As previously blogged, we have enjoyed positive benefits in employing graduates, and are pleased to provide feedback for organisations such as Graduate Advantage (see http://www.graduateadvantage.co.uk/).

A key question is always, ‘Should interns be paid?‘. My answer is ‘Yes, if it is feasible to do so‘.  Payment however can come in many forms, which includes the valuable experience they gain by being in the workplace and learning from those who have the most to give.  Most importantly interns or any employee should never be out of pocket in areas such as of for example, travel, childcare or meals / refreshments. .

Payback will also include a positive reference, access to business networks, contacts, and most significantly, confidence; all of which have the potential to unlock the job market to our brightest prospects.

For our part, it is our policy to provide our interns with personal business cards, which stay with them long after they have left us,  proving to be an extremely useful networking tool.

The final payback of course is a employment, and we are really pleased that all our previous interns are in careers they deserve. It remains a joy to keep an eye on their progress and to know that we played a role in their much deserved successes.

Kindest regards

Edwin

Please feel free to comment, or add your own views and experiences.