Re: Interns@ $10 an hour

[Lynn Gold <figmo -at- RAHUL -dot- NET>]

Eric J. Ray wrote:
>
>At 02:44 PM 12/11/97 -0700, John Eldard wrote:
>>I think $10 an hour is not bad for an Intern. This is a learning experience
>>and I know that when I was an intern (a thousand years ago) we made didly!
>>But the things I learned contributed to the good salary I make today!
>
>True enough--and an internship isn't the same as a regular
>staff position. Although the company "spends" only
>$10/hour in salary, you have to assume that they
>incur other costs. For example, if Joan's Tech Writing
>Company hires an intern at $10/hour, I'd assume that
>they're planning on:
>* 8 hours/day (equivalent) @ $80
>* 1-2 hours/day of senior staff teaching, support,
>        and mentoring @ $100-200
>* needed clerical support _for_ intern.
>* standard equipment etc. overhead
>* extra time in budget for intern to work
>        more slowly (due to learning curve)
>        than regular staff
>* extra costs of heavy editing, reworking,
>        and revising due to inexperience of
>        intern.
>These costs do add up.
>
>Of course, the other explanation is that the
>company budgets $10/hour for an "intern"
>to do advanced clerical duties, reformat
>documents that others wrote, and take
>care of running errands and fetching
>coffee. That's what gives internships a
>bad name and wastes everyone's time.

IMHO, it depends where you're paying $10/hour.  Out here in Silicon Valley
you'd be laughed out of existence for paying $10/hour.  Street sweepers out
here make more than that!

--Lynn

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