Beneficiary Stories | 24 September 2021

ISTAT Foundation Internship Program Portal Recruiter Spotlight: Joey Johnsen

What was the experience like recruiting through the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program?

The availability of the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program Portal makes it extremely straightforward for businesses like ours to publish and promote internship opportunities, all in one place, while linking candidates for detailed information on external domains. The Portal offers widened exposure to candidates who may not otherwise run into Zeevo, providing easy-to-use communication tools to facilitate the conversation with the applicants and monitor their progress through the hiring process. Kudos to the Foundation's internship committee for heeding member feedback to deploy the latest software and communication methodologies to create an efficient "one-stop-shop" for both the intern-hiring companies and candidates.

Do you feel the Internship Program gave you access to better-qualified candidates with more diverse backgrounds?

Certainly, the Foundation's focus on aviation and global outreach attracts a candidate pool that is more diverse, both professionally and geographically. At Zeevo, we typically post internships on the website, and from there, they "automatically" appear on Indeed.com and other job-seeker sites. The applicants sourced via the Portal already have a passion for aviation, which benefits our business' candidate prescreening process. Over the past four years, we've also noticed an increasing number of candidates on the Portal that have an interest in and qualifications for technology-focused assignments. Technology is the backbone of aircraft leasing operations. Future talent, adept at acquiring, deploying, and maintaining myriad software applications, will be critical to the continued success of our industry. We look forward to having even more IT-focused applicants as we approach the next round of internship hiring.

What advice would you give to companies who are considering participating in the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program?

As they say at NIKE, "just do it." For aviation-focused businesses that are hiring for both in-person and remote positions, the Portal is the ideal platform for easily posting position openings and sourcing candidates from a worldwide audience of talented and ambitious young professionals.

Would you recommend the ISTAT Foundation Internship Portal to other ISTAT Member companies?

The key driver for members to be part of the ISTAT community is the ability to connect with one another and take advantage of the exchange of know-how. The Portal is a powerful tool that enables companies to tap into a pool of diverse talent and skillsets within the industry, which can significantly benefit every ISTAT member and make the industry a better place.