from Hacker News

Yelp cancels internship program due to Covid-19 outbreak

by gtmtg on 3/19/20, 2:16 AM with 21 comments

• by froindt on 3/19/20, 3:32 AM

  This is terrible timing for the class of 2020 and 2021. Classes are online or canceled, many are paying rent on apartments they aren't living in (staying with parents after spring break), losing income from their university town/campus jobs since campuses are shutdown, and many companies are on hiring freezes while things shake out.

  I know internships were the difference between me taking out loans and graduating debt free. I also converted my last internship into a full-time offer. I feel for anyone directly affected by this.

  I wonder if 5 years from now we'll see the classes of '20 and '21 significantly hindered in their workforce progression and pay as was seen of the 2008 era?

• by throwqwerty on 3/19/20, 2:53 AM

  this thing is causing me a lot of anxiety lately. i finally landed a FB summer internship in menlo park and now i can't tell if it'll actually happen. recruiter is saying everything is still on track but i'm sure there's no way they can predict whether that'll change soon.

  i know google is doing virtual onboarding and wfh for incoming interns according to the whether the team that hosts is still game. does anyone have any idea about FB?

• by agakshat on 3/19/20, 4:56 AM

  This is a kneejerk reaction from Yelp that will hurt their hiring efforts in the future as they cease to be a reliable option for good candidates. It would not have been difficult for them to ask the interns to work remotely, maybe even reduce stipends if they’re hurting for cash. But canceling internships at this point deeply hurts these candidates’ prospects. Anyone job hunting and in a position to pick and choose should withdraw their job applications from Yelp and let them know why.