海底捞，一家卖火锅的互联网公司

深度运营客户、完善的供应链、用户停留时间长、规模化发展，海底捞本质是一家互联网公司。

小米的创始人雷军曾说，海底捞和小米、今日头条、腾讯等这些互联网巨头，本质上是一类公司。

成立于1994年，海底捞如今已经是全球知名的餐饮企业。董事长张勇以160亿美元（约1024亿人民币）名列新加坡富豪榜第四。在中国的餐饮行业，海底捞一直被模仿，从未被超越。甚至连小米的雷军都说海底捞是其创立小米时的第一个学习对象。而经过深度梳理海底捞的运营模式我们发现，与其说海底捞是一家餐饮企业，不如说它是一家互联网公司。

深度运营客户

l  优质的服务

海底捞最广为人知的，是其优质的服务。过度热情的服务让很多人吐槽，在海底捞你连给自己倒杯水的机会都没有。川剧变脸、拉面、端茶倒水、跑腿代购，似乎没有什么是海底捞员工不会的。在知乎问题“海底捞有哪些让人难忘的服务细节？”下有超过5000个回答，众多客户留下自己令人暖心的“海底捞”回忆。然而海底捞服务，不仅仅是来自员工的热情，严格的管理，还有整个集团对顾客细致入微的了解。

早在2010年，海底捞就将信息化贯穿到整个企业管理和服务，不仅简化了内部流程，还能给客户带来更便捷、更个性化的服务。比如点餐，客户在店内可以POS和PAD点餐，在店外可以通过微信、支付宝、百度、官网、app等订餐。点餐系统能自动保存顾客的信息，记录顾客的喜好，分析顾客消费能力。此外，服务员在跟顾客交流的过程中，也会把顾客的某些个性化需求记录下来。这样当顾客下一次走进海底捞时就会得到更加个性化的服务，接收到的促销信息、达人分享等内容也因人而异。

海底捞的智能配锅机可以实现对锅底麻、辣、浓度等的调节，满足不同消费者的口味需求。 智能化锅底DIY系统更是让顾客可以随意搭配，DIY专属锅底。同时顾客可以对其命名以记录口味及社交分享。

考虑到独自用餐顾客的食量有限，海底捞还有“一人食”套餐，也支持随时退菜。虽然客单价降低了，但潜在地增加了顾客来到门店消费的次数。

2020年，海底捞餐厅会员超过7100万人，服务超过2.5亿人次顾客。海底捞极高的翻台率也说明其受欢迎的程度，虽然近两年因为疫情影响和企业扩张，翻台率有所下降，但仍远高于行业平均水平2.25。

对于不方便来店就餐的顾客，海底捞还与饿了么合作，推出“小火锅”外送服务。3公里内的顾客可以享受到不超过1小时拿到餐食的服务。2020年，海底捞的外卖业务营收7.18亿元，同比增长160%。

从2020年3月起，海底捞还与多家电商合作，推出二十多个系列的半成品制品，满足远距离顾客的需求。2020年下半年还开出了第一家“海底捞外送食材自提店”。

l  互联网运营

早在2003年，海底捞就上线了官网。海底捞的营销也基本都在互联网上。微博，微信，贴吧，一个都没落下。极致的服务更让很多顾客成了海底捞的免费推荐官。在微博，话题#海底捞#有25.4万人参与过讨论，总阅读量达5.2亿。2015年海底捞还在北京开过互联网线下体验店，提供传统餐饮与移动互联网结合的开放式社交平台。如今作为火锅界的茅台，海底捞已经自带流量，一举一动都有可能成为公众议题。舆情有好有坏，不变的是网民对海底捞的关注热度。

完善的供应链生态系统

海底捞可以说是餐饮供应链建设最为出色的中国餐饮企业之一。归根于张勇“不把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”的思维，海底捞并未把整个供应链拘束在后方。其战略是将自己作为一个平台，每一个供应链的版块都各自独立且专业化运营。这些公司除了为自身体系提供服务，还对餐饮行业进行服务及赋能，甚至部分已经上市。

