July 2016
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The 40-Year-Old Intern

Monday, July 4, 2016

As workplaces change, many long-held beliefs about traditional jobs are shifting. And internships are among those jobs that are getting a new look. Once reserved for young people preparing to enter the workforce, internships are now being used to train older individuals who are reentering the workforce after a hiatus or want to shift career paths. These internships operate on the same principle as more traditional programs, meaning they provide the interns the opportunity to be evaluated on actual work completed instead of interviews by an employer that might wish to hire them. This work-training hybrid helps employers determine if interns are a match for the corporate culture and lowers the risk of hiring from a sometimes questionable talent pool. Additionally, this makes an organization more resilient, as midcareer internship programs allow for a formal track for tapping into the “return-to-work” pool of employees. This strategy can give companies better access to highly qualified individuals and can help increase corporate diversity while sending a positive message to current employees that all team members, regardless of age, are valuable.

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