The subject of hiring and onboarding interns became a hot topic when news began to spread that interns were spending countless hours working for companies and not receiving a dime in pay. Since then, companies have made great strides in improving working conditions for interns. The news got us wondering about the hiring and onboarding process for interns, and that’s why we are sharing four tips for improving hiring and onboarding interns both for the businesses that hire them and for the interns themselves.

1. Design a Top-Notch Intern Program

Poorly-designed intern programs waste everyone’s time. The first step toward improving the hiring and onboarding of interns should include designing a top-notch intern program that benefits both parties. You should have a clear purpose and goal in mind for hiring interns in the first place, and you should identify intern coordinators for your program and put a team in charge of establishing objectives, expectations, and job descriptions before advertising your open intern positions.

2. Use Multiple Sources to Post the Job

If you want to get the best interns, you should widen your pool of potential candidates. One of the best ways to go about doing so is to use multiple sources to post the job. Online resources and apps are popular ways of posting jobs (be sure to post your opportunity on the Educator Tools Job Board!), and you can take advantage of college and university intranets and social networks to reach graduates more directly. Many higher education institutions also have career centers that advertise openings and host career fairs, so it would be well worth your while to contact local schools and ask them to post your job and to get a spot at their job fair.

3. Employ Better Screening Processes

Spending tons of time interviewing interns is not in the best interests of your company or the interns themselves. Rather than spend several hours interviewing candidates, streamline the process by sending candidates pre-interview reading materials and giving candidates follow-up work after the interview. The reading materials should introduce your company, your mission, and the job description in order to save you time on introductory phone calls.

After you narrow your list of potential candidates, send your short-list candidates follow-up work similar to that which they would do if they were to land the job. Not only will you know which candidates are not committed to your position because they fail to hand in the project, but you will be able to compare the work of those who do turn it in and select the best candidates from there.

4. Choose the Best Intern Mentors within Your Organization

Stellar interns can become stellar employees, so you should pair your interns with the best mentors within your organization. Top mentors make the onboarding process much smoother for the company and get interns ready to hit the ground running. It’s a good idea to match interns to departments in their field and to involve mentors in choosing their interns based on qualifications and personalities. Mentors and interns will benefit from the experience when they can communicate well and have a similar work ethic.

In some cases, pairing women is a great way to boost interns’ confidence. Female interns will learn from their female mentors and appreciate learning from a woman who has been in their shoes. It’s also a great idea to have all of your interns meet with and learn from female board members, because they can share their experiences of working in male-dominated fields or making their way to boardrooms that had been lacking diversity for so long.

You can improve your hiring and onboarding processes for interns if you design a top-notch intern program, use multiple sources to post the job, employ better screening processes, and choose the best mentors for your interns.

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Being a teacher can be an extremely rewarding profession — just not in a financial way. The average educator in the U.S. makes $55,000 a year, but consider that many teachers also make less than $36,930. Not only can this make it difficult to raise a family, but surveys indicate that many teachers are in debt due to student loans (especially since there’s pressure to earn additional degrees) in relation to their take-home pay. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that 59 percent of teachers report having to work a second job to make ends meet, and more than 36 percent have run up debt in order to survive. While this may be a reality for some teachers, the silver lining is that there are more creative ways than ever to bring in some extra cash year-round, not just during the summer months. Let’s take a look.

Expand on Something You Know

Sometimes, the easiest way to bring in extra cash is by expanding on something you’re already good at — in this case, your educational know-how. For example, you may want to consider teaching English online to children in another country, tutoring (on or offline), reselling your curriculum, self-publishing or blogging (not an instant reward, however), or becoming an adjunct professor. While it’s a slight departure from teaching, consider babysitting or even providing elder care since you already have nurturing, listening, and safety skills.

Try Something New

One of the modern-day ways to bring in some extra cash is by taking advantage of today’s sharing economy. It’s likely that you’re already familiar with concepts such as ride sharing and renting out your home (or even a room in it), but there are other ideas to explore, such as trading/swapping clothing and jewelry, parking spots, cleaning services, and even food — this in itself could be the beginning of a sustainable business to help conserve resources.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Whether you choose to work from home or you’re out and about, having an organized and functional home office is the key to your success — especially since manning two jobs involves more paperwork and tax considerations. If you don’t have a spare room to dedicate as a workspace, consider putting up a partition, such as a screen or curtain, to make the area feel more private. Invest in a quality, ergonomically-designed office chair, and make sure you have proper organizational equipment, such as filing cabinets, stackable trays for papers, etc.

Self-Care Is Key

Working one job is enough to take the wind out of anyone’s sails, let alone two — especially if you’re simultaneously raising a family. In order to avoid burnout, illness, and even depression, make sure you implement self-care tactics into your schedule on a daily basis. Even little things like getting up from your desk and taking a walk can make a big difference. There are several resources dedicated to helping teachers achieve a healthy work-life balance, so don’t be afraid to admit that you’re the one who needs a little direction and motivation once in a while. It’s important that you’re taking care of your body as well as your mind if you’re going to maintain the stamina it takes to be successful at your main job: teaching. Mindfulness, rest, physical activity, meditation, and healthy eating should all be at the forefront.

Make sure your friends and family understand the type of schedule you keep (and why) so you can avoid feelings of guilt for not being able to say “yes” to every invitation and request that comes your way. At the same time, avoid social isolation by scheduling time for loved ones — that’s a part of self-care, too. Remember, your schedule doesn’t have to be set in stone, so experiment with a second job that works for you should you be unsatisfied or stressed.

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