DEAR NEW:
For starters, call and introduce yourself, give the intern an overview of the project, and get a feel for his experience and level of expertise. Ask what he wants to get out of the internship, then discuss the responsibilities you expect him to take on.
Also, ask if HR has provided an orientation--work location and hours, dress code and so on--and offer to fill in any missing pieces. Invite the intern to come in before his start date to take a quick tour and meet others in the department.
In other words, treat him as you would any new staff member. And remember that summer interns may be worth hiring after graduation. In fact, for the third straight year, employers rated internship programs as their most effective method of recruiting new college graduates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' 2004 Job Outlook survey. During the 2002-03 academic year, employers converted more than 38 percent of their interns into full-time staffers.
Once your intern is on the job, give him regular feedback on his performance. Be open to the intern's ideas, too. He's new to the work world, but as a student he's probably learning about emerging technologies all the time.
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