INDIANAPOLIS—Following the departure this week of their unpaid summer intern, executives at the marketing firm Purwin & Avery reflected on how the internship had turned out to be a really positive experience for their company. “Going into the program we weren’t really sure what to expect, but by the end we realized just how much we had gotten out of it,” department manager Dana Hughes said of the 10 weeks during which their summer intern, Erin, reportedly provided the company with more than 1,500 man-hours of free labor. “It was an invaluable opportunity for us, giving Erin a chance to work in a real-world, hands-on environment. It really broadened our perspective. In fact, it was such a great experience, we’ve decided to keep the internship program going year-round.” At press time, sources confirmed that three paid entry-level employees at Purwin & Avery had just received pink slips.

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