Salon.com: Annelise Madison arrived on the campus of Washington and Lee University in 2010 looking for the best way to leverage studies in history and political science into post-college plans. The first stop on that path was an early internship, followed by more.
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The number of people that come out of college that find full time employment across the board is down significantly and part of the problem is the number of internship programs that are in the system. What would have been a entry level paid and benefited position 25-30 years ago has been turned into internships. People with qualifications are no longer looking for jobs they are looking for internships which pay less if at all and they are drowning in student loan debt. This is ridiculous we are looking for an internship that may lead to a job while buried in debt and there are no guarantees that this gamble will pay off. There are no longer companies that look out for and invest in their employees and they also abuse intern labor while dangling the prize of an entry level position in front of them. People coming out of school should not be looking for an internship they should be looking for a job that they can turn into a career so that they can build their life outside of work. Overqualified people are taking intern work because they have no other option which then limits the possibility of the internship being useful to the people that are taking those internships. If you want labor do not do it on the backs of interns make them entry level employees with real benefits and offset the cost from the bottom line and from executive compensation. People are not line items on a budget they are assets that need to be invested in and retained. Offices will work with greater efficiency if they have greater continuity in the personnel and if those people feel that they are valued and part of a team. People need some attachment and ownership of a company or product in order to be invested in making that company or product better. Value the human component of your workforce and they will work harder and more efficiently for you.
I love how this article is titled: "Interning is the new normal. But will it lead to jobs?" I don't even think they should be questioning this statement because you gain so much as an intern. Internships provide an opportunity to meet future employers and also know more about what you are going into. However, since everyone these days are getting internships, its getting more difficult to get the job when you are competing against a ton of other candidates. "They are literally climbing over each other to get there." I cant think of any down sides to having an internship. Almost every aspect of an internship is a positive learning experience.
I do think that an internship is an invaluable experience. I think that especially if you go to a school where there isn't a lot of hands on education, that you need to learn how to practically apply your knowledge somehow. And often times employers don't want to give you the training on their dime. Internships also really give you a chance to explore your field, before you begin building a career on something that you may find out down the line is really just not your thing. The other crucial part of an internship is just seeing how the professional world operates. How do people act in the workplace, what doe people talk about, what kind of people work there etc. Because ultimately if you're interning somewhere you can see a snapshot of one option of your life post graduation. Is there where you want to be? Can you be happy with this type of job?
Before reading this article I knew that it was pretty common practice for college to students to intern over the course of their time at school, but 63% of graduating seniors? That is a lot! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I think most people I know plan on looking for internships, but that just seems like a big number.
I don't see this article as trying to argue that internships are no longer valuable, but as they become more and more the norm, they aren't going to set college grads entering the work force apart anymore. It reminds me of community service on a college application. Community service used to be something that could allow an applicant to stand out to colleges. Now, while its still a valuable experience and it helps to have it on your application, it no longer is something that really makes an applicant special. That said, internships, no matter how common, are going to connect you with people in the business of your interest, and that can only help you get closer to a job.
Internships are certainly an extremely valuable experience and almost a must in the theatre industry. In our world of theatre it is imperative that you meet people and network, in fact many people would argue it's the only way to get into the industry. Depending on the internship you could be networked somewhere that helps you get to the top of the industry. Internships also provide you with tons of knowledge and experience that you may not be able to get at school. That being said I think internships are appropriate for college students. As Luke mentioned I think a college grad should begin to start straying away from internships and more towards a steady paying job post college.
I think interning can be useful in figuring out what you want to do with your life, learning important skills you wouldn't any other way and the best reason to do an internship is that it allows you to make contacts and get big organizations on your resume that you would never be able to be hired at. Internships teach you how the industry actually works and on a resume they prove that you are invested in the field that you are going into. Given all of this I still think that companies abuse interns making them work long hours for no pay all with the promise that it will help get them a job, when in fact it may not. I think that basically internships work if it is a balanced reward that the company gets something out of the relationship and the intern does as well.
I agree with Luke... a job that even 15 years ago would have gone to a recent grad who would have gotten paid a decent, if small, salary, is now going to a college student who does an internship for a semester, or even that same recent grad, but now it's unpaid and called an "internship" instead of a job. Even while speaking with career counselors, they are much more likely to suggest looking for internships after graduation, which have no guarantee of leading to a job. Many companies now publicize that a certain percentage of their interns are offered jobs at the end of the internship, but again, this is by no means a guarantee. When college and grad students have debt piling up, an unpaid internship with a small stipend just isn't going to cut it.
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