Internship Or Apprenticeship? What’s the difference between an internship and an apprenticeship? + An intern is someone who: Usually wants to explore many options for their next job, or career in general may be unpaid is probably in school + A company who hires interns: Often has special project work that is a good fit for part-‐time employees knows it’s very likely the intern will work or study elsewhere after their internship Apprenticeship + An apprentice is someone who: Knows what type of job they want next, or what kind of career they want is almost always paid is probably not in school + A company who hires apprentices: Has apprentices work side-‐by-‐side with expert employees on typical project work usually hires them for craft work, such as software development expects that the apprentice will work for them as a full-‐time employee after the apprenticeship
No value judgments + Neither an internship nor an apprenticeship is bad and the other good. I believe they’re intended for different people and companies. + Someone who isn’t sure they really want to be a web developer might feel overwhelmed in a rigorous apprenticeship. Someone who craves pair programming with an expert may feel frustrated in an internship. + Similarly, not every company is able to provide the kind of one-‐on-‐one relationships that are necessary in an apprenticeship. Who Cares + Well, I might be alone, but I do. + They’re interesting variations on the themes of internship and apprenticeship in web design and web development, probably driven by demand. + Setting expectations for everyone involved never hurts.