Your opinion on unpaid internships?

My opinion is you aren't obligated to take an unpaid internship. If you do, you know the terms.

Yeah they are bullshit. Bad for the economy, bad for workers, but good for corps though!

@Master_Live: If an internship is required for graduation, they should be paid. Students already pay out the ass for overpriced tuition. They should at least be compensated for a required internship. They should at least get stipends too.

I had a pretty good experience interning at a radio station without pay.

Never had any work experiences prior to that and it really helped understand how a business is run. I'm pretty indifferent about it because you can gain the same experience at a paid job. Unless you really want to get into a particular industry and interning seems like the only way, it's a great way to show off your skills to people.

I think they're BS. I've been at two companies that used them every year to bolster their employment ranks without increasing pay.

It's too bad Korvus isn't still around. He'd rail on this topic to no end (he's been on the receiving end of these - apparently they're really common in the Philippines to the point that it's very difficult to start a career without going through one first).

I'm indifferent. If someone wants to take an unpaid internship for a short while, then that their prerogative if they can find someone willing to offer them one. I don't like the idea of working and not being paid unless a person is volunteering for charity, or a family member or friend, but internships look good on a resume and may help someone to acquire some skills and experience. If all internships had to be paid, companies would obviously offer less internships. But interns are not being compensated like employees, so they shouldn't be treated like them; employers shouldn't expect interns to commit as much of their time to the internship or prioritize it as highly as employees would, and employers should try to make sure their interns actually learn something rather than simply using them as lackeys to do things even the employees wouldn't due.

But in a way, it's better to go on welfare than to accept an unpaid internship: an unpaid intern works but doesn't get paid, someone on welfare gets paid but doesn't work!

If the internship is monitored by an educational institution so that the interns are actually getting useful experience and knowledge then I'm ok with it. A lot of companies use it as a way to get free labor. Personally I don't show up for a job unless there's a paycheck involved unless it's helping friends or family.

@gamerguru100: That's not up to the school though. That depends on the business and they don't give a shit how much money you had to pay for school.

If you can afford to work for free as an unpaid intern, it is not a bad thing. Being an intern can help you get your foot into a company that might hire you after school or your internship.

I don't really get the idea behind them. Pay some at least to cover basic living cost.

He would go on about how it was common in his homeland that students got internship for a year or 9 months. When their time was up, they would never get hired, just replaced by new ones.

In my opinion, taking a unpaid internship is like saying " Sure, I don't mind being taken advantage off while you dangle a carrot on a stick infront of me"

My opinion? No one is forced to take an unpaid internship therefore it's choice....so it's bullshit to blast it.

it's bs, at least pay them something

I think they're grade A bullshit. the fact that interns often have the same amount of work as paid employees without actually getting paid is just stupid. I don't believe in doing work for free to get a foot in the door. I just don't.

I think it depends on why, where, and what you gain from it. My sister in law did an internship in the medical field, and she got experience while doing it, got to know people who work there, and it all matters when they have openings. If they like you, and you did a good job, they will remember you when hiring. Some may even give a good reference for you. And yes, this was unpaid. She is not working there, and has good pay. She started as a part time, moved into full time.

Yeah, they should probably be paid positions, but they're an excellent way to build your resume in/after college and an excellent way to get your foot in the door with a prospective employer.

I got my start as a paid intern, and I've been with the company ever since.

Internships can be both good and bad.

Good because it can give young newly graduates a chance to prove themselves to a potential employer.

But there is also a bad side, very few can afford to go months without a steady paycheck so that means for some going deeper into debt or having to work 2-3 jobs. And also there is the abuse the employers might do, because why hire when you are already working for them for free. And there might be 200+ standing behind you eagerly waiting for the same chance.

It's actually unfair to say businesses offering unpaid internships aren't compensating the students for their work. They do compensate them for work done in the form of experience and expanded prospects. The company is taking a chance by accepting a virgin into its ranks; it'd be unfair to stipulate that they also offer financial compensation. Pocket money, however, should be offered so that it may not become serfdom.

