Literature Review
Media coverage of internships portrays them as a ruthless job. At face value, this seems to be a fair assessment. Most require students who are highly qualified, are able to be professional in an office environment (usually with no prior experience), and are able to work at least 40 hours a week--all for no pay. In return, students are given the experience and sometimes college credit.
But is it worth it? In an article written for the Independent, Polly Courtney remembers her time as an intern for the British financial management company Merrill Lynch saying, "During our internship, all-nighters were a rite of passage. We discussed them in the Merrill Lynch canteen as we ate our free dinners each night. Outwardly, we expressed our loathing, but in reality, we were proud. You weren’t deemed a “proper” banker until you’d worked through the night."
But is it worth it? In an article written for the Independent, Polly Courtney remembers her time as an intern for the British financial management company Merrill Lynch saying, "During our internship, all-nighters were a rite of passage. We discussed them in the Merrill Lynch canteen as we ate our free dinners each night. Outwardly, we expressed our loathing, but in reality, we were proud. You weren’t deemed a “proper” banker until you’d worked through the night."
According to US news, internship managers care more about the results their interns produce than anything else. "Effort is nice, but it’s not what matters. It’s great to try your best, of course, but it’s not the main measure by which your work will be judged. The quality of your work and the results you get are what matter most at work, not how hard you worked to produce them."
When I tell people I am interning this summer, the response I most frequently get is, "Well, get some rest before you start--they work you guys so hard." Brutal work conditions have become the expected norm for college internships. Some companies, like Google, are trying to change this stereotype by creating a more user-friendly work environment and better structured intern programs--so the word intern does not just mean glorified assistant. Companies like Google, however, still remain the minority. |
"The quality of your work and the results you get are what matter most at work, not how hard you worked to produce them." |
There is no doubt that there are associated rewards for students upon completing internships. For many, it is the first formal work experience, and therefore useful in socializing students into an institution which they will enter as soon as they graduate. The networks provided by most internships are valuable in the future, and in many cases the entry on the student's resume will be useful for the future--especially if the internship is for a company, politician, or another entity with a recognizable name.
While these are all valid benefits, my question remains--are all these things really necessary or has interning just become trendy? Are we getting internships in the summer because we really think they will help us in the long run, or just because we think we have to? Could we not gain all these things elsewhere? And even if the internships really are helpful for future purposes, are they the most productive and sustainable way for students to be gaining these experiences? Is it okay for students to be working so hard with no or little pay? Do students work as hard as the media makes it seem? I hoped to address as many of these questions as I could with my interviews and research in the subject.
While these are all valid benefits, my question remains--are all these things really necessary or has interning just become trendy? Are we getting internships in the summer because we really think they will help us in the long run, or just because we think we have to? Could we not gain all these things elsewhere? And even if the internships really are helpful for future purposes, are they the most productive and sustainable way for students to be gaining these experiences? Is it okay for students to be working so hard with no or little pay? Do students work as hard as the media makes it seem? I hoped to address as many of these questions as I could with my interviews and research in the subject.