As a current college internship coordinator & one who actually worked my way into the field thru an internship, I can vouch for the fact that you do not need to be receiving credit to be an intern.  As an intern, I proved myself competent enough to become a paid part-time docent, which snowballed into part-time educator, which enabled me to develop the skills to qualify for my current full-time salaried job.  Now as the internship coordinator, I actually value the intern who has directed goals in mind (& hope to return the opportunity afforded me).  These interns tend to be more serious & focused.  On the other hand, they can also turn out to be the biggest flakes, as they have no academic responsibility to keep them motivated if the internship turns out to be less glamorous than they’d imagined.  However, the Fair Labor Standards Act makes explicit what does & does not qualify as an intern, which both employers & interns are wise to be familiar w/.  The guidelines are summarized as

  1. The internship program involves activities at the employer that are similar to what would be found in a vocational school;
  2. The internship program is for the benefit of the interns;
  3. The interns do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;
  4. The employer derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the interns, and on occasion, the employer’s operation may actually be impeded;
  5. The interns are not necessarily entitled to a job at the completion of their internship; and
  6. The employer and the interns understand that the interns are not entitled to wages for their time spent.

 

Christopher Lynn

Museum Educator/College Internship Manager

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

Pier 86, W. 46th St. & 12th Ave.

New York, New York  10036

ph: (212) 957-7052/fax: (212) 957-3729

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Dustin B [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 1:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Job Search Advice

 

Hello All,


After reading the emails in response to Erins request, I noticed that internships were mentioned many times.  Now, I was under the impression that internships may only be done if one is going to school, or at least requesting credit for the internship work.  Is this correct, or can I, a soon-to-be non-student, apply for internships that are offered from museums even though I will not want academic credit for them but merely the museum experience?  I imagine it would depend on the museum, but is there a general rule for what the definition of an internship is? I look forward to your comments. 

Thanks,

Dustin Blodgett

UW-Milwaukee

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