Internship Issue in America

 

                                          No Pay? Many Interns Say,

                       "No Problem"

                                                                                                                              Jennifer Halperin

Summary

Halperin as an internship coordinator of a college stands in favor of unpaid internship. The purpose of writing this essay is to persuade college students for even unpaid internship. While some view that several organizations are exploiting students, she claims that unpaid internship is quite popular among the interns for its contribution to their career building. She supports her idea based on her own experiences, and informal survey. She states that it's a good idea to offer paid internship, but all the organizations cannot afford. But it’s not an issue at all since students prioritize professional skills during the internship. For them the things they learn there are far more valuable than economic gain. So lack of pay doesn't dissuade students from applying to the internship program.

Payment cannot always attract the interns. So several other factors play significant role in choosing an internship. Mainly the students give priority to professional skills. Similarly, location and intern duties also matter a lot. Time factor also affects many candidates because they have to manage their classes, part time or fulltime jobs, and sometimes even a child as well.

Halperin employs inductive reasoning to support her thesis. She does an informal survey, and collects view of several interns towards paid and unpaid internship. And she finds most of them quite positive towards unpaid internship. Of course, paid internships are better but unpaid internships are also beneficial when they offer practical experiences and professional job skills. She puts the view of one the candidates who represents opposite view. The students who do not get financial support for survival cannot join the unpaid internship. In some places, supervisors do not seem to provide instruction necessary for the interns. Interns are overworked by the professional employees at the workplace. Similarly, they are likely to be given menial tasks. Nevertheless, most students are attracted towards the unpaid internship since financial benefit is not their objective.

Questions

1. According to Halperin, what factors make internships attractive to college students and recent graduates? Why is she surprised by the results of her survey?

Payment cannot always attract the interns. So several other factors play significant role in choosing an internship. Mainly the students give priority to professional skills. Similarly, location and intern duties also matter a lot. Time factor also affects many candidates because they have to manage their classes, part time or fulltime jobs, and sometimes even a child as well.

During her survey she thinks many would express their negative attitude towards unpaid internship since they have to work without any monetary compensation. But what she finds later is quite opposite. Most of the candidates view that while paid internships are better, unpaid internships are also quite useful if they offer professional skills and practical experience.

2. Halperin notices a “common theme” in her discussions with “recent and about-to-be graduates”. What attitudes about internships do they seem to share?

In her discussion with recent and about-to-be-graduates, she notices a common theme. Most of the candidates view that while paid internships are better, unpaid internships are also quite useful if they offer professional skills and practical experience.

The candidates show positive attitudes towards unpaid internships. But Money is not an issue at all since students prioritize professional skills during the internship. For them the things they learn there are far more valuable than economic gain. So lack of pay doesn't dissuade students from applying to the internship program.

3. According to this essay, what can limit access to internships?

All the students do not have the luxury of full financial support from their parents or guardians. To fulfill their basic needs they have to find their own source of income. So they cannot take up unpaid internships even if they want. Instead of these internships, they tend to join paid jobs that help them fulfill their personal needs.

4. This essay presents the results of an informal survey of attitudes toward internships. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of internships that were revealed in the survey.

She does an informal survey, and collects view of several interns towards paid and unpaid internship. And she finds most of them quite positive towards unpaid internship. Of course, paid internships are better but unpaid internships are also beneficial when they offer practical experiences and professional job skills. Internships open the door of job opportunities. They are likely to get hired as employees in the organizations where they work as interns. Unpaid internships upgrade the candidates’ resume and enhances their connections and networks which help them find promising jobs

Halperin puts the view of one candidate who represents opposite view. The students who do not get financial support for survival cannot join the unpaid internship. In some places, supervisors do not seem to provide instruction necessary for the interns. Interns are overworked by the professional employees at the workplace. Similarly, they are likely to be given menial tasks.

5. Why do you think Halperin wrote this essay? In what sense is it part of a   larger discussion?

Halperin wrote this essay to find out the perspectives of students regarding the internship. She wanted to know their viewpoint on paid and unpaid internship. Internship was a debatable topic. People were divided in their opinion about its uses and impact. So it was necessary for her, as an internship coordinator of a college, to show her stand about the issue, and thereby convincing the people of the importance of unpaid internship.

It is a part of a larger discussion since people have opposing opinions about its relevance. Some people believe that internships enable the students to learn professional skills, and thereby achieving a great success in their career after the completion of their studies. However, some people argue that internships are not necessary since they are the bases of the career development. So internships should be optional since students have different aims and plans for their future.

6. For the most part, Halperin quotes or summarizes the statements of others. However, she does take a position on the value of internships. How would you express this position?

As an internship coordinator of a college, her position looks clear. She stands in favor of internship even if it does not bring any financial support to the students. By quoting and summarizing the statements of the candidates, she wants to strengthen her viewpoint about the value of internship. Thus, she very clearly states that the short term financial incentive during the internship trainings is worthless as compared to the professional skills they develop. Thus she underlines the relevance of unpaid internship. She seems to be successful to advocate unpaid internships. However, had she presented statistics and some more views of opponents, she would have sounded more convincing.

7. Who is the intended audience for this essay? How can you tell?

The intended audience for this essay are the people who oppose unpaid internship. She attempts to show them the significance of the unpaid internship. She admits that paid internships are much better in the sense that it provides the interns with financial compensations. But it does not mean that unpaid internships are worthless. There are many institutions which cannot afford to pay the interns. But they help the students learn a lot of skills necessary for their career development. And the things they learn during the internships turn out to be fruitful in their professional life. Thus, she puts her effort to make the people who oppose unpaid internships view the things from her perspective too.

8. Halperin is an internship coordinator at a college. How do you think   her job might have influenced (or even determined) her point of view    on this subject?

I think her job of internship coordinator might have influenced her point of view on this subject. She lays more emphasis on the positive aspects of internship. She seems to have ignored the negative sides. While she quotes and summarizes the view of several interns, she gives space to the only one opposing view. She does not bother to think about its negative aspects.

9. Halperin’s evidence consists almost entirely of the results of an informal survey. Do you think this evidence is sufficient? Is all of it relevant?

Halperin’s evidence completely rests on informal survey. Moreover, she puts a focus on a single aspect again and again. The people who she quotes to support her thesis speak the same thing. Thus, the evidence is not enough to convince the people.

She should have presented some statistics to strengthen her opinion. And she should have given some more space to the opposing views too. It would have surely put her in a stronger position. Nevertheless, she is able to convince the readers to a large extent through the evidence she has presented.

10. Is Halperin’s essay structured inductively or deductively?  Explain.

The essay is structured inductively. In inductive reasoning, evidence precedes conclusion. First of all, individual observations are presented, and based on those evidences conclusions are made. In her essay, Halperin puts the views of recent and about-to-be-graduates to support her thesis. She does an informal survey, and collects view of several interns towards paid and unpaid internship. And she finds most of them quite positive towards unpaid internship. And based on their views she comes to conclusion that paid internships are better but unpaid internships are also beneficial when they offer practical experiences and professional job skills.