College students and internships

[Travel60]

In many fields, an internship is the best (if not only) path to really top jobs on graduation. Gives the employer a chance to assess intern and gives intern a chance to assess company and career. For Big4 accounting firms, many interns receive job offer at end of internship and go through last year knowing they have a job.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

..

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

@tinkerdorabelle its not really free labor, in the past many (I'd say most) true internships were an opportunity to get real life working experience in the field of study. Today, most of the interneships are paid and it s a blend of gaining experience and it's a recruitment tool as well. Both of my sons were paid and over $20/hour for their internships. There are some bad apples that to look at it as just free labor, but most universities will steer students clear of those types. My internship was unpaid but very strict guidelines of what I could and couldn't do - basically I could not replace an existing employee. As I was unpaid I did that for 8 hours then worked nights & weekends to early some $. I did feel I got a unique opporunity to learn, but payment would have been nice - but then I think I wouldn't have had the opportunities I had. A close family friend had her daughter in a free internship in the fashion industry, and it hands down was just free labor - she bailed after 4 weeks.

Glad to know your sons are paid. For those that are not, I don't care if you get experience, it's taking great advantage if not paid.

It depends on the major. In my son's engineering program, they're required to do 4 full-time semester long co-ops (it's a 5-year program). They have to be paid co-ops, not unpaid internships. In his case, it's on the job experience, plus a chance for him to get a feel for whether or not this company (and this industry) is what he wants to do for a living. And for the companies, it's a chance to see if the student is someone who they might potentially like to hire once they graduate. My son's current co-op is paying him $20 a hour, so it's by far not free labor.

Well that sounds fair.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Also gives an unfair playing field to those that have wealthier parents, etc where you can afford to do an unpaid internship where others may have to work

 

[SteveH]

There are labor laws for a reason. Glad to know your sons are paid. I don't care if you get experience, it's taking advantage if not paid.

I'll disagree to a point. There is great value to some unpaid interneships, but those have to be clearly defined. In the case of my internships I got to experience a lot of things an employee of my age would never had had the opportunity. I sat in on some higher level meetings, learned aspects of HR, Finance, Operations and others that really helped to advance my career. I also learned that I did not like working for a large multi-million dollar business with over 1,000 employees. I had the benefit of working those nights & weekends with the same company so I got to see both sides of the business. I've saw many of my college friends do internships and get almost nothing but $ out of the experience. I truly got an amazing experience & education for my unpaid experience that helped to alter my career choice. I've stayed in that industry for 33 years. But I will agree that far to many take advantage of college students, paid or unpaid. I am thankful I never felt that way nor have my sons.

 

[mjkacmom]

In many fields, an internship is the best (if not only) path to really top jobs on graduation. Gives the employer a chance to assess intern and gives intern a chance to assess company and career. For Big4 accounting firms, many interns receive job offer at end of internship and go through last year knowing they have a job.

My daughter chose not to intern at a big 4, but instead a smaller local firm junior year, she had a job offer after it was over matching a big 4 salary, and they agreed to let her start a year after graduation so she could pass her CPA exams (and then paid her more). No stress.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The engineering company my husband interned at the summer before he started college (and actually still works for) did provide housing but I don't know much information on that. The interns were paid, they also have mentors (my husband has now mentored multiple ones over his time with the company).

The way the company did interns was for those just out of high school who may be extended a position (hourly) once college starts up. Internships are normally a summer thing. If you're extended a position after that you're an employee not an intern. However, as you work through college you may not be extended an offer to work full-time (normally salaried) once you graduate. In my husband's case he was in school for aerospace engineering and his company does construction and power. He worked in power and was in the mechanical aspect. His company offered him a job once he graduated college when he was a junior and asked him to do bridge mechanical engineer courses to offset the knowledge gap between aerospace and mechanical.

 

[pranav_pesto]

Usually companies do not provide a place to live for an internship, or even for a job. There are very few job posts wherein the company arranges a place to live for its employees.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I wouldn't encourage her to push too hard for money etc, from what I gather internships are very competitive, rarely paid and housing is on the student. They are pretty much an extension of a person's education and very valuable for someone moving into the job market. There is a lot of cost that goes into training a new employee so it's mostly a way to try out upcoming graduates who look like solid potential employees, nothing to turn your nose up at if there is no compensation.
Think of it as a bonus, especially in fiercely competitive fields like engineering, looks fab on Linked In & resumes.

 

[samandryanmom]

Thanks again everyone. Just trying to get a grasp on what the norm is. This is her first time to try for internships..she’s double majoring in mechanical engineering and theatre (long story!! Lol!) and her end goal is something space related.
Her dad and I just want to be prepared for how much help she’ll need for the summer.

