In the 2000s, the “internship generation” unintentionally moved from one precarious job to the next. Today, interns often fare much better, as a recent survey shows. According to the “Future Talents Report” from the consulting firm Clevis, interns are paid significantly better than they were a few years ago and can also benefit from modern conveniences such as working from home.
The survey of around 3,000 interns and working students, which Clevis conducts every year, showed: Compared to the previous year alone, the average remuneration rose by around 9 percent to 1,164 euros per month. This may be partly a result of the increase in the minimum wage, which sets the lower wage limit for voluntary internships longer than three months (but does not apply to mandatory internships). Presumably, many companies also pay more to get young talent in times of labor shortages.
A comparison with the Clevis survey from ten years ago also shows how the payment of interns has increased over time. At that time, the interns surveyed received an average of around 700 euros a month. In the current survey, the value for voluntary internships is more than twice as high at 1507 euros. Mandatory internships as part of school, training or professional qualifications are remunerated with an average of 1022 euros.
Employers are apparently also increasingly accommodating their interns when it comes to working from home. Two out of three respondents (67 percent) said they had the opportunity to work from home during their internship. According to Clevis, before the pandemic, the proportion was 26 percent.
How much home office was possible was not surveyed. But the data suggest a positive effect on intern satisfaction. For example, those who were able to work from home in principle were significantly more satisfied with the workload, the work-life balance and also with their manager than those who did not have the home office option.
The interns and working students surveyed in the second half of 2022 were 27 years old on average and came from different areas. IT, marketing and product management, human resources and education and training, finance and controlling, production, distribution and sales were represented most frequently. Overall, eight out of ten respondents were satisfied with their internship.
There doesn’t seem to be a lack of personal commitment either: 46 percent of those surveyed stated that they worked overtime. At the same time, only a few (16 percent) felt that overtime was unreasonable. A possible professional perspective probably also provided the necessary motivation. Because no matter how nice the internship may be – it is of course not an end in itself. Six out of ten interns surveyed were aiming for a permanent position in the company there.
