In Praise of Interns

Historically, proposal management has been a second career for people who started out in areas as disparate as sales, engineering, journalism, and law. Increasingly, we see young, talented, and motivated people making proposal management their first career—and internships are a portal for that to occur. This article describes three approaches to internships. Combined with tools such as the APMP-Foundation^™ Level Certification syllabus, this article can serve as a framework for designing effective internship programs.

Scientists in the War Room

According to the National Science Board’s “Science and Engineering Indicators 2018,” about 10 percent of scientists and engineers are working “involuntarily” outside their field of training for several reasons, including lack of suitable jobs, higher pay, family, geography, and—significantly—a deliberate decision to change careers. This data suggests that recruiting approaches may need to be broadened. A biologist, physicist, or geologist might not be an obvious choice for a proposal team, but these individuals will likely have the requisite knowledge to manage and write sophisticated proposals. Many may have already participated in a proposal effort but might lack management experience and knowledge of best practices. Internships are key to filling these gaps and honing professional skills.

Extending Corporate Value With Younger Hires

At California-based management consulting firm SMA Inc., a pioneer in agile talent management, it is becoming clear that the old model of converting successful engineers and program managers to proposal consultants has its limits. SMA’s internship programs across its different businesses are demonstrating that young professionals with strengths that would otherwise be considered nontraditional are developing successful careers. As a key part of its transformation toward a more transparent, open, and connected culture, SMA is recruiting younger people from varied backgrounds who enrich its community and the firm’s tradecraft.

Increasingly, we see young, talented, and motivated people making proposal management their first career—and internships are a portal for that to occur.

From University Classroom to Proposal Career

Five years ago, multinational gaming company International Game Technology (IGT) and the University of Rhode Island established a class to introduce students across majors to the proposal profession. One student from each class is selected for an IGT internship, applying the new skills to real proposal work. These experiences greatly enhance the students’ marketability and create a pool of young talent.

IGT also welcomes interns from other local universities. One who was hired for her obvious proposal acumen has progressed over four years to become a bid manager—and an APMP Bid & Proposal Con presenter.

Making the Tide Rise

Similarly, the University of California, Riverside has begun to hire graduate students to help in the busy grant office of the Bourns College of Engineering. Students pursuing master’s or professional degrees (e.g., business, education, etc.) appreciate the opportunity to earn pay and learn marketable skills. This program has been underway for a year and has already shown clear benefits to both the university and the students. Students learn about potential new career paths and can build a foundation for a career in proposals.

Unpaid Internships: A Caveat

The examples we have presented here are paid opportunities. In the U.S., an internship can be unpaid only if it clearly connects with the student’s education. For an unpaid opportunity to qualify as a true internship, it must pass the U.S. Department of Labor’s seven-point test.

These examples illustrate different approaches to developing an effective internship program, whether for individuals who are choosing a new career or just starting their first job out of school. We can use these frameworks as tools for designing meaningful internships, tailored to the individual or the specific industry. Even if only a few of our interns become proposal professionals, we are helping them develop a valuable skill they can use throughout their professional lives.

Mitch Boretz, APMP Fellow, leads the grant office of the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside; he can be reached at mitch@engr.ucr.edu. Jody Alves is a senior proposal writing specialist at IGT in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the APMP business sector leadership team; she can be reached at jody.alves@igt.com. Ajay Patel is CEO of SMA Inc. in Irvine, California.; he can be reached at ajay.patel@smawins.com.