FAQ

1. What is an internship ?
2. Does it make sense to do an internship ?
3. What is a fair internship ?
4. Whom can I ask questions during my internship ?
5. Am I remunerated ?
6. Do I receive a letter of reference after my internship ?
7. What are my rights and duties during as an intern ?
8. How can I share my experiences ? How can I benefit from the experiences of other interns ?

1. What is an internship ?

An internship is a period of training in a private or public institution (e.g. a company, an NGO or a ministry). It is part of an educational programme (e.g. a study programme). An internship before or during the studies can be a good means to apply theoretical knowledge, gained at university, in practice, and to orientate oneself professionally. It may also increase the chances to integrate better into the labour market. However, learning is still the primary purpose of an internship. Since internships are in most European countries not sufficiently regulated, misuse of interns, e.g. as cheap or free employees, is easy and in recent years ever more frequent.

2. Does it make sense to do an internship ?

In order to complete an internship successfully, you first should think about the exact purpose. If it is an integral part of your study programme, you will have to do an internship in order to get your diploma. Here, it is of particular importance that the educational aspect is the main objective.

If you have to do an internship in order to be admitted to a study programme, or if you do a voluntary internship after your A-levels, then the general insight into the daily work, management and administration of a company or other institution may be the primary aim.

If you have to do an internship after some semesters of studying, you might wish to apply your knowledge in practice. Such an internship should also help you to find out which career path you want to take after your graduation.

You might wish to do an internship abroad. In that case, improving of your language skills and intercultural competence is probably your priority.

Due to the difficult situation for young people on the European labour market, more and more university graduates are tempted to do a voluntary internship after their graduation, hoping to integrate into the labour market this way. This however contradicts the actual purpose of an internship – it is intended to be part of one’s education and not as a un- or underpaid probation period. Young people with a (university) diploma have finished their education; therefore you should not do further internships after your studies. A better alternative are paid trainee-programmes. Of course, such programmes are more difficult to find than internships. In case you decide nevertheless to do an internship, then do not do more than two. If you do more then a future employer might think that you do not dare accepting a regular job offer. Moreover, internships of postgraduates destroy regular jobs, namely if interns replace actual employees. Some employers systematically attract graduates with a job offer – but only after an internship. They often do not keep such promises. A hint to these kind of practices is if the company offers much more internships than job offers. If you wish to get job experience and contacts, a temporary job is at least as useful as an internship – but with a fair remuneration. In any case (for temporary jobs and for internships) you should negotiate: If you insist on an appropriate remuneration, thereby referring to your qualifications, then you show self-confidence and you underline what your labour force is worth.

If your internship does not live up to your expectations whatsoever, then talk to your supervisor about it. An unfinished internship is better than months of frustration without any result.

The duration of your internship is also very important. The longer it is, the better you will be integrated into the daily management. Eventually the educational aspect will no longer be the priority – you might run the risk of becoming an unpaid employee. Therefore, voluntary full-time internships should not take longer than three months.

3. At a glance : What is a fair internship ?

a. Purpose of the internship

The primary purpose of an internship is to get professional experience and/or to apply things studied at university in practice. The educational aspect is the most important one and not the intern’s work force. In case it is the other way around for your internship, then you have the right to claim full remuneration.

b. Distinction internship – regular employment

An internship shall by no means replace a regular job. The intern observes the daily working process, can help out with some tasks and should have time to pursue his/her own projects (e.g. writing a paper for his studies) - but he/she should not have the workload of a usual employee.

c. The internship contract – What content and regulations ?

