Not Abusing Interns: 5.17

I've been called the patron blogging saint of Hollywoood assistants, a title which I do my best to fulfill. But after a conversation with my little brother, I've decided that interns don't deserve abuse any more than assistants do. Therefore, I've decided to do my Internet tirade best to stick up for them, too.

Because darn it if they aren't just the cutest things, with their bright ambitions and high hopes and sense of wonder. God bless 'em.

But as the bro and I will both attest, interns can easily be abused. You see, the critical difference between interns and assistants is that interns aren't paid. At least, not well. And in Hollywood, only rarely. Therefore, they should be treated very differently.

If it's part of the job, it's part of the job.
If it's unpaid, f--- it.

Do we see the difference, my friends? Plus, interns are always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and usually not as stupid as Bubbles and they try to help out. So it's best not to abuse them.

Remember, this abuse can take many forms. Most often, it's a constant shoveling of the bitchiest of biyotch work onto their plates. Frankly, while this may seem appropriate for an intern's supposed skill level, it's actually not. Interns are there to learn. . . and usually filing and photocopying aren't conducive to serious learning. Unless you're preparing for an exciting career in data entry.

So give your interns actual pretend work. And by this, I mean: let them make some calls. Because these kids actually get excited when some assistant tells them Mr. Big-Boss-So-And-So will call back. Even if he won't. But the bright-eyed don't care. They can get by with the illusion. . . and that's mostly not true anymore for us assistants.

So God bless the kids and keep 'em safe.

And remember, just because you're an assistant, that doesn't make you better than an intern. Yeah, you get paid and they don't. But you're both still considered less than the toilet paper on Hollywood's Ugg.

TECHNORATI TAGS: Interns, Hollywood, Business, Assistants