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Ask HN: Appropriate Intern Hiring for start up

6 points by JMWes ↗ HN
With a limited budget for our start up we contemplating hiring interns. This would allow us to have free labor while also providing real world experience to perspective students. What is appropriate for the kind of work to let them do? What is appropriate where it benefits both parties and doesn't take advantage?

5 comments

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gaustin
I don't believe it's legal for a for-profit organization to hire interns in the US without paying them[1]. Obviously that might not apply in other countries.

Anyway, the work you give an intern would depend on the skills and maturity of the person in question. Some interns are going to be unreliable in some way.

When I was an intern I did everything a regular employee would have done, except front-line customer contact (my employer didn't want clients realizing the developer working their project was part-time).

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html

JMWes
In such an earl stage in a starup with extremely limited funding, it would be hard to consider our non existent product a for profit venture. I think there is a balance where both the intern and us could benefit. They get the experience, and a chance to prove themselves. If they proof themselves and the venture is successful they could later become full time. Does this sound feasible?
rman
I don't think anyone worth having work for you, would do so for free. Why wouldn't a person looking for unpaid experience just contribute to oss, at least this way they can show off their work.
gaustin
Depending on your embryonic product and where you are geographically, you might be able to find someone excellent. You up your chances if building your product helps someone build a portfolio (especially open source). Offering some equity would be good too, but you'd have to very carefully balance the amount of ownership versus the candidates skill.

My email is in my profile. Get in touch if you want to talk more. I might know someone who might be willing to donate some time, if the project is right.

nickfromseattle
We are in the same situation. Though illegal I see many for-profit businesses advertising unpaid intern positions, and I am sure they get hundreds of replies, especially University students.

Between the difficulty in finding a job, and the fact that many students are completely supported by their parents - they can afford, and are eager to work for free in exchange for valuable experience/foot in the door/recommendations.