Over the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed a bit of a stir around the blogosphere, in the news and on Twitter about unpaid internships and the legality in them. For me, it all started with this article that details when an unpaid internship is illegal. I then started reading and participating in the discussion on Rachel’s blog about unpaid internships, and then on Twitter, Rachel pointed out this article and this article.
Have I linked to enough articles to make your head hurt yet? Let’s review.
The first article, is from the Examiner and it talks about when unpaid Marketing and Public Relations internships are illegal in the Washington, D.C. area. Basically, the article says that the intern should benefit but the company should not and that an intern should not be doing billable work.
The other three articles basically expand on this argument. I like what this article says. Basically (in a few more words), the author says that an internship depends on the circumstance but that unpaid internships are OK. However, companies should not be “hiring” interns to replace employees that they cannot pay.
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An internship was a requirement for my program so I did one last summer. Due to the economic climate last year, both me and my classmates had a lot of trouble finding internships. I approached a local PR/Marketing agency asking for an internship, unpaid, for the month of May. At the end of May my bosses offered to extend my internship for the duration of the summer, I became a part-time, paid employee. At the end of the summer they offered me a part-time paid job while I finish off my last two semesters of University and just recently, I was offered a full-time job when I graduate from my program in April.
My internship didn’t turn into a job because of my application, it turned into a job because I spent a month working with them and they liked me, saw that I was a hardworker and that I fit in well with the other people there. If this had been a paid internship it probably would have been a lot more competitive and I may not have been given the chance to prove myself to them.
Does it suck not earning a paycheck? Ya, it does. Some of my classmates took on full-time, unpaid internships for the entire five months of the summer. But you know what, this spring when we graduate, those of us with experience in the field are going to have a leg-up on the people who don’t have any.
I recently interviewed Anne Markey, the executive director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers, for a newspaper article and she told me this about experience:
“Take opportunities, take summer jobs, do internships, do co-ops, take any opportunity you can to get real-world experience and then make sure you are representing it properly on resumes and in your interviews.”
So, in my opinion, students shouldn’t be complaining about unpaid internships. They should be thankful for the opportunity.
What do you think about unpaid internships? Have you ever done one? Discuss in the comments.
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, and they really are indispensable. Especially when you need to build up your portfolio. I did one of mine at the news organisation where I already worked, and ended up getting paid for it (probably an oversight on the part of payroll more than anything else). Some places did pay their journo interns, but they were definitely the exception – most never have and never will, and a few cited the recession as an excuse for not coughing up.
Not sure about this from the article: “The intern cannot perform tasks for the company that benefit the company. They cannot do billable work.” To me, that doesn’t sound like it leaves much at all, short of sitting around and watching how everyone else does their job. From a journalism POV, if you’re not assisting the company by researching, interviewing and writing (which I suppose would be the equivalent of billable work), then you’re not getting anything out of it.
I completely agree with you. Basically the article says that the intern shouldn’t benefit the company in any way — well, I don’t think that’s benefitting the intern either. They expect an intern to just “observe” and learn that way, but I learn by doing and I learnt A LOT on my internship through trial and error. “Observing” is a waste of time for the company AND the intern.
It’s tough to swing an unpaid internship, but it can be done and that real-world experience is going to be priceless when you are looking for jobs. I guess I have never thought to complain about or question unpaid internships. It’s just the way it works alot of the time. Kind of how nurses do rotations/clinicals as part of their degree program, but don’t get paid for all of those shifts they work. Or how med students work 80-100 hour weeks when they are in med school. It sucks, but it’s part of the process I guess?
Congrats on getting an offer! Do you plan to accept it or do you think you’ll move back to the FSJ area?
As someone who had to work two part time jobs to the tune of 25-30 hours a week to support myself through college, unpaid internships SUCK. I was one of the unfortunate ones who was not able to take one and “lost” out on that experience. I don’t know what many of my classmates are doing now that we graduated, but I do know that a few couldn’t intern for free are working totally non-PR related jobs now.
I definitely think unpaid internships are unfair for people who can’t have them because they are working their way through college because their parents can’t even begin to afford to pay their way, even for a month. I suppose I am paying for the lack of internship experience now because I am doing data entry at a large international bank and want to stab my eyes out every day.