An internship should be regulated in a contract which explicitly states that the internship’s purpose is educational. Other than that, the contract should include information on :

1. the personal details of the intern
2. details on the company
3. the duration of the internship
4. the training schedule
5. remuneration
6. daily working time
7. holidays
8. continuation of payments in case of illness
9. conditions for termination of the contract

d. Supervision

The intern is supervised by one specific person of the department where he/she is interning. This supervisor drafts the training schedule together with the intern; he/she is responsible for appropriate working conditions (e.g. a proper work place for the intern) and is the intern’s first contact person for all questions that come up during the internship.

e. Letter of reference

The intern receives a letter of reference upon completion of the internship. Apart from the intern’s personal details and information on the company, this letter must mention the duration and the training schedule of the intern. It should also include an evaluation of the intern’s performance and the supervisor’s contact details for later reference.

f. Remuneration

An internship should be remunerated appropriately. In case there is no collective wage agreement, he/she should be paid a minimum amount that is in accordance with the country’s price level (for Germany and Austria e.g. 300 EUR per month).

g. Duration of the internship

Voluntary internships should not last longer than three months. An exception to the three-months-rule is compulsory internships that a student must do as a part of his/her study programme. These internships might last longer. The limitation to three months makes it possible for students to gain professional experience during their semester break, so that they do not need to ‘sacrifice’ an entire study semester for their internship. Apart from this practical aspect, it is evident that the longer an internship lasts, the more experienced the intern becomes and the more professional she/he will work. Thus, the work force will be in the foreground and no longer the educational purpose of the internship. Eventually, the intern will take over the work of a regular employee – but un- or underpaid.

h. Postgraduate internships

In principle postgraduates should not be offered internships or accept internship offers. They have finished their education and are ready (and deserve) to work regularly. If they wish to gain more work experience before accessing the labour market ‘completely’, companies should offer them trainee jobs with a proper and appropriate remuneration.

4. Whom can I ask questions during my internship ?

Make sure that you have one specific supervisor or contact person in your department. With that person you should talk in advance about your aims and expectations of the internship. On that basis, you should draft the training schedule together, i.e. what you want to learn about, which skills you want to develop etc. You should meet regularly with your supervisor during the internship in order to have your questions answered and to improve things in case the internship does not live up to your or to the supervisor’s expectations.

5. Am I remunerated ?

Also as an intern, you have to eat, drink and pay your rent. Most interns move to other cities or even different countries in order to do an internship which leads to additional costs. Although the internship’s primary purpose is education, you should be remunerated appropriately – apprentices are also remunerated. And let’s be honest: Although the intern is not a regular employee, he/she does work to a certain extent for the company – and this work should be paid. Unfortunately, intern remuneration is regulated very rarely, which companies and also public institution (mis)use to save costs and offer entirely unpaid internships. However, you should be conscious of your qualifications and the value of your work. Therefore, negotiate for a fair payment. An internship during your studies should be remunerated with at least 300 EUR per month. Alternatively, the company can cover your living costs like rent, public transport, food vouchers etc. For fulltime internships after your graduation, you should be paid so that you are able to earn a livelihood. One thing should be clear: In case you work as a regular employee during your internship, then you are no intern, no matter what your contract says. Then you have the right to claim regular remuneration – if necessary before the labour court.

6. Do I receive a letter of reference after my internship ?

One of the main reasons to do an internship is the letter of reference that you receive after the termination of your contract – be it for your CV or as a proof for your university (in case it is a compulsory internship). That letter must state at least what you did during the internship and the duration (from day x to day y). You can also ask for an evaluation of your personal performance. The letter should be drafted by the end of your internship and handed out to you on the day that you leave the company (the termination date of your contract). The head of your company or of the department where you interned should sign it. If you do not agree on the content of the reference letter then you should talk to your supervisor. You can also consult the company’s worker’s council or the responsible trade union. Don’t forget to note what you did during your internship so that you have a proof of your performance in case you get into trouble.

7. What are my rights and duties during as an intern ?

The labour rights and duties as well as regulations concerning social security and notice of cancellation/dismissal vary across countries. Get informed about that before you start your internship, e.g. by contacting the employment ministry or trade unions – especially if you do an internship abroad.

8. How can I share my experiences ?
How can I benefit from the experiences of other interns ?

Having finished your internship you will ask yourself whether it lived up to your expectations. Also beforehand, i.e. if you consider doing an internship for a particular company, you might wish to know about the experiences that former interns made. Therefore, a platform to exchange your experiences is useful.

For internships in Germany, please consult www.students-at-work.de/praktikabewertung or http://www.fairwork-ev.de/cms/front_content.php?idcat=24.
For internships in France, click on http://www.stagescritics.com.