Internship programs are growing in popularity as a means for organizations to maintain a healthy talent pipeline. However, many companies lose sight of the fact that their internship programs hugely affect their image. Today’s connected Millennials can disseminate information in ways never before seen. If they have a good experience with the company, they will more than likely share it with friends and acquaintances through social media outlets, acting as trusted and powerful advocates for an organization. However, if they have a bad experience, they might turn off thousands of individuals from wanting to work for or purchase from the company. In order to minimize the risk of this negative publicity, there are several pitfalls to avoid in crafting an internship program and relating to interns. First, management shouldn’t assume they hired a kid. Interns are novices in the work world, but they aren’t necessarily inexperienced and shouldn’t be treated like children. Show that their raw talent is valued and that their work is appreciated. Similarly, interns shouldn’t only be assigned the grunt work no one wants to do. While they shouldn’t be put in charge of major projects, it’s important that the work they do is meaningful, and that they have something to show for their time and effort.