What do people you know do to even out their chances if they have to work for money instead of for free?
I know a lot of people did what I did and only did an internship for one month instead of the full five. However, I have a friend who worked full-time, worked part-time and also interned part-time for the entire summer. She was lucky enough to have an internship with flexible hours.
A few of my friends that interned the entire summer for free came back to school in a lot of debt. I guess it comes down to whether you think the debt or the experience is more important to you. I think it can be done, though.
For me, giving up a month of income was absolutely, 100 per cent worth it. Since I knew that it was coming I saved up some money so I’d have a nest egg for that month but even just going one month without an income severely set me back for the rest of the summer. I’m just now, six months later, getting back on top of things with my money.
ironically — my major was the one of the few majors that didn’t require any internships or co-ops. So i never did any because it was nearly impossible to find a job that had anything to do with my major at the time – photography, and get paid for doing it. So i always did other stuff.
now that i’ve been out of college for uhm, way more than most readers here. =) i wish my school had made it a requirement in order to graduate, it definitely would’ve given me a push, and more experience.
But at the same time, it was tough because I couldn’t just take an unpaid job anywhere, because I had to pay for a place to live & eat. My parents weren’t going to pay for my rent unless I lived with them. and believe me, i tried to get an internship at several local magazines, that wasn’t doable!
I think making an internship a requirement is important. My program was thrown for a bit of a loop this year because in the past students had NO problem getting paid internships (even if it was extremely low pay) but this past summer with the economy, that just wasn’t the case anymore.
Because of that glitch, a lot of my fellow classmates DIDN’T do any internship at all. They said they couldn’t find one or couldn’t afford to do one.
I don’t know if I agree with that since myself and several other classmates did them for free. We made it work and now we’re all getting the same mark, practically.
Anyways, I guess my point is that I think making an internship a requirement of a program IS a good thing because real-world experience is SO SO valuable and students don’t always realize that!
I was just about to say that I never did an unpaid internship…but then I realized that I did 4 student teaching experiences (two once a week, one twice a week and then one full time), which is exactly an unpaid internship! I definitely would not say that I did not do anything to benefit the school. Though I’m sure my cooperating teacher would have taught my whole class lessons without me, she never would’ve been able to meet with as many small groups by herself. I know its a lot of effort for the teacher as well…but the kids definitely benefit from me being there. I think that’s okay…Interns should be benefiting a company (or school etc) because the company is benefitting them. I consider things like this all part of earning your way into real world
I think internships are very important whether paid or unpaid. I did a 3 month unpaid internship in Washington DC the summer between my junior and senior year in college. The experiences I had were invaluable. While I loved the organization I worked for and the people I worked with, I found out that what I spent the summer doing, wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do with my career. That said, I had some amazing opportunities that opened the door for me to explore some new areas that I hadn’t really thought about. I also had a leg up on my fellow students when I returned to college and having that experience made a huge difference.
Great point, Mandy. I think that sometimes internships can show you that you’re on the wrong path. I did a one-week long internship at a newspaper last winter and one-week was all it took for me to realize that newspapers were NOT where I wanted to work. If I hadn’t spent that week, unpaid, working there, I may be graduating this spring with completely different career goals — ones that wouldn’t have been right for me!
Internships can teach us more than just giving us experience, they can help us figure out if we’re on the right path or not.
I’ve never done an unpaid internship, but I don’t think I ever would’ve been able to because working full time I STILL find it tough to stretch the paycheques long enough to cover basic living expenses and pay off the ridiculous debt I accumulated while with a terrible ex boyfriend who sucked about $10k out of me and in my ridiculous naivety, allowed it to happen. I guess it’s the (literal) price of being such a sucker. It’s the same reason I’ve never been able to go back to school and finish my BA – there’s no way I’d be able to take two years off to study full time without some source of income to just pay for rent, food, bills etc. As valuable as an unpaid internship may be, in some cases it’s just entirely unfeasible – but I do agree, if you can do it, the experience is invaluable. Congrats on the offer!!
I did student teaching for 12 weeks full time. This was SO much work but I wouldn’t have gained the skills I have now as a teacher without it. It is comforting to know that all teachers have to go through the same (unpaid) process so it is a right of passage. I think those who get paid interships are really lucky. I student taught from 7-3:30 everyday and took 2 classes on top of it. I also held down 2 part time jobs at the same time.
