Hire a full-time intern OR a part-time specialist?

I would hire a full-time intern as I believe it would help them grow professionally through hands-on experiences. I think that interns are the ones most capable of learning quickly and are curious about new technologies or tools for the job. Experts are excellent, but they are experts in specific subjects and fields, and seldom are they willing to take risks with new technologies or tools. But, if there are enough funds, I would hire both an intern and an expert who can assist them in specific fields.

Personally, it was hard for me to find any 'Specialists' that were part-time. Furthermore, it can be hard to expect a part-timer, specialist or not, to be as motivated as yourself or full-timers in terms of your company's mission. Interns might not always have much experience - but in my experience - they tend to be very motivated and eager to handle a variety of tasks since they want to learn. Furthermore, if they are full-time interns, they will quickly learn the ropes around your company's culture and product. And hopefully, they've brought enough value to maybe join your company as an employee later on.

In my experience, they are not interchangeable. I'd hire a part-time specialist if I want a particular thing done really well; and a full-time intern if I need a bunch of generic stuff done, especially when I anticipate to have positions opening up that the intern will be able to fill in.

It all depends on the need.

An intern will be beneficial, but it takes time.