David Cameron said he had been helped out by family connections David Cameron has defended the right to give internship placements to the children of friends and colleagues.
The prime minister's views contrast with those of his deputy Nick Clegg, who believes the practice is a barrier to social mobility.
Mr Cameron told the Daily Telegraph he was "very relaxed" about awarding work experience positions to personal acquaintances.
He had offered one himself to a neighbour, the prime minister said.
Mr Cameron said Mr Clegg was "trying to make a fair point".
But Mr Cameron said he, like Mr Clegg, had been helped out by family connections, with what he called a "definite leg-up internship" at his father's stockbrokers.
"I've got my neighbour coming in for an internship," he said.
"In the modern world, of course you're always going to have internships and interns - people who come and help in your office who come through all sorts of contacts, friendly, political, whatever.
"I do that and I'll go on doing that. I feel very relaxed about it."
Earlier this month, Mr Clegg criticised the monopolisation of valued internships by the children of the well-connected.
He urged companies to appoint interns in a more open way so young people from less advantaged backgrounds had the same opportunities to get into competitive careers.
But he faced accusations of hypocrisy after admitting he benefited from the connections of his banker father in obtaining an internship.
BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says it is an extraordinary intervention by the prime minister on turf Mr Clegg had attempted to preserve for himself.
Mr Cameron's words were in marked contrast to Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg and Conservative Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.
They said they wanted to end the position in which internships were the exclusive preserve of the sharp-elbowed and the well-connected.
A source close to Mr Clegg said they were surprised at the comments and pointed out that from next year the coalition had agreed that all civil service internships would be available through an open and transparent process.
Downing Street maintained that in substantive terms they did not believe there was any contradiction between what Mr Cameron said and the policy pursued by Mr Clegg.
Mr Cameron also said in the interview he was comfortable with his background.
"I suppose when I got into politics I was always called the old Etonian David Cameron," he said.
"People know who I am. I'm not trying to rewrite my background. I went to a fantastic school, I adored my parents."
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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-13173505
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