如今，海底捞的餐饮供应链主要包括以下八个独立系统：颐海国际、蜀海供应链、蜀韵东方、讯飞至悦、海海科技、优鼎优、海鸿达、微海咨询、红火台网络科技。

拉长用户停留时间

互联网公司都追求更多的占据用户时间，恨不得用户一天24小时都花在它们的APP上。海底捞也在极力拉长客户停留时长。虽然大部分门店的营业时间在早上10点到晚上10点，海底捞还有部分门店是24小时营业。甚至晚上10点到次日7点有7.5至8.8折优惠。

l  线下

排队两三个小时是顾客进海底捞线下门店用餐前的常态。各门店的等候区也推出了丰富多彩的活动，以减少顾客的焦躁感。免费零食和饮料必不可少，桌游也常见。很多顾客还把海底捞当作免费的美甲店，似乎不做次美甲，这次海底捞之旅不完整。而各种叠星星等消遣活动，还能让顾客挣点小钱抵账。等得越长，肚子越饿，实际消费时，顾客就多下点菜品，多消费。

l  线上

海底捞的APP不仅有排号、订位、点餐等基础功能。还集成了社区、短视频分享、购物等功能，为用户提供游戏、社交、娱乐、购物等增值服务。用户日常在APP上玩游戏，分享图片视频等，还能获得捞币，在积分商城里面消费。参加海底捞不定期推出的各种活动也能获得不同数量的捞币。如今海底捞APP在安卓手机上的下载总量约3250万，近一个月在苹果手机的日均下载量为8102。

规模化

规模化不仅可以占领用户心智，抢占市场，还能提高租金议价能力。火锅易标准化、自由度高、操作流程简单的特点，也使其适合加盟连锁的模式，实现规模化。

在国盛证券看来，中国餐饮行业的发展一直以来都较为分散。截至2019年，中国餐饮连锁化率仅达到10.3%，远低于美国的54.3%、以及日本的49.7%。根据市场调查机构Frost & Sullivan的报告，预计到2022年中国火锅餐饮市场规模会达到7077亿元。根据中商产业研究院的报告，2020年中国火锅市场行业集中度CR5（5家最大企业的市场占有率之和）仅为5.5%。即使是巨头如海底捞，它也仅占据不到3%的市场份额。国内城镇化水平不断加速，海底捞“中央厨房+连锁门店”的模式，也更有利于标准化快餐品类规模的不断增长，更能发挥海底捞的供应链优势。2019年，海底捞管理层曾明确提出，全国范围内可容纳3000家海底捞门店。

一家采取全直营模式的餐饮企业，要实现快速扩张，至少需要解决四个问题：完备的餐饮供应链系统、标准化的管理系统、人才培养系统、雄厚的资本。当这一切准备就绪，海底捞的急速扩张开始了。

根据海底捞2020年财报，截至2020年末，门店总数1298间，增幅178.5%。2020年新开门店544家，几乎一天1.5家新店。

虽然在疫情期间急速扩张的后果是成本攀升，利润下降，海底捞的股价也从最高85.80港元下降到如今的31.75港元，多家证券机构对海底捞的评级依旧维持“买入”。这一方面是市场对优质赛道中龙头企业的追捧，另一方面是对海底捞开店节奏的认同以及其在下沉市场长期发展的预期看好。

自带流量的海底捞深受各大商圈的欢迎，能享受到极低的租金。海底捞的物业及相关支出常年维持超低比例。2020年，海底捞的租金2.36亿，占收入比例0.6%。排名第二的呷浦呷浦2020年的物业及相关开支为2.20亿，占收入比例4.0%，远高于海底捞。

总结

创始人张勇虽然自称不懂所谓互联网思维，实际上对于互联网、移动互联网的趋势变化，海底捞其实一直跟得很紧，比如海底捞外送、百度直达号、微博营销等等都是海底捞第一时间的尝试。海底捞前无古人的成功离不开其互联网公司的本质。

Haidilao, an Internet Company Serving Hotpot

With profound user operation, complete supply chain, long dwell time, and rapid expansion strategies, China's largest hotpot chain Haidilao is essentially an internet company.

Xiaomi's founder Lei Jun once said that Haidilao was basically the same as tech giants like Xiaomi, Toutiao and Tencent. 

Founded in 1994, Haidilao is now a world-famous catering enterprise. Its founder, Mr Zhang Yong, is the fourth-richest person in Singapore in 2021, with a net worth of US$16 billion. In China's restaurant sector, Haidilao has always been imitated but never surpassed. Even Xiaomi's Lei Jun once said that he learnt from Haidilao at the beginning of Xiaomi. By a deep dive into its operation model, we found that Haidilao is an internet company rather than a restaurant chain.

