The Importance of Interns

Since starting our blog only a month or so ago, we have received a number of responses from young people complaining about their lack of work and oftentimes, pure boredom. Strangely, I hear the same complaints from friends of mine in full-time positions. I'm sure some people are thinking, "It is your own responsibility to find more work." To an extent, I agree with this statement. Whether I consider myself an adult or not, I am expected to be one, and adults sometimes have to figure out what to do next, without being told.

In today's work environment, it is the norm for young people to leave a job within a few years or even months as they grow weary of the same old "busy work." So I can see why a young employees boredom might not be a companies first concern, especially if the issue is never discussed with a manager or Human Resources. That being said, I believe this kind of talent management is absurd. But I'm only 22. What do I know?

On the other hand, not providing interns with enough (or any) work is a whole different story. I will not mention any names, but a few of the aforementioned responses came from people who identified themselves as interns. And when I think back to my two summers as an intern I notice a similar pattern – there really wasn't much work to do. When there was work, it was often oversimplified, mundane, busy work. Of course, this type of work should be expected by interns because of their virtual non-existent rank on the corporate totem pole, but I can promise you that these sporadic, mundane assignments will send your brightest interns looking for another job come graduation time.

Not only do companies risk losing their interns to competitors, but the interns will probably tell their friends about the negative internship experience. Their friends will then tell their friends, who will tell their younger siblings etc. Before you know it, ignoring the intern whom you never wanted in the first place can lead to a company being bashed on MySpace, and personal blogs throughout the internet. If you think this is an exaggeration, just look at some of the comments on this blog from readers fed up with their jobs. If the idea still doesn't resonate, then check out this great article titled, Why Generation Y Hates You.

I get the impression that hiring interns has turned into something that companies feel they have to do rather than something they value. When I think of an internship, the first word that crosses my mind is learning. An intern is (usually) a college student, who is taking time away from learning in a school environment to go to a company and learn in a work environment. Why so often do these interns become glorified secretaries? If nothing else, pair the young intern up with a different mentor each week and let them shadow employees at all levels of the organization.

Full-time employees will eventually realize that the amount of work they do is up to them. Some will sink and others will swim, but the interns are the ones who desperately need the guidance. My advice to a mid or upper level manager is; take an intern under your wing. Show them the culture, show them the office politics and test them out with a tough assignment every once in a while. An intern is there to learn for now, but who knows, they could be a vital part of the organization in a few years.

Paychecks are Boring

Unless you are a professional athlete or working on Wall Street, an entry level salary is not very exciting. When you couple this with the fact that the average college student graduates with tens of thousands in student loan and credit card debt and the cost of renting a place in any major city is an absolute rip off, a paycheck does not go very far. If I am paying an arm and a leg just to have a roof over my head and pay back an education that wasn't exactly optional, how can I possibly save any decent amount of money? Realistically, I can't. But that is alright.

If I stay in the corporate world, the paychecks will keep coming, I will pay down debt, I will pay my rent and I will spend the majority of the rest on food, entertainment and happy hours. The remainder will go to savings. One thing I will not waste my money on is "stuff." Nothing bothers me more than seeing people living in houses above their means and driving cars they can't afford.

I am not foolish enough to believe a paycheck will ever make me rich. The only reason I get excited about a 3% raise is because of what it represents; my hard work. The increase in money is barely noticeable and will disappear into my 3% lifestyle increase. Sure, I could invest that 3% in stocks, mutual funds or better yet an IRA, but what exactly am I saving for?

Read the rest at The Brazen Careerist