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Subject:Re: Writing internships? From:"Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 1 Dec 1995 08:43:08 -0600
Jason:
This is written in reply to:
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Is anyone familiar with the college internship policies of their employer?
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A quick scan of the employee handbook reveals no policy information, but I
know that we -do- hire interns in a variety of business and technical
fields. The ones I'm personally familar with were all paid.
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Is it a common practice for writing-based internships to be unpaid? Has anyone
successfully sidestepped this policy?
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In my journalism-school days, the writing internships were with newspapers,
and they usually paid (though often at minimum wage). Broadcast interns
were normally -not- paid, but were -usually- hired after graduation by the
station where they performed the internship. (Assuming, of course, that
the internship went well for both parties and reorganization, budget
cutting, etc. during the intervening year didn't play havoc with the
station's hiring plans.)
I've heard of schools being fussy about this; like there's something
inherently unclean about students receiving -both- academic credit and
money for their effort. This has never made sense to me; the two
determinations (Is the experience worth giving credit for on the basis of
what was learned? Did the employer get their money's worth?) are pretty
much independent, in my mind. If anything, there's more incentive for
employers actually -use- a paid intern for real work, since they cost
something.
I hope this helps.
Skoal,
Doug "No one gets to miss the storm of What Will Be,
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com just holding on for the ride."
-- The Indigo Girls
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The preceding opinions and positions are mine alone, and are only
coincidentally related to those of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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