Intern VS Employee

It is no secret that the job market is experiencing a “rough patch,” but there is a way to help sustain a business while simultaneously aiding in the development of highly skilled and motivated employees.  Many students wrapping up their college careers are eager to take on the role of intern, sometimes even more than accepting an immediate full-time and or part-time entry-level job.  Why is this? Students are looking to gain real life experience while in college so that they are fully prepared to work in their desired industry upon graduation.  Necessary workplace skills can be learned by the intern, skills such as navigating a copy room, implementing market research, transferring files throughout a shared server, helping in the initial phases of research, binding projects and shadowing employees in different areas of the firm. 

 Therefore, before hiring new employees, consider the following benefits of having an intern:

• Costs of recruiting are lower
• Pressure is less on both parties
• Opportunity for growth (student is still getting an education on the side)
• Trial run for what is to come
• Students are highly motivated and optimistic about the future
• They are willing to take instruction
• Opportunity for teaching by the employer

However, there are also disadvantages in having interns in the office:

• They are unaware of the organization’s structure and/or company culture
• Interns are not  full-time employees
• They usually have a set time limit for the internship
• The intern is learning which can mean that tasks take longer to complete

 The experience gained from being an intern is indisputably beneficial to both parties.  Many companies, especially financial firms, have provided interns with the opportunity to become full-time employees once the internship expires, depending on their performance.  This practice eliminates issues that arise when a new hire is not well-known to the firm.  The increasing number of firms taking on interns demonstrates not only the need for fresh ideas from young adults but also the potential long term relationships that can be formed between employer and intern.