User Operation 

·       Customer-centred Services

Haidilao is best known for its services beyond a typical Chinese diner's expectations. Their excellent and sometimes overzealous services have made headlines and trending topics across China's social media. On Zhihu, the Chinese version of Quora, under the question "What are some unforgettable services you experienced at Haidilao?" there are more than 5,000 answers. Haidilao customers shared their heart-warming memories with Haidilao, from babysitting to receiving free teddy bears when dining alone in case they are lonely.

As early as 2010, Haidilao has put information technology into its enterprise management, simplifying the internal process and bringing more convenient and personalised service. Customers can order food on Haidilao iPads or their phones through WeChat, Alipay, Haidilao website and App. The ordering system saves the customer's information, records the customer's preference, and analyses the customer's consumption ability. Waiters also put in remarks in the system if they receive any special requirements. When customers walk into Haidilao again, they will receive more personalised services and promotions. Haidilao's smart soup base machine and DIY soup base system allow customers to customise the soup. "Single customer" menu set designed for solo dinners supports cancelling and returning any untouched plates, lowering sales but increased potential return customers.

Haidilao has more than 71 million registered members and has served over 250 million customers as of 2020. Even under the impact of Covid-19, the table turnover rate at Haidilao is way above average, 2.25.

They have been working with food delivery giant Eleme during the pandemic. Their "little hotpot" delivery service allows customers within three kilometres to receive the meal in less than an hour. In 2020, Haidilao's takeout revenue reached RMB718 million (US$112.2 million), up 160% year on year. For customers who live too far from any Haidilao restaurants, Haidilao provides more than 20 kinds of ready-to-cook hotpot on e-commerce platforms and self-collect locations.

·       Online Operation

Haidilao launched its website in 2003 when none of its competitors is scaling up using the power of the internet. Its marketing strategies focus on social media and search engines. More than 254,000 Weibo users have posted under hashtag #haidilao, and it gained over 520 million views as of August 2021. In 2015, Haidilao opened an "internet experience store" at a location gathered with countless internet and tech companies in Beijing, providing an open social platform combining traditional catering with mobile internet. They introduced activities such as "programmer's day" and provide a forum or event venue for We Media and O2O companies, moving the online social activities to the dining place. Thanks to its online marketing strategies, every move of Haidilao can become a hot topic. There are good and bad public opinions, but what remains unchanged is netizens' attention.

Powerful Supply Chain Ecosystem

Haidilao is considered one of the most outstanding Chinese enterprises in catering supply chain orchestration. Backed with Zhang's "don't put all your eggs in one basket" strategy, Haidilao refuses to keep the entire supply chain in the back. It acts as a platform, with each sector in the supply chain operating independently. Besides being a part of Haidilao's kingdom, these companies serve and empower the whole F&B industry. Some of them are even listed.

Long User Dwell Time

Internet companies try to keep users on their products as long as possible, which Haidilao has done. Most Haidilao restaurants are open from 10 am to 10 pm. Some are 24/7 and offer 12%-25% off during night times.

·       Offline

A typical meal at Haidilao starts with a two-to-three-hour queue. To calm the anxious and hungry customers, Haidilao put a lot of thought into the waiting areas. Free and unlimited snacks and drinks are standard. Board games are a must. Free manicures make a trip to Haidilao complete. The longer people wait, the hungrier they are and the more they will order later.

·       Online 

Besides the basic functions such as queuing and ordering, Haidilao App offers a community that allows users to share videos, shop online and play games to collect "Lao Coins", which they can spend in the marketplace. The total number of downloads of the Haidilao App on Android phones is about 32.5 million, and the average daily downloads on iPhones in the past month (July 2021) is 8102.

Rapid Expansion

Rapid expansion helps a brand to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market. In Haidilao's case, a large scale has another perk: it helps keep the rent down. It brings more customers to the malls, so Haidilao can always get much lower rent than its competitors. In 2020, Haidilao spent RMB236 million (US$36.9 million) on rent, accounting for 0.6% of its income. The numbers of Xiabuxiabu, the second player in the market, are RMB220 million (US$34.4 million) and 4.0%. Hotpot can be a standardised dish and does not require many skilled chefs, making it possible for rapid expansion and scaling up.

