And, we've taken (big corp) as many interns we could take (4 times more than usual), stretching everything, and I know some of them interns would have liked more attention, more guidance and I was upfront, this is a special time, we're taking as many as we can, they'll have a (not so great, but better than most SMEs) salary for 4 or 6 months and industry experience in a well-known company, and we'll give them real subjects and treat them with respect. Just less availability and guidance than what we were used to. Sorry not sorry.

Of course we got work in exchange, but if you don't try to help now, when will you.

Turns out, the results of this are amazing. Success or failure of the internship subjects, we've learned SO much from all the experiences, many of our young colleagues now have a tiny management experience, some really want to take more next years, some are more 'not for me but I'll help if you ask' and some are 'uh people management is not for me'. And there's a good mood from all this.

Most of the interns were amazing, ultra motivated, and (it's cynical, I know) so grateful. It's going to sound very trumpian but some of them, (not 'big guys, strong guys') when announced we were taking them in, literally melt down crying. One of them came in the last days of his stay, telling me he was so grateful we 'saved' him, because he couldn't find anything (the boy is top-5 in his school, WTF). Most of them came to me or their supervisor in the last days saying how hard it was out there and how relieved they were.

It was a hard year (try seriously reading, reviewing, correcting, RE-READING 35 internship reports/memos in 3 weeks), but no regrets.