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Bryan P. Hollis says
May 25, 2012 at 9:13 amHi Kiesha,
Wow, I have so much to say about this. I’ve actually had a brief conversation about this with a mutual colleague of ours. This is certainly a great idea and I agree. (The next portion is South Carolina specific…sorry, we’re both from here)!
I actually offered the University of South Carolina via the department heads an internship with a portion paid and the balance of hours to be applied to the appropriate credit for their department. I believe I proposed to the Business school (marketing dept.) and the School of Journalism. The goal was to have this student take the WordPress editorial stuff off of my shoulders and learn more about online marketing and SEO in the process. For an intern, (or anyone) you will have a natural tendency to gravitate to something that you enjoy online. You may realize you love writing and content…you may realize that you like the SEO or even imaging (or video) and / or program. The possibilities are endless. Great subject,
Bryan
Kiesha Easley says
May 25, 2012 at 8:55 pmHi Bryan!
You’re so right the possibilities really are endless. Some people may not see the value in an unpaid internship – I actually had one person scream at me: “Pay your interns!” obviously they had a bad experience. But there’s much to be gained from an unpaid internship, especially in the field of SEO, internet marketing and freelancing. I hope it works out for you at USC, if not, I know of other schools that could benefit.
Bryan P. Hollis says
May 26, 2012 at 7:13 amHey Kiesha,
We will see….I may just take you up on that. It will go on their job board(s) in the Fall.
Bryan
Janet Thomson says
May 25, 2012 at 10:16 amKiesha,
I recently bit the bullet and hired a technical virtual assistant because I needed someone to help with getting things done at my website. I wasted so much time learning how to work a new function, that I was losing focus on my marketing. I contemplated hiring a college intern, but I just didn’t have the time to get them up to speed. In addition, I didn’t want to retrain a new intern once the old one graduates. So, I opted to hire someone for no more than five hours a month, and I’m not obligated to use them each month if I don’t have anything. However, I could see myself hiring maybe an intern to do research for magazine articles or big blog posts. Either route is a win-win for all parties involved. Great article.
Kiesha Easley says
May 25, 2012 at 9:01 pmHi Janet!
I totally understand – it is indeed, the training part that was the most difficult hump for me. But once it was over, everything fell into place nicely. Although, I’ll be honest – I do dread the idea of training a new intern now that both of mine have graduated.
Jon Stone says
May 25, 2012 at 1:46 pmThis is an interesting concept I would have never considered. I could definitely see the benefits of such an arrangement.
You also get the fact that if you build a good relationship with the intern, you have also gained an affiliate in many ways. They are sure to mention their work with you or past projects as they head off into their careers.
Definitely something ot think about as I head forward!
Kiesha Easley says
May 25, 2012 at 9:04 pmHi Jon,
You’ve really honed in on the most important part here – building a good relationship. Honestly, this should go for everything, but for some reason, it’s the least important for some people. Building a good relationship really makes all the difference in whether or not the internship experience will be a good one or a sour one.
Mitchell Allen says
May 25, 2012 at 5:01 pmKiesha, it is amazing how much we take for granted. I always assumed that hiring interns was restricted to large businesses. In fact, except for the money issue, I’ve considered training someone to handle my HelpDesk – once it becomes busy enough.
I didn’t think of it in terms of internship. I used to train subordinates to do my old J.O.B., so I think in MLM terms: duplication. Of course, the difference is that interns move on, employees stay put.
Thanks for sharing the specifics of actually getting interns.
Cheers,
Mitch
Kiesha Easley says
May 25, 2012 at 9:11 pmHi Mitchell,
It’s definitely the “training” and “moving on” parts that are most difficult, but if you can overcome those two things, the sky really is the limit to what you can accomplish. The key is to take it one step at a time. Just having them help me with one major task saved me time that I didn’t usually have, so I was happy!
Gail Gardner says
May 26, 2012 at 2:17 pmI am a strong proponent of offering internships – in fact I am currently looking for one or more interns myself. There are many tasks we do regularly that can easily be taught online to other bloggers or even those brand new to blogging or social networking who wish to become bloggers. I can teach them and guide them in a project that benefits many and then they can apply what they have learned to their own blogs and businesses.
