We have no plans to hire these people. You have to take it for what it is. If you don't want it, then don't pursue it. You're getting the top people of the young-applicant pool, and you don't have to pay them the full freight. It's symptomatic of an industry that's going more and more to part-time and temporary employment.
New slots are rare.
At the Chicago Tribune, managing editor Richard Ciccone says his newspaper, like the Inquirer, wanted to make a major suburban expansion, but did not foresee any slots in which to promote its foot soldiers when they got restless, five or ten years from now. They also tend to offer decent salaries and at least partial health benefits. Two years into its resident program, the Chicago Tribune has hired six residents so far, and expects to hire a few more. In October 1990, however, the paper halted the program. Recruiters may caution against hope, but the super-interns persist in believing they can beat the odds.