Good time to intern: As economy rebounds, businesses looking for qualified employees

Former intern Erika Arizabal conducts a CAT Scan as an X-Ray technologist at Mountain View Hospital.

Erika Arizabal tried to console her patient as he fought the urge to squirm in pain on the X-ray table.

It was nearing the end of Arizabal’s two-month internship as an X-ray technologist at MountainView Hospital, and until then, she had exchanged few words with patients. But that day called for Arizabal to put into action everything she had learned in nursing classes at UNLV and during her internship.

She tried to wrap the man in a warm blanket as he wished out loud to be with his dead wife, free from pain.

“Maybe if we find the source of your pain, we can help you,” Arizabal told him.

A few weeks later, Arizabal, 22, was hired full time at MountainView.

Nowadays, it’s common for interns to be hired at the end of an internship. About 71 percent of employers aim to transition interns into full-time employees, and 63 percent of companies hope to hire interns for entry level positions, a 2015 study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found.

That’s because the recession left many companies starving for workers after layoffs. Employers also scaled back on hiring and accepting interns during the downturn.

Unpaid vs. Paid Internships

The average hourly wage this year for an intern with a bachelor’s degree is $17.20, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

But students don’t always get paid during internships.

The U.S. Department of Labor lists six criteria that must be met for an internship to qualify as unpaid; essentially, the intern must benefit more than the company:

• The internship is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment.

• The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.

• The intern does not displace regular employees but works under close supervision of existing staffers.

• The employer that provides the training derives no advantage from the activities of the intern, and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.

• The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.

• The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

VEGAS INC asked several local interns whether students should be paid for their work.

• Maria Ramos, 24, former intern at IMI Precision Engineering, paid $15 an hour: “I think people now look for paid internships because people our age have bills to pay. I don’t think I could take that luxury of working and not being paid.”

• Briana Martinez, 22, former intern at Sen. Harry Reid’s Las Vegas office, unpaid: “It was eight hours a week... . The experience I got was worth more than money. It was worth my time.”

• Alora Gillogly, 21, intern at the World Affairs Council, paid $10 an hour: “When I first found out about this opportunity, I didn’t care about getting paid. I think the experience and what you get out of the experience would be the same either way. But I think it depends highly on what your life circumstances are.”

With improvement in the economy came the need for employers to start staffing again.

“It’s a much better time for students to get internships,” said Rebecca Metty-Burns, director of the Career and Professional Development Office at UNLV’s Lee Business School. “More and more companies are able to commit the time to interns. They’re interested in creating a potential pool for open positions that they have.”

Since Cosmopolitan Las Vegas opened in 2010, for example, the resort has hired about 25 percent of its interns. A number of attorneys at Fennemore Craig also once were interns, director Karl Nielson said.

“We have good relationships with local high schools and UNLV,” said Daniel Espino, the Cosmopolitan’s senior vice president of people. “We also attend events at other colleges throughout the country.”

Before Fennemore Craig begins its two-month interview process with potential interns, recruiters travel to universities to meet candidates.

Hiring interns “is an important process for the firm,” Nielson said. “We’re basically hiring for the future of our firm.”

At the Lee Business School, employers often contact the development office with descriptions of internships. Metty-Burns and her colleagues make students aware of the opportunities, then company officials interview the students who have the qualifications needed.

Once employers and students make contact, it’s a matter of both sides making a good first impression.

“We hire interns who can identify areas where we can improve,” Espino said.

At MountainView, where Arizabal interned, the ability to work with patients is paramount.

“We want to make sure they come in and are not only committed to the success of their function but understand the weight of our responsibility to patients,” said Brian Wood, the hospital’s vice president of human resources.

But the onus of sparking interest isn’t just on students. When Maria Ramos, a UNLV doctoral student in mechanical engineering, attends career fairs at the university, she looks for businesses with detailed descriptions of opportunities for interns.

“If they don’t (have that), I move on,” said Ramos, 24.

The benefits of an internship can be mutual for employers and employees. About 84 percent of employers said hiring interns was a positive experience, while 87 percent of students said their internship experience was positive, Internships.com found.

“Businesses get to sample the product of the university,” UNLV business professor Stephen Miller said. “Internships are another way of getting looks at people.”

For many interns, time at a company offers a glimpse of what to expect after graduation.

“I think it’s very different from just learning theories in the class,” said Stacy Acquista, a former intern at North Florida Regional Medical Center who now works for HCA Far West Division, the parent company of Sunrise Health. “It was great to take the skills I learned in school and apply them in a real-world environment.”

Though Arizabal was unable to learn what had appened to the patient she treated during her internship, she said that moment with him was invaluable.

“You run into patients who are very emotional,” she said. “You just have to mentally prepare yourself for things like that. You don’t learn that in school.”

Perhaps most important for businesses, interns often become quasi marketers for companies and firms.

“The students are terrific brand ambassadors,” Metty-Burns said. “They come back and tell others about their experience. It helps businesses not only get potential employees but also have this pipeline of marketing.”

Wood said a number of internship candidates have contacted MountainView after hearing from previous interns.

“They’re able to vouch for us,” Wood said. “It’s probably the most important marketing tool that we have.”

Julie Ann Formoso can be reached at 702-948-7836 or [email protected]. Follow Julie Ann on Twitter at twitter.com/Julieannformoso.

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