School’s Out…Interns Are In!

School’s out for the summer! But as students across the country take off for summer vacation, nine students from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management are joining ArcherPoint for our 2^nd annual internship program, which began on May 26^th. Our internship program launched last summer with six interns, myself being one of them. J After interning with ArcherPoint, I came on full time and can truly say the internship program helped me prepare for my job.

So, you’re probably curious about what our internship entails. I’ll give you the inside scoop:

Who? The first year ArcherPoint put together the internship program, and this year we’re excited to announce that Clients First, another Microsoft Partner, is partnering with us. They’ll be on site for training, providing mentoring, project work, and internal initiatives. We believe the Dynamics NAV community is only as strong as we make it, and that by exposing the interns to as much as possible in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV world, they’ll have a better picture of what a great community they could be a part of after graduation.

Why? It’s simple: We think Dynamics NAV is the best ERP product for mid-size businesses, and we believe in the future of the product. There will not be a future if talent does not continue to fill the pool, and although there is no shortage of talent currently, we’re planning for the long run. Dynamics NAV is not standard curriculum in universities today, and without early exposure, students can miss out on a software solution that could be a part of their future someday. We also believe that when we help build up our Dynamics NAV community, everyone benefits. This program helps students today decide if NAV will be a part of their tomorrow.

When? Right now! Our internship program lasts until August 14, 2015. The schedule started with 3 weeks of boot camp training. The first week the interns learned about project management, business analysis, and solution architecture, followed by a deep dive into consulting. They’ll round out the boot camp with a week of learning about development. The fourth week is dedicated to Jet Reports training, and weeks 5-12 consist of a practicum, where the interns will get the chance to put all that learning to use.

The boot camp is no easy feat. We believe in preparing the interns for what the Dynamics NAV world is really like. Plus, they’ll be working on client projects, and we strive to produce the best results for our clients, which is why we ensure that each intern gains a deep understanding of Dynamics NAV and has learned the tools that can help them with this understanding.

What? We have consultant, development, and marketing interns in the mix. After the boot camp is completed, they’ll work on client projects and internal initiatives. The intern program is really what they make it. After the boot camp, they have a better idea of what side of NAV they’d like to work in, whether that be consulting or developing. From there, they’ll get paired with internal resources, where they’ll sit in on client calls, help address support tickets, and help with our own internal efforts revolving around NAV.

Where? The internship program takes place at our Minnesota office. Just a short drive from The University of Minnesota Twin Cities, interns will be able to take advantage of their school home year round.

So that’s a quick overview of our internship program. Stay tuned to our blog for updates as the summer continues!