The best way to learn new skills is to have a mentor teach you a process and document it, then do enough of the process to really learn it so it is clear to you what exactly you’re doing and why. Once you do that you will have a skill that you will retain for use later because you got enough experience and you have it documented to refresh your memory the next time you need it.
Once you get one skill down then I teach another and another – putting you on the fast path to being successful at blogging. And all along you have regular access to get any questions you have answered – often in real time.
That is exactly how I came to be the IBM technician trained on more equipment than anyone else I ever worked with there – because I volunteered to be trained on each newly announced system or peripheral and since I was the only person on shift I got more first hand experience than anyone else. It is the experience that makes all the difference – not the training which doesn’t help much if you never actually use it because you won’t clearly understand it or remember it.
Once you actually DO SOMETHING live that has specific goals you DO understand and retain it – and the very best way to become expert at anything is to teach it because if you can not clearly explain every nuance and detail to someone else you do not actually know the answers yourself yet!
By taking an unpaid internship and accomplishing a specific goal for a live project and then using what you have learned to benefit your OWN business, blog, or project you become highly proficient at that skill – and then you can offer that as a service on your own site AND someone like me can start sending paid work to you.
You never really know someone until you work with them because many know but can not do and others can do but if their calling is as broad as my own they have difficulty delivering on time so they need to work with those who can. Keep in mind that the recommendations you should weight the heaviest when considering hiring anyone are those that come from someone who has hired them and worked with them directly – and not from those who have not.
This is why we MUST write recommendations for those we have worked with directly and we must be willing to work with influencers in a position to recommend us without pay – because THOSE recommendations are what will enable you to generate a steady income over time.
This does NOT happen right away so you need to get started part time and build your portfolio and update your LinkedIn profile with your projects – and get recommendations from those who have worked with you directly.
Kiesha says
May 26, 2012 at 3:07 pmHi Gail,
Thanks for chiming in on this. Everything you’ve listed here is exactly why I think unpaid internships (when done appropriately) are totally fair, even though there are people who don’t agree. It’s the experience and the networking that makes a giant difference in a student’s future career.
Bryan P. Hollis says
May 26, 2012 at 4:13 pmGail,
You were the colleague I mentioned to Kiesha in an earlier comment…didn’t want to speak for you, but you mentioned it!
Bryan
GrowMap says
May 28, 2012 at 3:18 pmHi Kiesha, Bryan,
Internships are far more than fair – they are THE way to get valuable training and experience instead of going into debt getting a college degree that often does not equip you with ANY practical skills you can immediately use to make a living.
The primary benefit of attending an elite college and joining fraternities and sororities is the relationships that can be used to become successful in business. The working classes have never had that benefit.
Are there people who take advantage of interns or apprentices? Yes. But just as many take advantage of any kind of employee. Training takes time and is an infinitely fair trade for skills that can generate an income for you. When people are highly ethical they will treat their interns and apprentices fairly and start paying them and sending them clients as soon as they are ready.
Interns do need to remember, though, that they may THINK they are ready before they really are (think about Yoda and Luke Skywalker) – so choose wisely who you will work with whether you are the potential intern or the potential mentor / trainer. If you both respect each other internships are ideal for both!
Maneet Puri says
May 29, 2012 at 7:56 amUnpaid Internship is a very smart move and pretty exciting too! I really loved your blog and I must confess that hiring an intern does help a lot in reducing the work load, given the condition you make him work on uncomplicated projects. Moreover, I would like to add that benefits of hiring an intern depends on the nature of your business too. If you are into a profession that requires client handling skills in combination with professional knowledge then, you can never count on an intern to do it for you! On the other hand, we all are aware of the simple business rule that is “Time Equal’s Money”, which is why you have to think twice before devoting your working hours towards training a fresher. Hard efforts that you employ in training an intern, goes in vain the moment he leaves your firm for any better opportunity.
