Alive HR

Last week while web surfing, I stumbled upon a local professional sports  team’s website and clicked their Employment page. I quickly noticed all listed jobs were in fact internships with this disclaimer, “All MoCoSo* internships are unpaid and do not provide any living accommodations.”  Interesting, I thought. I wondered if the unpaid internships were legal arrangements, but I couldn’t find enough information on the website to help me determine.

The summer is upon us. Jobs are tight and a growing number of young people may be seeking internships as a way to “do something constructive” (i.e. keep their parents off their backs), get real-world experience and build their resume. Internships can be a true win for everyone. They can allow young people to learn about their chosen profession in a nonthreatening way, apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, gain school credit, get introduced to the world of work and potentially build relationships with long-term mentors. It can be a win for supervisors,  professions and organizations, as well, through workforce development, public relations, etc.

At the same time, as this University of Maryland’s Diamondback publication (and many others) reported recently, more students than ever are working internships and some employers may exploit young people through unpaid arrangements that may be illegal. When, if ever, is it permissible to offer an unpaid internships?

The  April, 2010 Department of Labor fact sheet offers some guidance:

Is the employer in nonprofit sector?  “Unpaid internships in the public sector and for non-profit charitable organizations, where the intern volunteers without expectation of compensation, are generally permissible.”

If the employer for-profit? If so, unpaid internships must meet these guidelines:

• The internship offers training similar to that given in an educational environment;
• The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
• The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
• The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
• The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
• The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

If you’re a job seeker, student or potential intern, it doesn’t hurt to have this knowledge before you commit to an unpaid internship.  If possible, structure your internship through your university.  Think about your learning objectives at all stages of the process. Do some research on the company. Advocate for yourself. Come prepared with a  proposed plan including your supervision needs, but be flexible and negotiate.  Ask others who work there what kind of supervision and mentoring you’re likely to receive. Did I mention self-advocate? You don’t have to accept a crappy, unpaid internship. And don’t overlook jobs in restaurants and retail, which over time can lead to positions of increasing responsibility; to an employer, this may be more impressive than a series of short, unrelated internships, the value of which may be difficult to decipher.

If you’re an employer, you’ll want to make sure you’re on the right side of the Department of Labor while providing a meaningful learning and development experience. I’ve always enjoyed supervising interns, but it’s not for everyone. If you hate it, don’t do it if you can possibly avoid it; neither party will benefit much. Some quick tips for internships, particularly unpaid ones:

• Craft the internship around the skills, needs and school program of the intern.  Be flexible and don’t expect someone to work 9-5, five days/week for free!
• Pair the intern with a supervisor who will enjoy and learn from the experience. Some needed qualities: patience, love of learning, creativity.
• Train your supervisors.
• Follow the school’s program or come up with your own plan in concert with the intern.
• Write meaningful learning objectives and plans to meet them, including a schedule of evaluations (such as midway through and at the end).
• Help them network socially and professionally.
• Give the intern a decent place to sit and the tools they need to do their job.
• Pair the intern with a buddy if possible. Pay attention to onboarding so that you can facilitate a positive work experience. Involve them in team projects.
• Set up a supervision schedule, such as once weekly. Let the intern know what you expect of him/her at each meeting, e.g. progress reports on goals, etc.
• As much as possible, offer meaningful tasks that offer a good level of challenge and opportunity to learn.  (Sometimes, as the DOL fact sheets alludes to, it would be easier to just do it yourself.)
• Don’t waste their time.
• Show appreciation during the experience and at the end. If you can’t pay the person, try to find other perks, whether iTunes giftcards, company Tshirts, help with transportation. Or here’s one:  buy them a student membership in a national, professional organization.
• At the end of the experience, stay in touch with the intern and serve as an informal mentor, reference and source of career advice.

Those are some of my thoughts about creating a meaningful internship experience, particularly if it is [legally] unpaid.  What do you have to add, as an intern, former intern, or intern supervisor?

photo by Chad Fust

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