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I'm wondering if "internships" have turned into an opportunity for some to take advantage of this economy. Sure, it's a great way to "break into the market" and network but how long can an employer use a person as an intern?
Secondly, does the intern sign documents perventing them for litigation in the future against the employer for not paying wages?
From my previous jobs, internship programs are set up for college students in which they recieve college credit for a semester and were unpaid. I think very few internships are paying. I guess as far as taking positions away, yes and no. Yes we could have hired someone to do all those mundane things but all those mundane things are already part of an employee's responsibility. They get to learn the good, bad and the ugly in the real world.
A review of the regulations would probably be helpful to most people...
The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined a list of criteria that ALL must be met in order for an internship to be unpaid.
1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school;
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainee;
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the completion of the training period; and
6. The employer and the trainee understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.
Internships in college can be a real start as far as networking. Often it leads to employemnt after college if the person is good. It alos allows a person to get experience they can not get otherwise to co,mpete with mnay that already have experience.
In my field internships are great - you usually get one in your senior year and the company ends up hiring you once you're done with school. I'd call it a win-win situation.
I'm wondering if "internships" have turned into an opportunity for some to take advantage of this economy. Sure, it's a great way to "break into the market" and network but how long can an employer use a person as an intern?
Secondly, does the intern sign documents perventing them for litigation in the future against the employer for not paying wages?
How does this system work? Your experiences?
I have worked several internships ones that paid as little as $12.50/hr and ones that paid $5000/mo. All of these internships have been between the spring and fall semesters/quarters at school. These summer internships are a good way to get experience in the industry you want to eventually work full time, and a good way to earn money during the summer. I never signed any documents preventing me from suing employers for not paying, there were documents regarding intellectual property though. The company I currently work for hires about 40 interns every summer, and pays about $4400/mo for 3 months, they get treated nicely too, they help arrange housing and everything.
My younger brother is getting an internship next summer that will pay about $5000/mo.
"The trainees do not displace regular employees " this is stretched quite a bit I suspect.... I see WAY too many "internship" positions - now that economy is in the toilet (concidental?).
Used to be they were never paid. Now most pay at least minimum wage. Otherwise the students end up working 2 full times jobs, the internship and the one they need to make $$ to continue paying for their college the next year.
I agree, they are increasing important.
If you stand out as an intern that company may very well offer you a job after graduation.
You might also look at it another way. If you don't intern and others do, they'll have a leg up on you after graduation when you all go job hunting in your field because they'll have experience you don't have.
If you wanted to get a job in my field (architecture), you almost had to have some sort of internship experience prior to graduation from college. Nearly all architecture internships are paid. I was paid $12/hour for my internship and during the school year would drive down twice a week to work during my free time. Firms like internships because college interns are usually graphically proficient and spend their time making 3D models and renderings, which saves the company money from having to farm out that work to an independent graphics studio or have it done more expensively in-house with a full-time employee.
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