Internship Applications from Older Workers – a little jarring?

According to the HR News section of the October 2010 addition of HR Magazine (produced by the Society of Human Resource management – SHRM.org), hiring managers are seeing a significant increase in the number of senior and experienced professionals applying for intern opportunities posted on the popular employment website CareerBuilder.com.

CareerBuilder surveyed 2,534 full-time hiring manages in the United States and found that twenty-three percent (836) have received applications for paid and unpaid internships from senior and more experienced business professionals. Michael Erwin (senior career advisor for CareerBuilder.com) was quoted: “receiving internship applications from older workers may be a little jarring for some people.” I was wondering how jarring it must be to the senior executives and experience professionals who have no other resource other than to consider a paid or unpaid internship ? Is this an indication of the current economic times or a change in the career market as whole ?

I also wondered if the CareerBuilder survey acquired about how many of these internship positions were filled with a senior executive or “older worker”… I also wonder if Mr. Erwin is aware of what age discrimination is all about ?

Candidates are currently confronting a very difficult employment search. In a time when employers are eliminating candidates that are not currently employed, being considered an experienced professional or an “older workers” can make a big difference in whether ideal candidate gets the position.

Experienced professionals realize that current employment prospects are limiting if they depend only on their past experience and education. There are experienced professionals currently reinventing themselves and pursuing new career goals and objectives. The increase in online degree programs, certification classes, and the popularity of video training and elearning. Hiring managers should look at these experienced professionals as legitimate prospects for any employment opportunity – whether it is an internship, entry level, or mid-level management that might be viewed as a step-back by many hiring managers.

Besides avoiding age discrimination accusations and damaging a company’s public image, recruiters and hiring managers should consider senior applicants to be reliable and experienced professionals with wisdom and knowledge that can benefit a group and an organization in more ways that could go beyond the posted job description. Experienced professionals are often reliable and great mentors as well as significant contributors that might cross multiple departments and include experience with competitors.

Reference:

Gurchiek, K., HR Magazine (October 2010). HR News. “Older, Experienced Workers Appling for Internships,” 8/30/2010. Viewed via: http://www.shrm.org/Publications/HRNews/Pages/OlderInterns.aspx