WELLESLEY, Mass. - Apr. 27, 2007 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Intern Bridge Inc.,
a college relations and intern staffing firm, released today their 2007
Internship Data Report, based on the largest survey to ever be conducted
solely on the topic of internships. More than 6,200 students and 240
organizations participated in the research.

Research findings show that organizations need to do a better job of allowing
interns to follow-through on tasks; keep them busy with meaningful work; and
increase project responsibilities as their internship time progresses. Interns
should also be given the ability to set priorities, and be able to explore
careers in other areas of the organization.

The research project, conducted in cooperation with Babson College and the
Northeast Human Resources Association, an affiliate of the Society for Human
Resources Management (SHRM), focused on the components of an internship
program: why students pursue (or do not pursue) internships; structure;
supervisor selection; recruiting and marketing; orientation practices;
compensation and benefits; evaluation; and more.

* The highest paid interns by academic major are accounting students, earning
an average of $15.48 per hour. By industry, the highest paid interns are in
finance and banking, earning an average of $17.31 per hour. By position, the
highest paid interns work as software developers, earning an average of $17.05
per hour.

* The top three reasons students pursue internship experiences include gaining
real work experience, building resumes, and learning new skills. Earning money
is ranked as the ninth reason, providing evidence that employers may not have
to pay interns as much (if at all), so long as the actual work structure of
the program is robust and effective.

that supervisors sometimes did not provide
adequate explanation concerning assigned tasks. Furthermore, 20% reported that
supervisor expectations were not always realistic. Less than 20% of
organizations evaluate individuals for their ability to act as internship

* The orientation process needs the most work. Over 45% of interns reportedly remained unsatisfied with the quality of the orientation they received, over 35% of interns reported that they were not given a meaningful introduction to their fellow employees, and over 30% of interns reported that they were not given adequate training to be able to complete their assignments or tasks.

events for interns, and work
during the internship being counted towards "total work," should the intern be
hired on a permanent basis.

* Organizations reported that they most heavily weigh the interview for
selecting interns, but also put emphasis on the candidate's people skills,
availability, and technical skills.