Kiesha says
June 1, 2012 at 9:15 pmHi Maneet,
You’re definitely right to point out that it all depends on the nature of your business. For some businesses – especially when people are expecting a personal touch from a specific person, it just wouldn’t be appropriate. It’s definitely something business owners should think over carefully before committing to training an intern.
Eman says
May 29, 2012 at 12:35 amYou’ve done a great job training future bloggers keziah! I may consider having an intern with me when the money and the job starts coming in. Right now, I’m still on my own figuring ways to uplift my leverage. And I’ll be glad training a intern with me.
Kiesha says
June 1, 2012 at 9:12 pmThanks, Eman!
At least now you know what your options are and you can prepare accordingly. You’ll get there for sure!
Leonel B. Austin says
June 3, 2012 at 5:00 pmThis is a money tip. One thing I love about unpaid internships is that it filters out employees who are just after the money and have no real interest in your company. Typically, I find that people who as employees go for unpaid internships will have a deeper loyalty for the company down the road and it just creates a win-win situation for all that are involved.
Kiesha Easley says
June 6, 2012 at 9:59 amHi Leonel,
Yes, what I’ve found is that the interns (unpaid) are really interested in learning what you have to teach them. They want to absorb your knowledge and experience because it’s about creating a successful career/future – not about the money.
Barbara Saunders says
July 13, 2012 at 3:19 pmWhat?! I’ll say it right here: I can love what a company does in the world. I can have affection or even admiration for a business owner and her achievements. Even in middle-age, I am happy to apprentice for free to learn some skills. But there is no kind of “interest” and “loyalty” that would lead me to “go for unpaid internships” if I could get paid to do similar work elsewhere!
I don’t blame individual business owners for the fact that internships have replaced what used to be called “entry-level JOBS.” But I’ll fight to my last breath the revisionism that makes that unfortunate phenomenon a positive that separates “true” committed people from those “greedy” people who would prefer to get paid rather than take out student loans, depend on government grants, or live on the parents’ couch while helping a BUSINESS OWNER gain profits.
Kiesha Easley says
July 13, 2012 at 3:31 pmHi Barbara,
While the title may sound like the business owner is reaping all of the benefits, the type of internships that I’m suggesting are not the kind that take people for granted. You said it yourself, you would apprentice for free to learn some skills – especially when those skills could lead to a stronger resume. This is not about making students works for free, it’s about providing a training ground where they can get hands-on experience and actually get a chance to polish their skills and prepare them for the real workforce.
This is about creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that at the end of the day is not just about profits, but about letting students gain skills that can use to stand out in the work force. People pay to go to college to gain knowledge and skills – it’s a reason for that, because knowledge and skills equals power. The type of internships I’m talking about are the kind that should empower students. After all, not all colleges are actually teaching students how to freelance or how to blog and optimize their content for search engines? These are skills that are worth obtaining, even if they have to apprentice for free to get them.
I’m by no means, condoning that any business or blogger take advantage of anyone. Obviously, this type of arrangement isn’t for everyone, but there are many students who could benefit from it.
Derek says
June 3, 2012 at 6:37 pmGreat post.
Truly its a secret weapon unknown to many.
Kiesha Easley says
June 6, 2012 at 10:00 amHi Derek,
I’ve always wondered why more people haven’t been doing this – I see now that it’s because they just didn’t know about it.
Swamykant says
June 19, 2012 at 9:22 amIt is very difficult to have an intern… sometimes I feel that I can better do that work for him.
Kiesha Easley says
July 11, 2012 at 9:27 pmHi Swamykant,
Some things aren’t for everybody. Working with an intern does require you to give up a little control so that they can learn and gain experience – however, everybody isn’t comfortable doing that – and that’s okay. 🙂
Janet Attard says
June 19, 2012 at 11:53 amThe problem with using an unpaid intern to do work in your business is that it’s illegal. If the intern does any real work for you, labor laws require them to be paid at least minimum wage.
That said, hiring an intern – and paying them – can pay off for your business since interns are often eager to learn and hard workers.
