RISMEDIA, August 12, 2010—Competition for internships will be stiff this fall, as experienced/mature workers and college students vie for ways to get a foot in the door. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of employers report that they are seeing experienced workers—those with more than ten years experience—and mature workers—workers age 50 or older—apply for internships at their organizations. This is according to a CareerBuilder survey conducted among more than 2,500 employers between May 18 and June 3, 2010.
Regardless of applicants’ ages, more than one-quarter (27%) of employers said they plan to hire interns during the remainder of 2010 to help support workloads. Fourteen percent said they anticipate hiring paid interns, while 7% said they won’t be paying their interns. An additional 5% said they will hire both paid and unpaid interns. Fifty-three percent of employers said they plan to pay interns $10 or more per hour, while 5% said they will pay $25 or more per hour.
When it comes to responsibilities, employers reported the following tasks that interns at their organizations typically handle:
-Hands-on experience related to their goals – 73%
-Office support – 52%
-Working with customers – 35%
-Running errands – 23%
-Office maintenance – 19%
“The last 18 months have reshaped internships as more than an experience-builder for college students. Now, they’re also a way for experienced workers to explore new opportunities,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “Internships can act as an extended, full-time job interview and potentially lead to more opportunities for college students and for more seasoned employees. In fact, 52% of companies we surveyed said they are likely to hire interns as full-time, permanent employees.”
Haefner recommends the following tips to help land an internship this fall:
Get connected: When applying for an internship, ask family and friends if they know anyone who works in the field you’re interested in. As in any job search, an “in” at a company may help you land a job—especially if the company doesn’t have an established internship program.
Start your search now: If you think you’ll have time to do an internship in the fall, start looking as soon as you can. Visit sites like CareerRookie.com for internship listings.
Be open-minded: Be open to a variety of different organizations, such as local charities or even small start-ups. Organizations with limited budgets are often especially receptive to the extra help an intern provides.
For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
