Recently we’ve noticed an increase in interns working few than 100 overall hours over the course of the year. It is challenging to learn, contribute, and create a final project for the showcase without putting in a consistent minimum 4-6 hours per week. Interns can potentially work up to 360 hours over the course of the internship. Working enough and consistent hours has many benefits, such as feeling more connected to the team, access to increased responsibility, leadership opportunities, and expanded experiences.

Interns working fewer or inconsistent hours often approach us with concerns about a lack of interesting work, no growth opportunities, not feeling like a part of the team, and not understanding why their tasks matter. Supervisors have shared concerns about a lack of growth in interns working inconsistent hours, and are hesitant to assign work with deadlines or more important tasks if they are unsure when an intern will be working next.

Not having and sticking to a set schedule can cause issues for both sides. Interns need a set schedule and structure to better juggle all work, life, and school responsibilities. Supervisors need to know when an intern will be working to best assign work deadlines and give access to more interesting work or opportunities such as shadowing.

Recommendation

We recommend a minimum of four hours per week to get the most out of this experience. This is not to say that supervisors cannot be flexible and allow scheduling adjustments as other responsibilities pop up. We just recommend starting from a set schedule and making adjustments as needed to allow for a strong learning experience.