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Subject:Paid vs. unpaid internships From:"Larry Kunz ((919) 254-6395)" <ldkunz -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 5 Dec 1995 13:14:04 EST
I might be guilty of oversimplification, but it seems to me that
the question of whether a company pays its interns is directly
related to the question of what it expects them to do.
If the company is willing to pay me, it follows that they expect
me to do substantive work and create products that have value.
If they expect me to work for nothing, isn't it likely that they
expect nothing in return other than running errands, making
photocopies, stuffing envelopes, and -- oh, yes -- expressing
gratitude for a chance to be part of the "real world"?
I've seen both kinds of internship. Which would you rather
have?
Larry Kunz
STC Assistant to the President for Professional Development
ldkunz -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com