Kiesha Easley says
June 21, 2012 at 12:33 pmHi Janet,
I have good news for you – it’s not illegal to offer unpaid internships as long as you are not misusing their service. That means, interns should not be required to fetch coffee or lunch or participate in other menial tasks. As long as your internship is providing hands-on training and experience, it is, indeed, legal.
Shannon Baker says
June 24, 2012 at 9:12 amThis article is great! I’ve been managing my client’s social profiles but falling behind on my own. This is definitely something I need to consider doing to help me get caught up and get things in order. Someone recommended Odesk to me but right now that isn’t in my budget either since I just started my virtual assistant business. So I’m going to make a list of the tasks I need to be completed and contact some local schools for an intern!
Kiesha Easley says
June 24, 2012 at 9:07 pmHi Shannon!
I’m so glad you’ve found this post helpful and are ready to take action. There are so many benefits for both you and a potential intern. It may take extra effort on your part in the beginning, but if you focus on training and allowing them to gain new knowledge and experiences, you’ll be able to free up some time in the long. I wish all the best to you and your virtual assistant business!
Hajra says
July 4, 2012 at 3:59 pmI remember being an intern for a small business owner and under their advertisement, they said “Free Coffee” and that caught my attention.
The key is that it was helpful for me and we both stood to gain from it. Though it did get a little frustrating because I wasn’t paid but then the experience was much more important and it was beneficial for me. I still call it my best internship!
Kiesha Easley says
July 4, 2012 at 4:13 pmHi Hajra,
Thanks for dropping by! You mention a very important point – that the experience was the important thing despite the fact that you didn’t get paid. The experience definitely needs to outweigh that fact and I encourage small business owners to add as much value to the experience as possible. It should be a win/win situation where both parties benefit equally.
Hajra says
July 23, 2012 at 3:36 amI would agree. Sometimes it will get frustrating when one is not paid and the employer should take care about that if they don’t want to lose out on the interns. They need to keep it interesting for both of them!
Tom Jamieson says
July 4, 2012 at 6:55 pmKiesha-
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I had never thought about this before, especially since I am still an amateur and just starting out. However, it has given me something to think about for the future.
Thanks again,
Tom
Kiesha Easley says
July 11, 2012 at 9:25 pmHi Tom!
It’s always good to know what you’re options are ahead of time. That way you can plan and strategize later on. Thanks for dropping by and chiming in!
Raaj Trambadia says
July 4, 2012 at 9:57 amI remember my sister doing internship at a local firm. It was actually her first one, and the first thing she said when she returned at night was – That Boss Sucks! Hahah! Bosses need to take care on new interns 🙂
Kiesha Easley says
July 4, 2012 at 4:06 pmHi Raaj,
Thanks for stopping by the share your thoughts. I completely agree with you – internships should never take advantage of students. Business owners should always keep the students education and training in mind. They deserve to be treated fairly.
Lynn Brown says
July 4, 2012 at 3:47 pmYou make some really good points here Kiesha. An intern is a great way to help build your business while keeping your budget in check. I went to our local JC (junior college) and signed up as an employer with a specific internship. I made sure it was a mutual benefit with respect to the student actually getting credit for learning and working with me. They also received a letter of recommendation from me at the end of their internship which I made for only a 3 month period.
I enjoy working with students as they gain knowledge and experience but they also have helped me with the small social media tasks that give me more time in my day to work on projects.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and suggestions and I look forward to sharing this with others!
Kiesha Easley says
July 4, 2012 at 4:11 pmHi Lynn!
Thank you for sharing your experience here. Sounds like you offered a very beneficial internship to students who needed the training and experience. There’s value in a positive recommendation that cannot be measured – who knows what opportunities it may create or doors in may open in the students future. Thanks again!
Janet Attard says
July 4, 2012 at 11:26 pmJust getting back here… unfortunately, the way most businesses use – or want to use interns – to get work done at no cost is not legal. It has nothting to do with whether or not your send the intern to get coffee or do menial tasks. What it has to do with the is the fair labor laws and whether or not the business derives benefit from the intern’s w0rk. Here’s what the US Department of Labor has to say about interns: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm USA Today recently ran an article on the subject, too, as have other sources (we have one on our site too). Here’s the link to the USA Today article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/story/2012-03-07/summer-internships-paid-unpaid/53404886/1
Kiesha Easley says
July 5, 2012 at 11:54 amHi Janet,
Absolutely agree with what these articles are saying – the internship should comply and should be beneficial to the student’s education. If an internship is organized carefully with this in mind, it can benefit both the student and the business owner. Did I say something in this article that said otherwise?
