“It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Today’s college and graduate school students seeking employment opportunities in a difficult job market would probably agree with this maxim. Historically, students and graduates have used internship programs as opportunities to gain experience in a particular industry in the hope of establishing a career or finding permanent employment. Internships are often viewed as a rite of passage, the benefits of which are obvious to those who seek them and include: (i) on-the-job training that cannot be taught in an academic setting; (ii) networking opportunities with professionals who are established in the industry; and (iii) an opportunity to observe and experience the day-to-day operations of a particular profession, industry or trade.

It should come as no surprise that some of the most respected and highly successful people in this country began their careers as interns in their respective professions. By way of example, National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell started as an intern for the NFL after graduating from college in 1981; Steven Spielberg began his career in the film industry as intern for Universal Studios at the age of 17; Sean “Diddy” Combs began his career in the music industry as an intern for Uptown Records; and Oprah Winfrey interned for a local CBS affiliate during her sophomore year at Tennessee State University. Well-publicized lawsuits against companies like NBC Universal, Condé Nast and Sony over the past few years, however, have caused many employers to reevaluate whether to make use of an unpaid internship program.

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