Dear Abby: Mom assisting job hunt is stymied by internships

Dear Abby: My son, a junior in college, is trying to get a summer job. His degree is challenging, and he has a good work ethic plus job experience. Because he hasn't had much luck applying online, I have been calling local businesses to see what's available while he's working hard at school.

A problem I'm encountering is something I never had to deal with in my own job search. It's companies asking if he wants an internship. They say they can't pay him to train him. Can you explain the basis of this response?

— Wants to Know in Pennsylvania

Dear Wants to Know: The companies don't want to spend the money on an intern, particularly one who exhibits such little initiative that his mother has to call to inquire about a job for him. Keep in mind that some internships have been known to lead to permanent positions. Your son may have better luck if he calls himself.

_____

Dear Abby: I have a slightly different version of a 'Pennies From Heaven' letter for you.

My darling grandmother would often tell my brother and me she had a 'Yankee dime' for us — which meant a kiss. Not long after her death, I started finding shiny dimes in the strangest places — under birthday gifts, by the Christmas tree and in my kitchen. My heart fills as the dimes continue to pile up. I save them all.

If I had a penny for every Yankee dime I got while growing up, I'd be very rich.

— Suzanne in Ocala, Fla.

Dear Suzanne: You ARE rich! You were blessed to have had a grandmother who loved you and your brother and demonstrated it every chance she got.