iRelaunch Research Publications

Returning Professional "Internships" - A New Strategy for Employers to Access High Caliber Talent and for Professionals to Reenter the Workforce

See our article in Harvard Business Review, "The 40-Year-Old Intern" - based on this research report.

Returning professional internships come in various forms including consulting projects, special projects, contract assignments, research fellowships, externships, returnships®, temp work, executive in residence programs, strategic volunteering projects, or field studies, and have proven successful in all different fields and work configurations. These internships have become the basis for formal career reentry programs and in special situations for promising individuals.

Although still under the radar, the consistent success of the "returning professional internship model" in a range of fields from financial services, to medical research, to consumer marketing to technology, and even in the elusive realm of tenured academia, makes it worthy of a broader understanding. To that end, this study examines returning professional internship programs in large and small companies, foundations, government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions. It looks at arrangements that function as internship equivalents and at creative "one off" or customized, single opportunities that have been crafted for specific individuals. It identifies best practices from those programs with strong track records, while examining the reasons why other programs failed. Finally, it offers employers a concrete roadmap for getting ahead of the internship curve and becoming leaders in this growing trend.

To read more about "Returning Professional Internships" and to order your copy please click here, or click on the image above.