Not all Internships are Created Equal
Although unpaid internships continues to be a hot topic right now, there are still a lot of questions concerning if students should accept an unpaid internship or if it’s better to hold out until they can find one that is paid.
The answer to this question is much more complicated than one would expect. Since internships today are seen as what use to be training provided by companies over the first six months to a year, it’s often no longer possible to even get a job if you don’t have some kind of previous training. This is what makes completing an internship so important for college students since they may find it difficult to land of full-time job if they don’t have some kind of previous experience.
So one question students often ask is what do I do if I’m unable to find an internship that pays? The answer to this question is not the same for everyone. If you are a student seeking an internship in a for profit organization, you may want to use due diligence in finding opportunities that pay. On the other hand, if this opportunity is one that is prestigious and may get you a foot in the door, you may want to look for sources of funding through your college or foundations offering to pay a stipend for you to complete an unpaid internship.
In nonprofit organizations they many times do not have the ability to pay their interns. Again, it’s a personal decision to see what value the experience will have as well as the chance to network with people currently working in the field. Again finding other funding sources can be helpful for those with unpaid internships; since you may be providing a valuable service and making the right connections, but are unable to work for the summer for free.
Over the past couple of years you may have noticed the increase in lawsuits made by students against companies that choose not to pay their interns. As a career counselor, I of course would love to see all interns get paid but in reality this is not a possibility for some organizations that simply cannot afford to pay their interns. One of my concerns is that some companies, such as Conde Nast, are going to start not offering internships to students. This means that students who were able to get the relevant experience required to getting hired in today’s workforce would not be able to now since fewer companies are keeping their internship programs. On the other hand some companies, such as Fox Searchlight who was also named in a lawsuit, have changed their practice and now offer only internships that are paid.
Of course there are nonprofit companies as well as government who are not required to pay their interns as stated in the Department of Labor’s Internship Guidelines. Students interested in securing an internship in a nonprofit organization are still legally able to do so without getting paid. In addition, the stipulations state a specific list of criteria when not paying interns is ok. For example, if the internship is seen as a training program that values the student and not the employer, the Guidelines indicate that the student need not to be paid.
As a student facing enormous debt after college, working for free over the summer is not an attractive option. For many students it’s not an option at all since summer is the time when they can make the money they need to put towards personal and college expenses. The fact that some students are unable to intern for free opens up the whole issue of the unfair practice of unpaid internships since this definitely puts a certain group of students at a disadvantage since their peers may have the financial resources and support that lets them take an unpaid internship.
One major advantage of both paid and unpaid internships is the ability for students to network. The ability to work in an environment alongside professionals each day gives students the opportunity to learn from them and use them as a reference in the future. Many students are able to find mentors that not only help them to navigate the environment and people within the organization but who will also continue to be a mentor as they complete their coursework and look to find a job after graduation.
Internships are also considered to be good resume builders. Oftentimes students tell me that they have nothing to put on their resume. If I’m working with a first year or sophomore student, it’s a no brainer – we just need to start looking for internships, volunteer opportunities, or some type of collaborative research. Students who have completed one or more internships are better able to articulate themselves when writing a cover letter and they are able to discuss specific experiences in detail that makes them specifically qualified when applying for internships and jobs.
The climate is definitely changing over the issue of paid versus unpaid internships. The fact that companies are being sued is making them stand up and take notice. In instances where companies are able to pay their interns but have chosen not to, I think we are going to see future changes in how companies treat their interns which could lead to some good and bad results. Since interns are oftentimes as valuable to companies as they are to the intern, hopefully we will see a shift in more companies willing to pay their interns for the work that they provide.
Paid vs. Unpaid Internships
Getting Hired Into Full Time Jobs
Not All Internships are Created Equal
Are Unpaid Internships Legal?
Paid Internships
Top Paid Internships
How to Find a Paid Summer Internship
Penny's Top Internship Sites for 2013
Internship Success
Workplace Etiquette
Internship Success Guide
Finding a Mentor