Make The Most Of Your Internship - Part 1

Missing a day of work

I wanted to add some color to something Mark said.

"Missing a day of work usually means you have to do twice as much the next day."

Building on the simile "truth is a jewel with a million facets and we can look through just a few", I have some other views on professional expectations.

My favorite way to summarize the concept is "You are being paid to get the job done." I agree with Mark this means the work does not go away because you took time off. Another implication is that you need to plan vacations so work is handled in your absence. Further, when the time the work takes is less than a full schedule, this allows you to determine what kind of employee you want to be. If you can get your work done in 6 hours, do you take off early or do you ask what else needs to be done? One path is a recipe to be a steady, average contributor. The other leads to promotions.

I am curious what others think.

It's unpaid internships that's the problem

I completely agree with M&M--do that internship!!  So, so so important.

I do, however, disagree with your intro disclaimer: The issue with the department of labor and internships is mostly that many corporations and organizations do not PAY students.

The unpaid internship is so common now, I actually had a student we hired in a communications field ask if the hourly rate we posted was a typo.  She had NEVER seen an internship in her field that paid.

It is exploitative to have students work and not pay them. Period.

We aren't always able to pay well, but we always make it a point to pay students. And we're a non-profit!

This is especially important to try to level the playing field for poor students--if only wealthy students can afford to do an unpaid internships, then only wealthy students will benefit, and then... wealthy students have the most experience needed to move on to the best full time jobs.

Status quo maintained :(

You would be amazed at how close to the edge some students live. 

Also, if you are a US employer, look into getting work-study employer approval from local colleges--you can get great high-financial-needs students cheap! (60% of their wage is paid by the feds.)

> It is exploitative to have

> It is exploitative to have students work and not pay them. Period.

I'm glad there are folks like you who think a bit about others. We could use a few more like you in the world.

I'm always left wondering though why our brightest and most educated students continue to freely choose to work for free as interns ... and often compete vigorously for the opportunity. Are they so willing to be exploited? Or are there significant benefits to both parties that explains the behavior?

Just asking ...

Mike

internship- only place to learn from ur mistakes without penalty

Ask questions, be obidient, helping attitude, belongingness, punctuality- almost every important point is covered in this podcast- must listen

lots of data

There is a huge body of data that shows clearly that college students who complete internships, co-ops, or other work-related experiences have shorter time to employment after graduation, have higher starting salaries, and have more job offers.

That's why students will work unpaid.

Why people will take advantage of desperate students in a global marketplace and not pay them....that one I can't answer.

May in the conservation field do provide room and board in lieu of pay, which given our overall funding level is somewhat understandable. 

Still, students often have subleases and car loans to pay, and many of them MUST to work at a high wage job all summer to even have to have a chance to pay tuition in the fall:

College tuition hikes in double digits

unpaid internships

I agree with Bug Girl, the benefits of internships are real for both employers and students.

I think though that there's just an issue of how those benefits are divided up. Similar to Managenomics if a company can delegate a tedious low risk but necessary task from a paid employee to an unpaid intern they're receiving maximum benefit. If that intern is paid something (not much) but something they can still benefit but the student receives some of that value as well.

'The pursuit of happyness' probably illustrated well the lack of bargaining power an intern has when competing for an opportunity. They (presumably) were making real sales for real economic benefits for the company for no wages, just the chance to get a paid position down the track. That guy was willing to live on the streets for the opportunity.

There's even an argument to say employers (as major beneficiaries) should pay students tuition. Many do through the form of scholarships and I have no idea how this would work for entrepreneurs that then employ themselves and take on the risks.

But the world is full of mysteries, why are companies averse to paying interns while so few (in my experience) bother to get rid of 'warm bodies' or substandard hires while they have a 3 month probation/cooling off period?

A lot more value is risked and lost leaving a bad hire in their position by default/laziness than would be lost paying interns for 2-6 months.

I don't think employers should flinch at slightly elevated risk of employing an intern for a 2 month working job interview. It's still less risk than hiring a stranger (to the company, team, manager) straight into a full time position.

If anyone is interested in a

If anyone is interested in a marketing internship, Phoenix-based Vertical Measures Internet Marketing company is looking for highly motivated interns.  This is a paid internship and school credit will be offered but is not required.  For more info please visit our webpage: Internet Marketing Internship .

I worked a number of

I worked a number of internships through school, all paid (althogh not highly), and the biggest benefit it gave me was something to talk about in interviews. I actually had examples of real problems and real solutions, which I think greatly aided me in my job search.

One point I would disagree with is that internships are more difficult than college. My first internship away from the town I lived, I trained over the summer to run a marathon (not terribly fast, but I went from sedentary to running 10 miles a day in 3 months) while teaching myself portuguese. I also excelled in my job, earning several bonusues over the summer. Part of this might be the type of school (engineering), as getting an engineering degree seems widely regarded is difficult.

internship

My internship program is amazing. After I finished my masters degrees in communications I applied for several posts, and finally with a bit of luck I got one at the famous international program. get to travel a lot with the directors all over the world for business contracts, and they actually answer any question I ask.

Great cast! And that reminds me....

I know it's been a while since this cast was posted, but hopefully other college students like me are finding it with the search feature too. Excellent cast, and I actually just recently accepted an internship with a large investment company over the summer (paid! :) ) and was able to talk about your casts with my interviewer back in November (thanks Manager Tools!). And, along with Manager Tools, I just want to mention a GREAT resource that really helped me:

Effective Immediately

www.amazon.com/Effective-Immediately-Stand-Move-First/dp/1580089992

Seriously. Check out this book. It's extremely easy to read and provides not only the basics but step-by-step instructions on how to write your first memos, emails, and update plans for your boss. I feel so much better going into the internship in June with this guide and I hope Manager Tools can add some additional podcasts with pointers for us college students just entering the workforce.

And...Thanks for all of the great advice already!