...when the offer of an internship arises, it would be foolish to turn it down, even if it’s unpaid, right?"
It’s widely known that education only counts for so much on your CV and what employers are really keen to see is experience, and good experience at that. Golley Engage looks into the recent reports that over 100 companies are being warned to pay their interns, and whether recent graduates are really best placed to manage their social media strategy.
Gaining experience in your chosen field of work is like gold dust, especially when competition for jobs is so great – the ONS reported that unemployment rose to a staggering 17-year high by September this year and it currently stands at 8.3 per cent.
So when the offer of an internship arises, it would be foolish to turn it down, even if it’s unpaid, right? Well, no matter what you may think, according to HM Revenue and Customs it’s wrong. The days of unpaid work will soon be over as the Government agency is coming down hard on offending companies who are viewed as taking liberties with keen youngsters who are desperate to make a name for themselves.
It seems a wide range of industries are affected by the investigation by tax officials, from high profile fashion houses to the media industry and with it being such an emotive topic, new blog posts and news articles are being uploaded on a daily basis discussing the subject. The fact that the term ‘slave labour’ is being widely used demonstrates just how sensitive a topic this is.
Due to the sensitivity of the discussions, from a public relations perspective it would be extremely advisable for organisations that currently don’t pay their interns to do the right thing and follow HMRC’s advice before they are publically singled-out as a worst offender – something that could seriously affect their brand profile.
Brand image is invaluable; nonetheless interns who are taken on in a marketing capacity within a business can often find themselves responsible for the company’s social media strategy. They’re young enough to get it, and eager enough to impress. Ironically, as internships have been widely unpaid, candidates often only spend between one and three months with an organisation, is this really enough time to come to understand the intricacies of planning a full and sustainable social media strategy?
The quality of the external relations would undeniably benefit from a long lasting relationship between the intern and company and subsequently, the public, which can only be built over time. Social media planning should be consistent and integrated, and seek to become a part of a brand’s long-term comms strategy. It would therefore be advantageous for companies to pay their interns who in turn can afford to stay put and spend time developing a social media strategy alongside the wider communications team. Social media should not be the responsibility of the least experienced member of your business, but should be factored into long-term marketing plans – ensuring that engaging content is created from traditional above, and below-the-line campaigns.
No one is denying that internships are an invaluable way to kick start your career, but whether it’s exploitation or not, the new regulations will undoubtedly mean changes within a wide variety of industries. Let’s just hope it doesn’t deter businesses offering the experience to those who truly deserve it.
Helen Mockridge
Account Manager, Golley Slater
December 14th, 2011
