BYU Strategy - Marriott School of Business

Working with Interns

This guide helps you get the most out of your APM intern and create a valuable experience for both parties.

Your Responsibilities as a Company Partner

  • Set clear goals, scope, and priorities for the internship
  • Provide opportunities for regular check-ins (minimum 1x per week recommended)
  • Act as a mentor by offering guidance, coaching, and feedback
  • Maintain open, responsive communication
  • Encourage development of technical and product management skills
  • Support a final evaluation and wrap-up discussion

Setting Up for Success

Before the Internship Starts

  1. Define 1-3 key projects or focus areas for the intern
  2. Identify who the intern will work with day-to-day
  3. Prepare any necessary accounts, tools, or access
  4. Schedule an onboarding meeting for the first day/week

First Week

  1. Share context about your company, team, and product
  2. Walk through goals and expectations together
  3. Establish communication norms (preferred channels, response times)
  4. Set up recurring 1:1 meetings

Effective Mentorship

Weekly Check-ins

  • Review progress on current tasks
  • Discuss blockers and provide support
  • Give feedback on work quality and approach
  • Adjust priorities as needed

Feedback Best Practices

  • Be specific — point to concrete examples
  • Be timely — don’t wait until the end to share concerns
  • Balance — acknowledge strengths alongside areas for growth
  • Be actionable — provide clear guidance on how to improve

What to Expect from Your Intern

Interns are expected to:

  • Confirm expectations and ask clarifying questions
  • Deliver high-quality work and meet deadlines
  • Come prepared to meetings with updates and questions
  • Engage actively and be open to feedback
  • Proactively communicate progress, blockers, and availability
  • Send weekly recap emails (every Saturday)

Weekly Progress Emails

Your intern will send you an end-of-week update email every Saturday (CC’ing strategy-program@byu.edu) that includes:

  1. What was accomplished that week
  2. Plans and priorities for the coming week
  3. Any blockers, risks, or dependencies

This keeps everyone aligned and creates a record of progress.