Are all internships beneficial learning experiences? An exploratory study

Purpose Internships are becoming a more common feature of the career paths of young people, however there has been little consideration of how people learn on internships. The purpose of this paper is report on the experiences of interns and their supervisors on a research internship programme. Design/methodology/approach This study analyses the experiences of interns and their supervisors on a research internship programme, using communities of practice as a theoretical framework. In total, six interns and six supervisors were interviewed approximately six to eight months after the internships were completed. Findings Extreme types of experience in the internships are illustrated by four cases derived from the interviews: optimal conditions for development; intern non‐development; supervisor frustration; and mutual dissatisfaction. Research limitations/implications Although the research is exploratory and limited to the experience of a small group of interns and their supervisors in one setting, it suggests that characteristics of the intern (such as motivation to learn) and the supervisor (e.g. willingness to provide support) can reduce or enhance the learning and development that is achieved during internships. Originality/value This paper questions implicit assumptions that internships are always positive and valuable learning experiences.