According to Guosheng securities, the distribution of the Chinese restaurant industry is relatively fragmented. As of 2019, only 10.3% of China's restaurants are chains, and the number is 54.3% in the US and 49.7% in Japan. A report by Frost & Sullivan shows that the size of China's hotpot restaurant market is expected to reach RMB707.7 billion (US$110.6 billion) by 2022. According to ASKCI Consulting, China's hotpot restaurant market's top five concentration ratio (CR5), the percentage of the total market share of the top five companies, was 5.5% in 2020. Even a giant like Haidilao takes less than 3%. In addition, the accelerating urbanisation process in the country provides more opportunities for Haidilao with its "central kitchen + chain restaurants" fast food model and advantages in supply chain management. In 2019, Haidilao's leaders claimed that the country has enough room for 3,000 Haidilao restaurants nationwide.

To achieve rapid expansion, a restaurant chain that adopts an all-direct-sale model needs at least four key factors: a complete restaurant supply chain system, a standardised management system, a talent training system, and substantial capital. With all those in place, Haidilao was able to scale up fastly. According to Haidilao's 2020 financial report, the total number of restaurants was 1,298 by the end of 2020, an increase of 178.5%. There were 544 new locations opened in 2020, almost 1.5 new ones each day.

Despite the rising costs and declining profits due to the pandemic and a drop in Haidilao's share price, securities agencies still recommend buying. It indicates the market's recognition for Haidilao and its expected bullish long-term development.

Summary

Although the founder, Mr Zhang Yong, claims not to understand the so-called "Internet thinking", Haidilao has always been the first to leverage new business models and technologies and keeping up with the trend. Haidilao's nature as an internet company is essential for its unprecedented success.

付费内推实习，是骗局而不是捷径

激烈的竞争和对名企的追求让付费内推实习成为大学生眼中的捷径，即使知道有可能被骗。

一到毕业季和假期，“付费内推实习”的广告便四处可见。这两年在疫情影响下人们逐渐习惯居家办公，“付费内推实习”还与时俱进出远程模式。在国内的社交平台或者电商网站搜索“内推实习”、“实习中介”等，就会跳出大量相关信息。他们均声称可轻松推荐去知名投行、券商、或者大型互联网企业等实习。价格从数百到数万不等。

什么是付费实习？

按照中介提供的解释，实习分正式实习和非正式实习两种。

l  正式实习　

企业真的有人事需求，但人事部门精力有限，于是选择通过中介寻觅人才。这类实习会有人事档案记录，企业也会提供正式的实习证明。但要求的时间比较长，通常在三个月以上。

l  非正式实习　　

非正式实习不会记录在人事档案上，公司也不会出具实习证明。一般是由公司的某个员工安排工作内容，体验实际工作的情形。结束时该员工会通过公司邮箱发邮件证明实习经历。

哪些人选择付费实习？

l  临毕业的大学生

一到毕业季，大部分学校都会要求学生出去实习，以了解如何找到合适的工作。然而正规企业要求学生实习时间持续三个月以上。部分学生因为考研或者出国等需要备考而有时间冲突，只能花钱找个时间限制不那么严格的。还有同学把付费实习当作花钱买实习证明来应付学校。

而另一部分竞争压力大的学生则把付费实习当作完善履历的捷径，无论是用来找工作还是申请国外学校。据教育部数据显示，2021届全国普通高校毕业生总规模909万，同比增加35万。很多学生希望拥有一段“名企实习”经历来增加自己的竞争力。如果能从这些优秀企业中学习到知识，那更是一举两得。

l  试图回国找工作的留学生

智联招聘发布的《2020中国海归就业创业调查报告》显示，2020年在国内求职的海归人数同比增长33.9%。除开这个巨大的竞争压力，对国内职场环境的陌生以及无法及时回国等原因，也让付费实习成了部分留学生的选择。如果打算回国工作，拥有一份国内名企的实习经历并了解他们的工作流程能更加迅速的找到一份称心如意的工作。

付费内推的实质

大企业的福利好，晋升空间大，大家都想进去。然而资源有限，所以花钱应该是理所当然的事情。但很多学生缴费后发现，中介安排的实习基本没什么意义，有的甚至无法得到实习机会。与此同时，腾讯、美团、普华永道、中信证券、毕马威等名企也纷纷发布声明称，从未与任何第三方机构合作，整个招聘和求职过程不会收取任何费用。中介所谓的付费内推，到底是什么？

 l  概率型

中介声称收费后可以推荐去知名企业，实则只是帮学生投递简历。中介根据学生的个人情况，完善简历，指导面试技巧。然后拿着完善后的简历，通过搜寻到的各企业或者学校的官方途径投递简历。一旦有成功的，学生还真以为是中介的功劳，甚至成为中介的免费宣传力。如果失败了，那就是学生能力实在太差，公司或者学校要求太高。中介有时还会退回部分费用以安抚学生。

