

Internships at any time of your life - sharpshoot
http://sharpshoot.blogspot.com/2007/12/internships-at-anytime-of-your-life.html

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myoung8
It seems like most internships are not so much a "free trial" for the
internee, but an extended, interactive interview and test of skills,
personality, and attitude. They exist so that firms don't get stuck with inept
workers.

There are also significant costs associated with interns (e.g. training,
relocation) which are depreciated if the intern gets hired. Having an intern
program like he describes would definitely see an increase in those costs,
which makes it a disincentive for firms to have such a program.

That said, I'd love to have the opportunity to intern anywhere at any stage in
my life.

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Tichy
I thought internships are just cheap labor for the companies. At least in
Europe some people do nothing but internships for years, because companies
won't hire anybody for real.

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davidw
Yeah, at the last place I worked in Italy, my boss brought in a guy who was
nice, and a hard worker, but not paid a dime. Stupid boss didn't even buy him
lunch on his last day (I did out of a sense of decency). Eventually he hired
him on as a 'temporary worker', which is how small firms in Italy get around
the rigid labor laws.

Basically, it's just another example of how the rigid labor laws take from
some and give to others.

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jamiequint
The idea of companies getting free labor isn't neccessarily true, at least not
for more meaningful jobs where the lead in time from hiring to productivity is
longer (hence the desire for low turnover).

However, I believe what this article is suggesting that if the system were to
change so internships as "free trial[s]" were the norm companies would likely
have better hires in the long term.

Since markets with more liquidity adjust more rapidly, allowing people to move
around more and allowing companies to better hire for culture fit (which may
be hard to determine in a series of interviews) would ultimately result in a
happier (and more efficient) labor market. Interesting idea.

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yagibear
This article focuses on the receptor side (company employing for a trial) and
glosses over the donor side (organisation that loses/offers the person for
trial). Universities aren't affected by students taking internships over
summer breaks, and are hardly affected by students inserting internships
during semesters. However candidates at later stages of life are likely to
either have an employer (who is likely to incur disruption and have little
incentive for allowing extended leave), or be unemployed (which makes them
less attractive for receptors).

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sharpshoot
Your response assumes that the system operates alongside the current
employment system. If every company operated that way, sure there would be
disruption - but if you imagine a fluid system, no one would be disruting
their 'current' position because every break can be made cleanly. Think out
the box about what you've said as opposed to with the lense of how the current
system works.

Also if you consider the long term evolutionary impact: as people have the
flexibility to try out companies a) candidates will be more experienced as
they will have received training from different companies b) candidates will
know exactly what roles suit them c) companies will only be populated with
people who want to be there hence leading to greater productivity.

Overhall the current system. As myyoung8 said - how many people want this but
can't have it. This is the sign of a broken system.

------
jkush
<http://vocationvacations.com/>

~~~
danw
Thanks, I was desperatly trying to remmember that name! Heres an article about
them:
[http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2006/sb20060...](http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2006/sb20060412_289938.htm?campaign_id=bier_sma)

