Regarding the current BBC news article ‘Intern fees: ‘salt in the wound”, I would like to express my views on the positivity of such internships. I am a graduate currently in a very successful internship that I found through the Government’s Graduate Talent Pool.
Having graduated in 2008, I took a gap year to travel the world. On my return this summer I had intended to start my career, ideally in the Public Relations industry. However, due to the current economic climate I found jobs hard to come by and those that I did apply for required vital industry experience. I used the government’s Graduate Talent Pool to find a suitable internship to suit both my needs and those of my employer. I am currently working on a temporary 3 month contract as a PR and Marketing Coordinator for a very small business. Most notably however, I am being paid. Although it may only be the minimum wage, it is priceless experience for a graduate in this ever-increasing competitive environment. I am gaining the skills, training, insight and routine of the industry while my employer gains a willing and keen staff member at a small cost. This ‘on-the-job’ experience has already proved to be advantage as I have since been successfully called for interviews, at which I have been able to communicate my active current role and enthusiasm, all of which I gained from the internship. If you look hard enough and are determined, there are internships that will value graduates.
And to those who pay agencies to look over their CVs and train them for interviews for extortionate fees, surely it shows little initiative, laziness and stupidity. What employer would want to employ them anyway?
By the same logic: you use your university careers department to look over your cv and train you – YOU’RE LAZY. Come on, grow up. You pay for those services indirectly anyway, in addition, you often can’t access them when you graduate.
In our society you are free to exchange money for goods and services. If someone wants to improve their prospects and sees this as a good way to do so, let them do it. It is their choice…
Hello, I work for BBC Radio 5Live – I’m looking into a story about the graduate talent pool and would be really interested in talking to you if that’s at all possible? It would just be an off the record research chat at this stage. I’m interested in finding out more about your internship with the GTP and whether you know anyone else who has done one through the scheme?
If it would be OK to have a chat I’d be really grateful – 07590 306 909 or charlotte.pritchard@bbc.co.uk . I hope to hear from you soon, Thanks a lot. Charlotte.
“And to those who pay agencies to look over their CVs and train them for interviews for extortionate fees, surely it shows little initiative, laziness and stupidity. What employer would want to employ them anyway?”
I’ve been stuck in Postgraduate-land for six years now. I can’t find a job, because I apparently have so many qualifications, I ‘scare employers off’ (this from a Jobcentre Plus worker/advisor).
I can’t get on the recruitment ladder. I would HAPPILY pay to get help. I now have absolutely no confidence, and am just biding my time until the last of my money runs out.
It’s people like you that make me wish I’d never gone into academia, and make me remember I could have actually been earning money by working at McD’s on minimum wage and living happily at home.