部分中介主业就是课程培训或者求职辅导。宣传能内推，只是为了吸引学生来付费。毕竟他们所谓的辅导资料、培训课程网上都能找到。没有足够的噱头，根本吸引不到学生。有的中介以此拿到大批学生的资料，进而跟各个公司的人事部门谈合作，得到一些宣讲会，线上活动的机会。从而能更加赢取学生的信任。如果企业完全放任中介机构代办宣讲会和简历投递收集，那么不排除这些机构会选择性地拦截一些没有付费的同学的简历，只把自己的客户交给企业，帮助自己的付费客户减少竞争者。

l  名不副实型

中介与某些名企的员工合作，给学生安排实习内容。这种一般是远程实习，每周安排一定的任务，之后该员工（业内称“导师”）来指导或者查看。实习时间一般是一个月。

由于大型企业对免费实习生的需求非常少，而学生对名企的实习岗位需求很大，尤其是金融、互联网行业，部分中介机构联合一些想赚外快的员工，以招远程实习生的名义，创造一些岗位然后高价卖给学生。很多学生实习完发现，所谓实习内容毫无技术含量，白白耽误一个月时间。甚至有的就是做免费的苦力，替该员工完成一些琐碎的工作。学生无法从这类实习中提升个人能力，也无法了解真实职场的运转流程。而事后出具的实习证明，连该员工的名字都没有。因为一旦被检举，该员工会受到内部质询，甚至失去工作。如果碰到严谨的学校或者企业，这种实习证明根本没用。很多中介会在实习后提示，不要去该实习单位求职。然而这一类型的实习收费还不低，动辄上万。

l  纯诈骗型

承诺推荐名企，然后在合同里面设置各种陷阱。即使学生之后要求退款，也会因为各种原因被扣除掉很大一部分。更有甚者安排假实习给学生。比如Wall street tequila曾被曝光有专门团队假扮各大公司员工带学生实习。知乎大V@大欣V也曝光过Unicareer公司租场地做假项目的事情。

付费实习，不只是钱财被骗这么简单

很多学生认为在中国这样的人情社会，走关系拿到资源很正常，因此也就认为花钱买到资源也很正常。毕竟自己不买别人也会买。正是这种心态给了骗子可趁之机。他们即使明白有被骗的风险，却心存侥幸愿意一试。觉得最多就是被骗点钱，但自己的简历会光辉一笔，以后找工作更有优势。而事实上，大型企业的招聘流程十分严谨，HR们也身经百战，火眼金睛，是真正实习还是花钱买的名头，HR一问便知。即使侥幸骗过，付费实习还能成为以后职场晋升的污点，不知道什么时候就会被曝光。

付费实习能否禁止

《2020年中国大学生就业压力调查报告》显示，51%的学生认为找工作非常难，87.5%的学生认为实习经历有助于求职。事实上有很多HR坦言，实习经验是很重要，但企业实际在乎的是学生从实习中学到的内容，而不是实习的场所。如果没有实习经历，学生有优秀的在校学习和实践经验也能获得青睐。此外其它与所求职业相符的证书或者培训经验也能加分。

然而在巨大的竞争压力和显著的信息差下，焦虑的学生很容易走弯路。付费实习如今已经发展成一条完整的产业链，以各种名义堂而皇之的出现在学生面前。要想堵住漏洞，需要学校、企业以及政府多方的协调。从长期来看，需要拓展就业空间，也需要高校更符合实际地培养人才，才能让学生毕业时不再焦虑和彷徨。

Buying Internship Opportunities, "Trick" Instead of "Quick Win"

Fierce competition and the pursuit of famous companies make students and fresh graduates believe that they can take a shortcut by paying an agency for an internship at a company with a household name to polish their resumes. Even if they know, they might walk into a scam.