I think interships are definitely necessary! I’m a really hard worker so it was difficult to cut down my hours in order to do my intership. However, I knew it would benefit me in the long run (plus it was required) so I MADE it fit. Real world experience really gives prospective employees a step up on their competition and really is valuable.
Next year, I’ll be starting a 6 months, full time internship required for my program. No pay. NO PAY! UGH! Full time with no pay is going to be tough. Part time with no pay hasn’t been too difficult, to be honest….
Six months is a LONG time, but I’m sure it will be worth it in the long run!
I’ve had an unpaid internship, but I was getting college credit for it (while I studied abroad) so this isn’t exactly what you’re talking about I think. I really think unpaid internships are just fine. If you can’t find a paid internship, but are really passionate about learning and getting experience, then why not have an unpaid internship? It’s not like the people who are against it are the ones who are going to get them… It’s for the go-getters and people passionate about what industry they are wanting to get in to. When you apply for a job, they aren’t asking you how much you made or to see a paycheck, they are looking at your body of work and experience. Paid or unpaid, an internship is valuable.
I think internships are really important to gaining real world experience, paid or unpaid. Especially in these economic times, it’s hard to expect companies to take on a lot more costs when they aren’t receiving the much in return because you have little to no experience in the company or industry. My internship last summer was paid, but I would definitely have done it even if it wasn’t paid. The experience I gained from that internship doesn’t even compare to the money I made. Also, I have heard of countless unpaid internships that have ended in a full time job, similar to yours. I think that when students work unpaid internships they are almost more attractive to the employer because they clearly want to be there and learn and money isn’t a motivating factor.
Great post!
They’re definitely a great opportunity… IF you can afford to do them. I worked my way through college, and it wasn’t an option for me, so I was definitely at a huge disadvantage when I got out of school.
I don’t know your situation so definitely don’t want to judge. I do have friends who are working their way through college but took unpaid internships this summer. They came back in A LOT of debt, but they got the experience that they needed and in the long run it will benefit them even though they now have huge loans to pay off because of it.
I think it depends on what you’re willing to/able to give up. It also depends whether you are eligible for loans or not. I’m lucky that I didn’t have to go into great amounts of debt (even though I was set back a bit) to do my internship.
I worked and paid my own way through college as well. There are some amazing organizations out that that provide opportunities. I did my internship through one such organization. I took out a loan to help cover the cost but honestly, it was completely worth it. I do have more debt in the long term, but I would not have had the opportunity otherwise. I agree with Amber it depends on what you are willing to give up/go into debt for. For some its not the right choice, but for me, it definitely was.
You know, I’m thinking that an internship really isn’t worth racking up debt that isn’t in the form of a student loan. If you have to put anything on a credit card, not worth it.
I agree with that to an extent, Em. I guess it is different for each person and really depends how much is going on the credit card.
Speaking from personal experience, I had to rely on my credit card in May (which has a fairly low limit anyways) and then I spent the summer paying it off. BUT if I hadn’t done the unpaid internship in May then I wouldn’t have gotten the job – with a lot higher wage than working at Starbucks – to pay off the debt.
Now, obviously living off credit cards for a year, or even six months is a bad idea. But I think if someone is smart with their money (i.e. saves in preparation for the unpaid internship) then it is a good idea to do the internship and gain the experience, especially if it’s only 4-6 weeks long.
It can make all the difference in your career later on and with that I’m speaking from experience.
I think, as a means of getting that elusive “real world experience”, internships are great. I’m doing one for credit in the spring, so essentially I’m PAYING a couple thousand dollars in tuition for this opportunity. I do actually agree with a lot of this concern about the legality of unpaid internships. Working in a field like law, where an hourly dollar amount is attached to your skills, I think it can be really frustrating to earn NOTHING for the work one is doing. I mean, I’ve gone through all this school to be told that my efforts aren’t worth compensating. Like one of the articles you cited said, if the company is benefiting from your work rather than you just having a chance to get experience, I think you should be paid. But if you’re not doing the equivalent of a paid position and mostly observing, filing, etc…I don’t think it’s as big of a deal. Michelle Obama gave a speech awhile ago about internships and community service opportunities for students and how taking them was a luxury because if you can’t afford not to be paid for your work, you can’t intern. I thought it was really interesting.