Janet Attard says
July 5, 2012 at 3:16 pmI’m not disagreeing with you about interns being a real benefit to a small business. We’ve hired interns ourselves and they were great. Excellent workers, motivated, and were great sounding boards for getting a younger viewpoint on issues.
The point at issue, though, is the concept of using unpaid interns to do income-producing work. I’m not an attorney, but as I understand the laws, if the intern is doing work you’d have to pay to have done by a regular employee or freelancer in the US, you are legally required to pay the intern at least minimum wage.
In addition to the links I posted last night (sorry for the typos last night- it was late), here’s another one to look at – this one is from Inc magazine.
http://www.inc.com/news/articles/2010/04/what-unpaid-interns-could-cost-you.html
Barbara Saunders says
July 13, 2012 at 3:57 pmI am with Janet. Using interns as a strategy for not having to hire people violates the spirit of the law, which is intended to protect both the interns and the unemployed people who don’t get hired to do the same work.
In the past, internships were used to test out potential future employees, assess the graduates of schools to determine if the business should recruit there, and (what a concept!) give a hand up to the next generation.
Tauseef says
July 5, 2012 at 9:27 amI’m a small business owner here in India and i’ve been appointing interns since last two year in my company. Sometimes it becomes very challenging to deal with them as they are just college pass outs and know very little about the corporate culture but some of them you will find really outstanding. sometimes they give a direction to your thought.
Kiesha Easley says
July 5, 2012 at 11:56 amHi Tauseef,
I guess it depends on your selection process. Generally, if you find students who are interested in learning about your area of expertise, you tend to get more engaged interns. It definitely is great when you find that really insightful student who brings a new perspective to your business – perhaps they are worthy of a promotion in the end and perhaps would be worth hiring.
Deborah Anderson says
July 5, 2012 at 5:48 pmKiesha,
Great post. Very thoughtful and elaborates on some key things to consider. I have the advantage of having a “senior” in my family, and she has been a great help. So true, to keep it simple, not because of intelligence level, but realizing that the intern’s experience is not the same as ours. In my case, I have the advantage of knowing the personality, so I understand HOW to communicate it more effectively.
Thanks,
Deborah
Kiesha Easley says
July 11, 2012 at 9:24 pmHi Deborah!
Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts. Yes, I believe in breaking things down into simple chunks. Once they’ve mastered one chunk, we can move to the next. Really, you have to pay attention to people, if you’re perceptive you can tell when you’re overloading them. It let’s them know that you care about them, when back off a bit and make sure they understand what you’re asking them to do.
Jamie Northrup says
July 11, 2012 at 2:58 pmI’ve been in need of hiring someone for a while because there just isn’t enough time in the day, but I haven’t even had time to sit down and make it happen.
I have spoken to several people, but most don’t have the interest to go with the skills, so we usually end up starting new joint projects, which puts even more work on my plate.
I do use outsourcing, but only for the repetitive tasks. All that to say I really need to get someone on board that I can trust (yes I have trust issues lol) to do things properly and the way I would want.
Kiesha Easley says
July 11, 2012 at 9:30 pmHi Jamie!
It’s not unusual to have trust issues. I have a few myself, so the point is to work as closely as you are comfortable. Share your expertise about the things you feel comfortable with and take it one step at a time. It’s always difficult to get started and put things in motion, but take your time. You’ll get there. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, here!
Ashish says
July 22, 2012 at 3:03 amhi Kiesha,
this is a must read, very informative.. specially when i am thinking of turning my blogs into an blogging business. Cleared many of my doubts.
thanks.
Ashish
katie says
July 23, 2012 at 10:06 amI completely agree! The only problem is when people lack the confidence to teach. However, these are all amazing facts and pointers. It will really help me considering how I am planning to hire interns.
