There has been a lot of debate within our industry, and the communications field in general, whether it is ethical to hire unpaid interns. The Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Board of Ethics even went so far as to produce a Professional Standards Advisory (PSA) that provides guidance on the use of public relations interns. It is the board’s belief that if interns are to be compensated in some fashion, should it be by college credit or otherwise. The board also believes that if an intern provides billable hours, you should pay  him/her for those hours.

Within our industry, however, interns rarely get paid and, if they are offered college credit, they must pay out-of-pocket for the credit hours — an option most interns understandably avoid. Having been an intern myself at three different times throughout my college career, I can personally vouch that I have never been compensated for my work – technically. My internships have paid me in other ways: through knowledge, perspective, and the occasional free meal. I gained intangible experience that I could never reproduce in a classroom or by reading a text book.

I believe that internships not only benefit the students, but also the companies that employ them. While the student acquires hands-on experience, the company benefits from relieving the mentoring employee of some of the more routine, day-to-day tasks. This creates the opportunity to teach our next wave of colleagues and enhance productivity in the work place.

Regardless of whether employers pay their interns monetarily, I believe that the hiring of interns helps the public relations industry as a whole. Most professional industries hire interns – including accountants, lawyers and doctors (in the medical field they are called residents). Without current professionals teaching the next generation, industries would flounder. People would be stuck for weeks teaching new hires the basics of essential tasks.

The benefits of hiring interns far outweigh the drawbacks for all parties involved. Just make sure your interns learn from the experience. And don’t forget to take them to out to lunch occasionally.

By: Jaclyn Larkin

@jlarkinpr