I’m not sure what it’s like in your field, but I know that in mine I learned A LOT during my internship that school never could have taught me. I don’t think I would have learned the ins-and-outs of a PR agency like I did if I hadn’t been doing billable work and just observing instead.
I think unpaid internships can be a good opportunity to cultivate skills and learn about the career you are pursuing…but they can also be a barrier.
For example, one of the reasons I ultimately decided to put a hold on finishing my Nutrition degree was the fact that after it was finished I would have to compete for and complete a full year, full time unpaid internship in order to be an R.D. How could I pay rent and bills and begin making payments on my student loan without an income? I couldn’t.
Still, if you have the option and can make it happen a little extra knowledge and experience can go a long way!
I think that’s a good point. Unpaid internships can be enough to make someone go for a different program because they just can’t imagine doing that for so long.
While I think gaining the experience is VERY important, I agree that sometimes it can be a bit much. A full year of full-time unpaid work? That is a lot! But it seems to be the norm for the medical field.
If the internship had been worked into the program itself instead of something you had to do independently post-degree I think it could have been possible. I would have been able to do it if I could have covered my living expenses with student loans instead of being expected to begin paying them back at that time.
Hopefully someday I can make it happen!
Also, what one does to be certified as a teacher from Michigan State. Full year student teaching and paying and taking masters classes.
I had 3 unpaid internships, including one AFTER college. yes, it sucked not getting paid, especially for the one I took after I graduated (which I had to drive a far distance to get to, so really, I was paying to work there). but I knew that I was getting valuable experience to put on my resume, making contacts in the industry and coming away with clips for my portfolio. I particularly looked at these clips as a kind of payment for all my hard work. something to show even after I left my internship. in journalism, those clips are priceless.
with the economy the way it was after I graduated, it was so difficult to find a job that I had to take that unpaid internship just so that I would be doing something in my chosen field. it wasn’t ideal, but it was a decision I had to make and one that really cost me a lot of money. but now, I am working full-time in a field that I love and while I still don’t get paid much, I am grateful because I know there are many people who graduated with me and after me that were unable to get any work in the field they studied in.
now that the economy is even worse, I understand why it would be difficult for someone to justify taking a job where they didn’t get paid, but I think you have to look at the long term benefit. if you can swing it financially for a few months, it could turn into something– like a job! by the way, congrats on getting offered the full time gig. that is amazing!
You’re so right! Last year I gave away SO MANY articles for free just to build up my portfolio! I don’t anymore, unless it’s a really great publication or something.
I totally agree with you and with Anne… I think that it is a complete waste if you don’t take advantage of opportunities like co-op, internships, etc. My opinion may be biased because I am going to begin a co-0p job starting in January, but I truly believe that the experience that will be gained is invaluable. I will know exactly what my future career will look like, what directions I can take with my designation, the opportunites that are out there, and make tons of business/community contacts ontop of that!
I once had a volunteer position, just to give my resume a little “extra”, and it actually led me straight into a temporary paid tutoring job. You never know what experiences will lead into, and I think that any possible experiences (even negative experiences) are worthwhile. If you happened to have a terrible experience (this really applies to almost everything), then it really was worth the time because it gave you an opportunity to learn that that situation was not an ideal choice for you personally. It may have taught how to improve a similar situation next time, or helped to build skills on how to deal with conflict… etc.
Great subject!
I did a few unpaid internships and usually worked at the same time. The internships were usually part time 15-25 hrs so there was still time to keep my job that helped bring in some $. Additionally, I was lucky in that my parents were able to help support me during these summers when I was going to school and working or interning and working.
I feel that not working for money actually makes you work harder because you’re working for that recommendation, knowledge in the real world, and their respect in you. It’s definitely worth your time to take an unpaid internship if you can swing it!
I feel the same way. Before I knew that my internship would turn into a job, I KNEW I needed that recommendation/reference. So I really wanted to prove myself!
