As Garry Ridge, the former CEO of WD-40 says, in his wonderful book Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It, citing Sebastian Junger, “The earliest and most basic definition of community – of tribe – would be the group of people that you both help feed and help defend.” And as he further says, how do you learn the skills needed to feed yourself and others and defend yourself and others? Someone patiently teaches you.
One of my favorite although little recognized, movies is a 2015 release called “The Intern” in which the normal ages and levels of experience undergo a switcheroo. A trendy, hip, and definitely on-line fashion startup called “About the Fit”, helmed by the young Jules Ostin (played by Anne Hathaway) offers a “senior” internship to 70-year-old Ben Whittaker (played by Robert DeNiro). The widower, languishing in retirement, jumps at the chance. His wisdom, experience (he used to be a manager in the once-industrial location now occupied by the buzzy startup) and genuine admiration for what Jules has created end up enriching both of their lives and the company as well.
This is the premise of internships – exchanges of experience and insight on multiple fronts that can lead to the discovery and invention of new things. Just as Garry’s quote above suggests, the original “interns” were junior members of tribes of hunter-gatherers, and their original mentors were the more senior tribe members seeking to pass along vital knowledge essential to the tribe thriving over the long run. As humans began to cultivate farms and engage in trade, the junior roles became occupied by apprentices who would be taken on by a master craftsman or a sea captain and taught the secrets of those trades, typically for room, board and sometimes small stipends. There weren’t a lot of options – interns might be stuck in the role for seven years or more! You couldn’t marry – and in some cases, your family would pay the person you worked for in the hopes that you would eventually become a journeyman or guild member which would pay well and signify admission to a more privileged class.
The widespread use of the word “intern” came to represent someone who had a degree in medicine, but not yet the license to practice in the years following World War I. Businesses created something like an apprenticeship program during the so-called “cooperative education movement.” These consisted of programs that formally combined classroom instruction with paid practical experience, in the belief that both the understanding and the application would benefit from one another. After World War II, the introduction of public support for education such as the GI Bill created new connections between universities and employers and internships became more common across a wide range of industries. As a general rule, these were paid positions that provided an entrée to people who believed they wanted to make a career out of the field they were interning in.
Internships become weaponized
As more and more companies began to realize the value of having bright young talent, willing to work hard and do just about anything to gain exposure and learn the ropes of professions, a darker side to internships emerged. In glamorous fields such as media, fashion and the arts, unpaid internships became a taken for granted route to entry – shutting out people who couldn’t afford to work for free. Even less glamorous fields caught on to the idea that young people might be willing to do real jobs without getting paid, just to get their foot in the door. As the job market for educated young people became more and more competitive through the 70’s and 80’s, internships became almost a resume necessity, with those without the means shut out of many potential opportunities.
Taking an unpaid internship, however, was not necessarily the solution to getting a solid lead on a rewarding career. This leads to some people ending up against the “intern glass ceiling” in which one internship follows another, never leading to the offer of an actual j.o.b. As a friend of mine from a different generation observed, “it’s as though we dangled a career ladder in front of them, but knocked out the bottom 5 rungs!” Indeed, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that “paid interns averaged 1.61 job offers, while unpaid interns averaged 0.94 offers, and students with no internship experience just 0.77 offers. Not only do paid interns garner more job offers on average, but they are also offered higher starting pay. According to the same 2022 Student Survey, paid interns earned a median starting salary of $62,500 compared to unpaid interns who reported earning a median starting salary of $42,500.”
Today, while unpaid internships still represent a sizeable chunk of the interning population (39.2%), the majority are paid (60.8%). The outcomes for both interns and employers are better when the job is compensated. Companies with structured, paid programs convert 70% of interns to full-time employees, compared to just 30% for unpaid programs. Organizations save approximately $6,200 in recruitment costs for each position filled by a former intern. New hires with previous internship experience at the same company show 29% higher two-year retention rates than external hires. And, near and dear to my heart, 64% of managers report that interns brought fresh perspectives that influenced product or process improvements.
As with any other process in business, internships are more likely to be successful if there is a clearly defined benefit to both sides. The interns need to understand what skills, experiences and mentorship they’ll get. The hiring leader needs to make sure they are taking a long-term perspective on strategic talent development. Someone needs to make sure the interns are well mentored and managed. Done right, paid internships represent that rare business opportunity: a genuine win-win where ethical practices align perfectly with strategic advantage. Organizations that fail to capitalize on this alignment aren’t just missing an opportunity—they’re ceding competitive advantage in the talent marketplace.
And as a recent study based on LinkedIn data found, “internships are really, really worth it!”
We love our interns!
In our case, here at the Rita McGrath Group and Valize, we have had wonderful success with our interns! Our very first, Helena Trentino, came to us in the midst of the pandemic, working remotely from Italy. She moved on to a role with Deloitte. That led to our hiring her incredibly talented sister, Flaminia Trentino, who is a full-time employee with us to this day. Jacora Kiser started with us after finishing up an internship with someone else, on the recommendation of her good friend who was doing a sort of internship – a contract position – with Columbia as we sorted ourselves out post-pandemic. And Eliza Staples started as an intern from Barnard College and is now our digital outreach coordinator, also a full-time role.
All preamble to the fact that I was very pleased to be connected to StandOut Connect, a program that connects high school students all over the world to innovative companies. They sent us several candidates that were prospective matches. We are thrilled to welcome Arjun Rabinowitz and Nish Brahmbhatt for the early-spring internship.
They are bringing digital smarts, social media savvy and a whole dash of energy to us. They just got started and we’re already seeing major progress on upgrading rather neglected digital and video assets and I’ve already gotten a few “why do you do it that way?” questions, which is a sure sign that some of our processes could use a rethink.
In their own words,
Hello, my name is Arjun Rabinowitz, and I am excited to be interning with the Rita McGrath Group! I’m from Moorestown, New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia, and I’m currently a junior at Moorestown High School. I have a strong interest in finance and financial analytics and a passion for politics and exploring how economic policies and differing party viewpoints contribute to political polarization. In my free time, I’m an avid tennis player with ten years of experience, and also enjoy playing the violin, a hobby I’ve pursued for the past decade.
Hi, my name is Nish Brahmbhatt. I’m currently an 11th grader at Bridgewater Raritan High School. Some of my favorite subjects include Math, Accounting, and English. One of my favorite books that I have read recently is Crying in H Mart because of its deep themes on identity and family. Outside of academics, I’m actively involved in competitive swimming, volleyball, and finance-related clubs and competitions. Additionally, I serve as the Secretary of the Somerset County Youth Council and work on community initiatives, including fundraising and sustainability projects. In my free time, I love to stay active, listen to music, learn about business and investing, and explore new ways to make an impact.
I don’t know about you all, but I certainly was not mastering all those skills while still in high school!
If you’d like to learn more or get to know anyone on the team, do connect – we’re always glad to welcome people into our world.
Oh, and yes, we are paying them.