In an effort to attract potential employees, some employers have fallen into the trap of labeling entry-level jobs as internships. For example, they may need someone to complete routine office tasks, but by calling it an internship, they hope to attract bright young students who may later be interested in joining the company or organization in a different capacity. This approach usually backfires, however, because students who expect to be challenged and learn new tasks in an internship become unhappy when they discover that the position is not as advertised. This makes it even less likely that they will consider a full-time position later. Even worse, the student may share their experience with others, resulting in a bad reputation for the employer.
Compensation comes in many forms.
In some cases, interns are paid at or near the prevailing wage for an entry-level professional. It also helps students to focus on the internship because they do not have to work a second job and possibly attend school at the same time. Some employers offer a stipend, a set amount of money that is awarded without regard to the number of hours completed in an internship. Before offering a stipend, however, employers should check with state regulations concerning stipends to ensure that all appropriate regulations are being followed. Non-profit groups often cannot afford to pay an intern anything, and so compensation in other forms should be considered.