Katie
sally brown says
July 23, 2012 at 4:12 pmKiesha,
I have often wished I had someone to do some of the work for me such as research, updating social media sites, and such. I hadn’t thought about an intern. Not sure if my site would be as valuable as the information you share. However, it may be something to look into. Than for the info. Sally
cramos says
July 26, 2012 at 9:00 amHello Kiesha,
This gave me a great idea. I’m just getting started and putting long hours myself. I need the help but I can’t afford to pay anyone just yet. Great post!
Adelaide - EcoChoice says
July 30, 2012 at 2:14 pmHey Kiesha!
This is a great article! Interns can be a great asset to any company, however many businesses that are involved with trades such as electrical, plumbing, hvac or even hair stylists have a plethora of apprentices.
So depending on your industry, apprentices may be the better option since they have most likely been to school for that particular trade which in turn would offer you more value than just a basic intern. Also, there are many government grants available for some of the apprenticeships. An apprentice is there to learn the skills because in the future that will be their career.
pay direct loans says
August 21, 2012 at 9:24 pmI do agree with this idea. I’ve learned that companies in the Philippines also practice hiring unpaid interns with the exchange of learning. However, when the total number of intern hours has been served they have to look and train for new interns. It’s a mutual benefit I should say but a burden on the other side.
timtim says
September 10, 2012 at 4:00 pmall business must have some form of sacrifice, working with an intern is not a bad idea as long as the business it growing/you can only try to adjust and make things right as time goes on.nice post you’ve got.
Deli says
January 28, 2013 at 8:18 pmThis is a great post. I agree that internships do work both ways, benefiting the employer and the intern. And that interns should not be limited to just making coffee or even merely cleaning (!!) the office. I have seen this happen in some offices I had worked with before and I really felt bad that this was how some employers/businesses would deal with them. Giving a treat to an intern every now and then would be nice, too 🙂 Just to show we appreciate the work they are doing.
odesk test answers says
February 2, 2013 at 12:54 pmI like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly. I’m quite sure I’ll learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
gustav says
February 9, 2013 at 6:15 pmI had never heard of this concept in our business, but after reading your post, I think it could turn out in a positive way. We have a state university about a half mile from our office, so there could be a good source of talent. As long as they didn’t expect re-numeration, or some other type of pay, I would be happy to write a report on what they did. Thanks for sharing this and for giving me another idea.
GrowMap says
February 15, 2013 at 8:49 pmHi Gustav,
What we need is for students to recognize that training and experience are valuable – and unlike college courses they pay for businesses and individuals make them available in exchange for some productive work.
I am amazed that more students are not seeking out internships while they are studying and also that so few people who want to learn in-demand skills are not willing to put in the time without pay. Social media skills can be learned in a day or two and then earn the person cash money – but finding any interested is a real chore.
Perhaps if they read my post How to Land the Fastest Growing, Highest Demand Careers and Jobs and watched the video in it they would get more interested. Whether someone wants a job or to freelance they need to understand that what counts is RESULTS.
Nadine Brown says
July 10, 2014 at 11:55 amYES well internships are always difficult but important to find out strengths and weakness and what you are good at and what your not so good at doing as far as personal growth and employment.I spent years in college going through this process but it can be beneficial and hard work is rewarded.
It is important to choose an internship in a career field that makes you happy!
I spent years in college writing and studying and worked in marketing and commission sales through college.Through the process my job through college was sometimes more rewarding than my college work !My job paid me my internships and college training did not. Years later my hard work began to help me in a job in Affiliate Marketing.After years of studying and hard work I love this and it makes me happy. The truth is unpaid internships and career training can destroy a career .However, the truth is if your serious about any career it can take years and years of networking to attain professional growth. Well this blog is about business and there are so many other career fields as well. My advice is to choose a career path wisely. I hope this helps .My url is attached my site has a no harrassment no discrimination policy and is easy to read and understand. I hope my comments helped!
Nadine@affiliatemarketing
#affiliatemarketing