Leo Laporte the Tech Guy hired someone for 500 bucks to put his IKEA furniture together?

[G+_George Kozi]

Leo Laporte the Tech Guy hired someone for 500 bucks to put his IKEA furniture together? 

 

Dear Leo, if I decide to visit the US, I'll put your furniture together for 400, and you might wanna hire me, because in all the years I have been buying IKEA furniture, I never had a single piece missing... I'm lucky that way.

[G+_Wade Watson]

I'm surprised he didn't use that poor unpaid intern who spent 8 hours building Leo a crane out of an erector set.

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

Wade Watson "Poor Unpaid Intern?" --- are you really against internships?

[G+_A.J. Bobo]

About half of the furniture I own is IKEA. I've never been missing a part and I've only had a few problems putting it together. Even then, they were problems that I could correct pretty easily.

[G+_Wade Watson]

I love interns. I was expressing my sympathy for them, though.

[G+_Josh Frye]

Wade Watson

 

Being a intern is what got me my present job.

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

I have no sympathy for interns... but I do have admiration.

 

Interns tend to be people who understand that you need to learn the trade, earn your bones and work your way up. TWiT interns get a strong bit of experience for their CV and many opportunities to test the waters both behind and in front of the camera.

 

More than that, good interns will create relationships that can last them their entire careers. In other words... for those who are willing to put in the work, internships are the best way to find out if a particular career path is for you. :)

[G+_George Kozi]

apprenticeship... 

[G+_David Wilson]

Unpaid Internship is fine when it's accepted by all parties. However, interns need to start sticking up for their standard of living and yes knowlege of that trade they are interning for. You have a higher skill set than those frying burgers and are a greater asset than say a Deep Frier operator to McDonalds in your trade and yet you agree to no pay? Its fine to want to learn a trade/skill but the majority of people learn and get paid. Even more so if they have more knowlege than the other people answering the phone.?

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

You can stop at the first line of your response: "Unpaid internship is fine when it's accepted by all parties."

 

Exactly... They're interns... Not slaves. They're being paid in experience. Nothing odd keeping them here other than their desire to be part of the TWiT experience and gather some invaluable resources for a potential career in content creation.

 

If you're at TWiT, you're not in it for the money.

[G+_David Wilson]

Naw I dont have to stop. :-) Internships can't be slavery yes but it can be below market. There are some markets that dont have them (for one reason or another). Content creation traditionaly does but I encourage those with a skill set to get paid as it only strenghtens the market. Thats all I am saying. If you want a drone, hang outside highschool and pick the first 20. Fact is you want skill and dont want to pay. Thats a fact because if either were not true...you would either pay skilled or pick say the first 3. If you think you are doing favors...then fine. That insists you get nothing in return.?

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

You do understand that our interns are NOT highly-trained, specialized, content creators (not YET anyways), right?

[G+_David Wilson]

That I do. Highly skilled yes.. I believe that commands a different market. However I am not speaking on a specific intern or even skill that deals with TWiT (just commenting in general). I am encouraging people to understand their skill set. If the job requires a skill the market is paying for...why intern for free? That's my only point really. Don't get me wrong I am not saying TWiT is doing anything wrong. Free will agreements I get. Everyone wants the highest skill at the lowest cost possible. I am just saying interns always need to evaluate that sliding scale. Also I would encourage them to look at the opposite side of that scale. Doing coffee runs and dog walking 90 percent of the time doesn't exactly lend itself to learning the trade (unless you want to be a dog walker). Even for pay.

 

Its my belief that a lot of interns are at least or more skilled than a lot of "industry" paid staff in many trades. Sometimes a better asset than say "Judy" making 22,000 a year to file paper work in an industry she knows little or nothing about. This example is more pronounced in the IT markets. Having been in a few trades..I can say that most interns have skills that rival paid employees.?

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

So... in other words... you're complaining about internship in general, and it just happens that you're writing it on the TWiT G+ page?

[G+_David Wilson]

Its applicable to TWiT and to the previous comments (on subject). Think of it as a "rat hole"...that we always seem to get it in when dealing with TWiT. :-)

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

I vehemently disagree with you, but of course you are entitled to your opinion.

[G+_David Wilson]

Best thing about it is agree or disagree it will sort itself out. The intern will decide when being unpaid is no longer his/her market.

 

Remeber they dont need the same skill set say as Leo. They need a skill set that rivals his lowest paid employee.

[G+_Corey Scott (Captain Te]

But, David Wilson, isn't interning what is teaching them that skill set?  What they would normally be paying to be educated in otherwise?

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

David --- the thing is... that's already how it works at TWiT... so I'm not really sure what you're complaining about. Interns start unpaid. Some of them, those who show an ability to do the work and a desire to be in the field, become paid interns. Of those, the ones who develop skills can become paid staff.

 

I think the problem I have with your posts is that it seems to be coming from a place of, "I know how much I'm worth and I DEMAND people pay me that." -- That's a good attitude to have, but if you have no experience, no developed skills and no portfolio, exactly what should you be demanding?

 

There's a whole generation that believes because THEY know what they can do, they should be paid accordingly... that's not how the world works... nor how it should work... People will sometimes scoff at the "old system" of working your way up your field... of "paying your dues" and earning a name, but those things are exactly how your prove your worth in the workplace. Accepting an internship, and dealing with the "small things" so that your superiors/supervisors will trust you with the "larger things" is part of an organic process of growth.

 

Suggesting that somehow TWiT is short-circuiting that process or being unfair to its interns sounds like a fundamental misunderstanding of what an internship is at TWiT. It's not a job, it's an experience. Yes, you'll be asked to get coffee and do grunt work... but once you're trusted, you'll get airtime. Show initiative and you'll be taught production skills... hang around long enough and you can get a job.

 

So what's unfair about that?

[G+_Chris Hall]

Right on Father... So, does the Church use interns?

[G+_George Kozi]

The church, in every kind of faith and all belief systems, is a matter of calling, and service. It isn't a profession, but a way of being and living. The comparison with internship is invalid.

[G+_George Kozi]

and WOW, hold your horses...this thing was about IKEA flat pack assembling.

[G+_Chris Hall]

Haha... Father Roberts involvement brought it out of me. Actually, considering that I live in the city that has North Americas biggest Ikea, there are several Ikea assembling companies here that do really well.

[G+_Chris Hall]

I'm just surprised Leo buys Ikea in the first place

[G+_George Kozi]

I like IKEA and most of the stuff they sell is quite good. Once you buy into that style, you can fill the house with furniture that had some thought put into it, and it doesn't break the bank.