Anyone have an intern program?

I was contacted a couple weeks ago by a private college prep school about doing an internship for one of their students. I had never considered anything like this before but it did pique my interest. I had a couple discussions with the coordinator and agreed that we might be able to do something.

So, my question is, what have I got myself into? I will be interviewing the young lady next week. I have no idea yet as to her photographic knowledge but I was told she is comfortable with horses which is critical. I am thinking that I will pretty much just put her to work as an assistant on shoots. I don't usually have an assistant but, there are times I could certainly use one. I would not consider her to be an employee and I do not think she or the school expects any pay.

My wife hires interns all the time but they are college grads with MBA's. This is a high school student with an interest in the career field and no experience.

Any useful feedback is appreciated.

Bob

Hot Bob wrote in post #16392792
I was contacted a couple weeks ago by a private college prep school about doing an internship for one of their students. I had never considered anything like this before but it did pique my interest. I had a couple discussions with the coordinator and agreed that we might be able to do something.

So, my question is, what have I got myself into? I will be interviewing the young lady next week. I have no idea yet as to her photographic knowledge but I was told she is comfortable with horses which is critical. I am thinking that I will pretty much just put her to work as an assistant on shoots. I don't usually have an assistant but, there are times I could certainly use one. I would not consider her to be an employee and I do not think she or the school expects any pay.

My wife hires interns all the time but they are college grads with MBA's. This is a high school student with an interest in the career field and no experience.

Any useful feedback is appreciated.

Bob

Be sure to search out what the IRS thinks about interns. In a nut shell if you are making a profit from their work they are an employee and you need to be paying them (and taxes!). If they cost you money, time, energy, etc. then they might be an intern. They basically have to be a burden to you in order to meet the legal definition.
"Intern" has become interchangeable with unpaid employee but that is not at all what they are legally supposed to be and most companies are just lucky that this is not a focus of much IRS attention.

I would think that any of the additional revenue generated by the intern would be offset by the time spent teaching and instructing. I would still look into it, but the idea behind an internship is that their compensation comes in the form of gaining knowledge.

I would however research insurance coverage, since you're working around horses. You would hate for an intern to get hurt on the job and be on the hook for medical bills.

They are called assistants in the photo world and are same as interns.
Both get paid dirt poor wages or nothing at all ..

Insurance would be a concern. I would expect the school to assume the risk since this is their program. I will definitely be discussing liability waivers with them. I don't see where this is going to increase my revenue at all. It will be a burden on my time more than anything but, it is a burden I'm willing to bear. I enjoy working with motivated young people. I think teaching leaves a more satisfying legacy than wealth.

Bob

My wife has interned high school students on occasion. Expect the student to have to produce a product of some kind - presumably photographs in this case - to turn in to her class to show what she learned. You may also have to do some weekly or bi-weekly paperwork to the school to prove the intern is working. Also, her time with you might be limited to a few hours a week during school hours.
And yes, it's typically more of a burden than anything else. Unless she is already an accomplished photographer, you'll be spending more time teaching her than she spends helping you.

I've had a few experiences and am generally positive about the experience. There were times though when I was busy finding things to keep them busy.

EL_PIC wrote in post #16393022
They are called assistants in the photo world and are same as interns.
Both get paid dirt poor wages or nothing at all ..

Be very careful about names and terms. What you may call something and the legal / government / tax definition may be very different. What many companies casually call an "intern" - which to them means unpaid slave labor - has a legal definition in the eyes of the IRS and the Department of Labor. Their definition counts a whole lot more than yours does.
Meeting the legal definition of an intern is vitally important: if not an intern as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act then you must be paying them at least minimum wage and making all appropriate deductions for income taxes and, of course, the employer contributions to social security and so on.

jwhite65 wrote in post #16393436
And yes, it's typically more of a burden than anything else. Unless she is already an accomplished photographer, you'll be spending more time teaching her than she spends helping you.

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act the internship must benefit the intern not the employer. If the internship benefits the employer then it can be considered to be displacing an employee and illegal.

I really want to have one but my business won't be there for about 6-8 months (assuming it continues to move at its current progression).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT INTERNSHIPS

Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act - http://www.dol.gov …gs/compliance/w​hdfs71.pdf

And in the news: Are unpaid internships illegal? - http://www.washingtonp​ost.com …paid-internships-illegal/

I am a full-time freelancer, and I have been contacted by numerous students regarding internships. I respond to each, and all but one have failed to follow through. For the one exception, he shadowed (not interned) on two gigs, and then I began paying him to assist. He is now a regular part of the company.

NorseHorse wrote in post #16406064
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT INTERNSHIPS

Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act - http://www.dol.gov …gs/compliance/w​hdfs71.pdf

And in the news: Are unpaid internships illegal? - http://www.washingtonp​ost.com …paid-internships-illegal/

I am a full-time freelancer, and I have been contacted by numerous students regarding internships. I respond to each, and all but one have failed to follow through. For the one exception, he shadowed (not interned) on two gigs, and then I began paying him to assist. He is now a regular part of the company.

I've read the FLSA thing before. The high school intern who wants to learn about what I do would certainly not meet criteria as an employee. The interns who work 60 hours a week for my wife start at $45K. There's a big difference.

Bob