wing and essentially teach them Electrical 101. The interns will shadow Derksen, and he’ll also teach the transaction process of audits, bids, scheduling and invoicing.

“I started my business in 2019 and it changed my life and my financial future,” Derksen’s internship description flyer reads. “I want to help you discover how rewarding, fulfilling and exciting a career in trade can be.”

The goals of working with local businesses are for students to find new areas of interest, gain better understandings in certain fields and learn professional skills and behaviors. Some internships teach students about new fields and skills, but others lean into the skills the students already possess.

Students have several opportunities for marketing/communications that incorporate social media but also go beyond making online posts. Some marketing positions ask students to work on public speaking skills and speak to clubs, community groups and make announcements to the schools. Other marketing internships involve graphic design skills where students will design flyers and brochures and also help update websites.

The businesses involved cover industries such as real estate, culinary arts, fitness and sports medicine, museum maintenance, education and many more. Students also have other opportunities such as EVIT internships or alternative research projects if they want to pursue a field that wasn’t available at the fair.

Chamber President Betsy LaVoie thanked all participating businesses after the students went back to class. LaVoie said the Chamber and its members are excited to be involved in the town’s first workforce initiative, and they hope to help inspire the next wave of Arizona and Fountain Hills business leaders.