SelectLeaders founder Tony LoPinto, CEO of Equinox Partners, says his main reason for launching this initiative "is because the industry frankly has not been well organized enough, aggressive enough and committed enough to attracting young talent." He says that with the cyclical nature of real estate young talent also ebbs and flows and it behooves real estate companies to actively recruit younger members.

The Intern Jobs program allows a company to post an internship on the online career center and the posting will appear on all 11 job network sites within SelectLeaders. Internships will not be limited to students focusing their studies on real estate. LoPinto says there is talent to be found in many majors and in liberal arts education that can benefit the industry.

LoPinto tells GlobeSt.com that of the companies he has spoken to about this initiative a lot have expressed their interest. GE Commercial Finance, Prudential CRES Commercial Real Estate and AvalonBay Communities among others have already posted openings. He hopes the feature will grow to encompass all market places as there are colleges and universities across the company with students who could benefit from internships in real estate.

LoPinto quotes a statistic from a 2005 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers that found 53% of interns end up working for the company as a full-time employee later in life. "That is a fantastic statistics," he says. "Companies see this as a real opportunity." In LoPinto's Jan. 30 Executive Watch column he wrote about the benefits of an internship program, saying "Such intern programs are a powerful tool for attracting potential employees early and providing an opportunity for training and learning the corporate culture."

Instant Insights /

SelectLeaders Launches Intern Posting Program

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