I taught for a whole semester unpaid. I do lots of crap to to make myself marketable and out there and showing interest. I’ve worked crap jobs for the experience and I’ve worked less hours for the experience. I personally think that knowing people is almost more important than your experiences.
This comment hits home for me because that is exactly what happened when Eric tried to find work in Kamloops. Even though he had the education AND the experience, he was unable to find work – although, it was a very bad job market at the time, this was at the near bottom of the economic downturn.
Who you know can play a HUGE part in finding a good job, I also think timing can too. Maybe if I had contacted the agency I’m at now a week, or even a day, earlier or later, I wouldn’t be where I am now!
Wow, talk about being in my head! I was recently offered an unpaid internship this week and, though I will be receiving college credit for it, it’s still a lot to take on and not get paid for it. But I think it’s going to be an awesome opportunity for me and I’ve been writing stories about this company for one of my classes and they seem very impressed with me. (Yep…bragging a little there!)
While having a paid internship would be AWESOME, I know it’s tough finding any internships in this economy. I’ve been worried about getting one and this is an opportunity I just cannot pass up. And the experience far outweighs the paycheck.
I did an internship in my last year of University and no I didn’t get paid for it. Technically I actually PAID to get the internship (I paid uni course fees) however, after an entire semester of work I got 15 uni credits (the equivalent of 5 courses or a full-time course-load.) Thus, we were actually not allowed to get paid at all because it was being counted as coursework.
That being said, I don’t agree with the article stating that: “The intern cannot perform tasks for the company that benefit the company. They cannot do billable work.” as I think it sort of defeats the purpose of an internship. What else would you do besides get coffee for everyone? Yes I worked for free, but I actually enjoyed that my projects benefited the organisation in a tangible way. It felt like I was making a real contribution as well as learning something and handing in a project at the end.
Also, my internship turned into a paid position after I finished school which I definitely appreciated. But had I not been available they most likely wouldn’t have hired someone else. I just lucked into a good situation.
That’s kind of what happened with me, too and a BIG reason why I recommend unpaid internships. You never know what might come of it!
As an intern I had to intern in a school and basically teach most things for the 4 months I was there in my class. It was unpaid, and I still had to pay my tuition at the University even though I wasn’t taking any classes, but because the internship was part of my “program.”
The only internship I had in college was paid. But I still wasn’t a big fan of it. Mainly because I was completely bored. It was there first time having an intern (mainly as a favor to my dad), and they really didn’t know what to have me do. So really, I spent my days reading a playing solitaire on the computer. Not that productive. And I can tell if that was an unpaid internship I wouldn’t have stayed.
On the other hand, I do think an unpaid internship could be completely worth it assuming that you’re benefiting from the position. There is definitely a lot of potential to learn from an internship, and it is an easy way to get your foot in the door somewhere.
And I wanted to say, Congrats on the job offer! Have you decided if you’re going to take it or not once you graduate?
I did an unpaid internship and thought nothing of it really. I received college credit and like you said, had a leg up on my other classmates that did not participate. To me, it’s just smart to get the experience before graduating.
Great topic!!
Very interesting topic to touch on! You clearly did a great job of working hard, learning skills, and proving yourself in the workplace even without the motivating “paycheck”. That’s impressive! Congratulations on the job offer, too!
I just spent 10.5 Months in an Unpaid internship – and definitely have mixed feelings. It was a HARD year, especially since we worked 40-50 hours per week and had homework on top of that. however, this is part of the requirement to become a Registered Dietitian (look up Dietetic Internships to get the full “scoop”). It does give you experience in a wide variety of jobs in the Nutrition field, and I had the opportunity to network all over DC and Maryland. I’m obviously VERY happy to be done, but for Me, it was a worthwhile experience.
i think unpaid internships are LAME!! but ive never had one so i cant relate….
I think they’re a great way to get experience that you may not have gotten had it been an actual hiring process. BUT in some ways it’s unrealistic because not everyone can afford to work for free! So in the end, wealthy kids do these unpaid internships and get great experience, when poorer ones just stick to the same old paying jobs they can get, and most likely don’t get that extra experience.
I’ve never done an internship, here we have something called “summer students”, the provincial government subsidizes the wages of term student positions and the students get paid according to their years into their program. It totally subsidizes the cost of university- I was making $17/ hr in my last year!