 

[Southernmiss]

I've not known anyone in the last 10 years taking unpaid internships.

They're not making great money, but it's something to get experience in their fields.

30 years ago my brother did a co-op with a power company. That led to his job he's had with the same company for 27 years and many promotions.

Our son did 2 accounting internships in college. One local to him while at school. Another in a big 4 firm in a big city for a semester.

Immediately after graduating, he took a job with the big 4 firm. After 4 years and a brutal busy season via zoom and 80 hour weeks on end, he left there for more money, in person, better work life balance, with the local firm in his small college town he loves, five minutes away from his house. A total win all the way around for him. The college experience at the smaller firm, got him the connections to get him back in the door.

This summer, our daughter, a biology major, took an 8 week internship locally. She was paid and did her job. But she learned that area of biology is not for her.

There are benefits to most all internships.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thanks again everyone. Just trying to get a grasp on what the norm is. This is her first time to try for internships..she’s double majoring in mechanical engineering and theatre (long story!! Lol!) and her end goal is something space related.
Her dad and I just want to be prepared for how much help she’ll need for the summer.

Like I mentioned my husband did aerospace but has ended up mechanical. There are 2 reasons for that: 1) He was working for a company he really liked 2) right in our metro there wasn't as many opportunities for the type of aerospace he was more interested in. It would have required a move to somewhere else. That said his company encouraged him once he graduated to apply to other places and take interviews so he could be sure. He did interview with Cessna (located about 2 1/2 hours from us) but opted to stick with his present company where he's doing power plants. Just let her know to keep in mind location and the company in mind with respects to aerospace because it's fairly location dependent. Where I lived used to be one of the best places for aerospace but steadily companies have left. Boeing was one of the more major ones to leave (although their reputation isn't the best these days).

My sister-in-law did a summer internship at NASA which she really did like (she also graduated with an aerospace engineering degree) and she does know someone who does work on coffee machines for airplanes though I can't remember if it was for a particular company or type of plane. I forget what my sister-in-law's exact occupation is but she also is more mechanical engineer more on the plant maintenance positions.

 

[Skippy918]

Engineering internships/ co-ops are typically paid. Housing depends on the company. One company I worked at had housing for interns and co-op students. That was really nice cause it was subsidized. Another company my friend worked at had housing provided by the company. For all my other assignments, I stayed on campus and commuted. This was the 90s though and I don’t know what these companies do these days.
Some companies only allow interns to work part time and not full time to avoid paying benefits I suppose. In my experience, I worked full time but wasn’t eligible for any paid time off or insurance.

 

[a1tinkfans]

@tinkerdorabelle its not really free labor, in the past many (I'd say most) true internships were an opportunity to get real life working experience in the field of study. Today, most of the interneships are paid and it s a blend of gaining experience and it's a recruitment tool as well. Both of my sons were paid and over $20/hour for their internships. There are some bad apples that to look at it as just free labor, but most universities will steer students clear of those types. My internship was unpaid but very strict guidelines of what I could and couldn't do - basically I could not replace an existing employee. As I was unpaid I did that for 8 hours then worked nights & weekends to early some $. I did feel I got a unique opporunity to learn, but payment would have been nice - but then I think I wouldn't have had the opportunities I had. A close family friend had her daughter in a free internship in the fashion industry, and it hands down was just free labor - she bailed after 4 weeks.

They re not all paid. in fact, for some the “ pay” goes back to the University and the student gets partial credit …towards a particular course in that field.

 

[takemethere]

None of my 3 got housing

 

[samandryanmom]

OP here with an exciting update!! DD found out today that she was selected for a summer internship in New York City!! They do match their interns and help them find summer housing together to keep the costs “lower.” To say she’s excited is an understatement!! Our mother/daughter spring break pool and shopping trip will be all about finding work clothes!!

 

[JimMIA]

My DGD did an internship at The Points Guy in NYC a few years ago. They were provided lodging in university dorms -- NYU, I think.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Fantastic News!

 

[Arym]

My daughter did an internship for two summers at a major company in RI. Because she was near Brown University, she was able to sublet an apartment from Brown students who were leaving just for the summer. She was able to connect with another intern through information given by the company and each summer they were able to pick up one more roommate. It was very stressful, although the second summer was much easier since one of the other roommates also accepted a second summer internship.
Even Disney does not provide housing for their Professional Internships. They do for the college program but not the internship program. They do, however, pay the interns very well.
Congratulations to your daughter, op!