During graduation season and holidays, advertisements selling internships are everywhere. Covid-19 has made working from home a norm. The internship agencies evolved accordingly and started to offer remote internships. The phrase "internship agencies" is all over China's social media or e-commerce sites. These so-called agencies all claim to have the internal resources to refer students for internships at well-known investment banks, securities companies, and tech companies. The price for one position ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

How Does it Work? 

According to the agencies, there are two kinds of internships available: formal ones and informal ones. 

·       Formal Internships

A formal internship comes from actual demand from the organization. Agencies will connect the buyers to HR departments, and the buyers will actually work in the company for three to six months.

·       Informal Internships

An employee from the company will arrange the work and guide the intern through it. The intern will not formally join the company, and the company will not issue an "internship certificate", a piece of paper that Chinese universities require their students to submit. The duration of this kind of internship is usually less than two months.

 Who Is Paying for Internships? 

·       Junior Students

Universities usually require students to complete at least one internship. Students have to get the company to stamp on their internship certificates and bring them back to school. Some students would pay for an internship because they need the certificate to cope with the school. Students who do not have three months would rather spend some money to find a place that offers a more flexible schedule. Some of them just need to polish their resumes to reach better positions after they graduate.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows that the total size of the 2021 class is 9.09 million, an increase of 350,000 year-on-year. Many students hope to win a better place in this fight. 

·       Chinese Students Studying Abroad but Plan to Come Back

The Report on Employment and Entrepreneurship of Chinese Returnees in 2020 shows that the number of returnees applying for domestic jobs in 2020 increases 33.9% from 2019. Tremendous pressure from the competition and unfamiliar working environment make paying for internships an option for some overseas graduates. The student will find a satisfying job easier with internship experience in a famous domestic company and knows their work process.

The Truth About This Business

Fresh graduates prefer working in larger companies to get paid more and more potential for promotion. Since there are only a few targets, spending money to get it might seem reasonable. However, many students find that the internships they paid for are pointless. Some even fail to get an internship at all.

Tencent, Meituan, PwC, Citic Securities, KPMG, and other companies once issued statements confirming that they have never worked with any third party nor charged candidates for internships. So what exactly are those agencies?

·       Interview Coaching Consultancies

Some agencies claim that they have connections to send students to well-known enterprises. The fact is, all they do is to help the students to optimize their resumes, apply and provide advice on interviews. They apply for internships using the students' resumes via official channels of those companies or schools. Students would believe that it is the agencies' credit if any offer is received and even recommend the agencies to others. And if failed, it will be attributed to the student's ability or the company's high standard. Sometimes the agencies will refund part of the fees to avoid any disputes.

Some agencies are training and tutoring centres that use their "connections" to advertise. They use the information and resumes they collected to get opportunities for hosting campus recruitment projects or online activities on behalf of the companies. In return, they win the trust of students. It seems like a win-win, but agencies might filter the candidates who are not willing to pay.

·       Agencies With the Wrong Type of Connections

Some agencies pay employees from big companies to provide internships, usually remote ones that last for less than a month. They create jobs off the record. In the end, the students may find that they have been doing nothing but free work for the "mentor", and the internship certificates they receive are fake.

·       Scammers

Some of the internships that agencies provide do not even exist. Wall Street Tequila, a Chinese agency registered in Hong Kong, was once reported to hire a team that pretends to be employees of major companies to assign work for interns -- their clients. Zhihu influencer DaxinV has also exposed the fact that Unicareer rents offices to arrange fake projects for students.

Worse Consequences Than Money Lost

Many students think it is customary to use networks, or guanxi in Chinese, to get resources and access. After all, someone will buy, why not me? This mentality gives scammers the opportunity. Some students are willing to take the chance even though they understand the risk of being cheated. In their opinion, the worst thing is some money lost. They do not know that the recruitment process and background checks at large enterprises are rigorous. It is their future career that they are risking. 

Can The Agencies be Banned? 

According to a survey on Employment Pressure of Chinese College Graduates in 2020, 51% of students think it is tough to find a job, and 87.5% think internship experience is helpful in their job search. HRs agree on the importance of internship experience, but they value the actual work candidates did rather than the company names on the resumes.

Students buying internship opportunities is a stress response to the pressure of competition. And there is a whole industry that would love to take advantage of their anxiety and information gaps. Closing the loophole requires coordination among schools, organizations, and the government. In the long run, companies need to create more jobs, and schools need to train their students more practically so they may feel less anxious and confused when they graduate.