What stores accept "experience and expanded prospects" as currency? I can't use that to buy food or pay my rent. And you'd get experience anyway if you were being paid for your labour like everyone else. Few years back companies would allow virgins into their ranks - these are called "entry-level" jobs. Only now you need 5 years experience and other crap because you're competing with overqualified individuals.

its a way to take advantage of young people and get free labour. They will tell you how great they are for letting people work for them for free because they get experience lol what a joke.

I think it depends on a few different pieces of criteria honestly. I don't think it's fair for companies to essentially use unpaid interns for slave labor, but I think that if the experience provides a genuine learning experience for the student, then it is absolutely a good thing. Basically, if a company doesn't want to pay their interns, then I feel that they should be obligated to show proof that the intern is gaining more from the work than a vague concept of experience in the industry. If they neglect to provide this evidence, then they should be obliged to either pay the intern, or withdraw the program in favor of a company that's willing to pay.

Admittedly at this point that's a little unrealistic, as essentially 99% of corporations(this is in no way an accurate statistic, I'm just pulling a number out of my asshole) would then cut their internship programs all-together, but with the right reforms put into place, it could definitely be a possibility for the future.

Come on now, you know what I mean by this. It's true that you'll get that experience anyway, but in this case, why should the company take a chance and hire you instead of hiring an experienced and qualified individual? You gotta think about this in terms of [enlightened] self-interest. But I agree with you that in a better reality businesses would be compelled to hire virgins without being too finicky about it. I'm just looking at the matter pragmatically.

My current company uses PAID internships as a testing bed for prospective talent. What the company gets out of it is A) productivity from those interning and B) First shot to recognize, make an offer on, and ultimately hire those individuals that will impact the company long term.

^This. Internships are valuable long-term experience but depending on the student's financial standing, it's not always affordable. Internships should be paid, nuff said.

Good experience, but look harder for a paid one

I suggest you consider your options. Let's say you are a physics major. Would you rather work at the grocery department of a local store or have an unpaid internship at NASA?

I would pick NASA for the opportunity to network with professional physicists.

Bad shit

Exactly. It's all about building a resume and your experience. I find that whether internships are paid varies by company and by industry. I work in IT consulting and we pay our interns. We also hire our interns if they are any good. Replacing them to keep a cheap workforce would be counterproductive because someone at the beginning of their career doesn't really have the skills we need until we teach them, and dumping them right as they are starting to learn so we can start all over with someone else wouldn't help us at all.

-Byshop

I was under the impression that some internships actually have the student paying the employer!!! - And in some cases - alot!

While I agree that kind of experience is necessary, consider everything else that the student may have to pay for like rent, college, car insurance, and etc. Unpaid internships are mostly unfair to poorer students who can't afford to have a time without pay.

I think they're great, but only for a certain things. For instance, the company I work for has unpaid internships for high school students who want to learn more about how a technology office functions, and teaches them some very useful skills. It's a fantastic opportunity IMO.

That said, I am weary of unpaid internships for adults/college educated folks.

Anyways my first tech gig was a paid internship at a major defense contractor, the pay wasn't great, but it essentially launched my career and I am extremely thankful for that opportunity.

They're good. For me. Because I need cheap labor and people need engineering work experience. Sadly we pay all of our employees.

It depends on the company. My previous employer took on about 20% of the interns full-time once their internship had ended, gave them three months free gym membership to almost all sports clubs in the country, allowed for flexibility in working hours along with full use of a very valuable company product. Most importantly, though, interns were provided plenty of valuable training and the kind of experience that's absolutely crucial to university leavers trying to break into the job market.

Although the positions were advertised as unpaid, interns did end up receiving a token wage for their time.

I guess not everyone's that lucky, though, and I'll bet some employers do use internships as a way to gain free labour with zero commitment to staff.

Ideally, I'm in favor of paid internships as labor ought to be compensated. But if we're being pragmatic by acknowledging the market's saturation with overqualified candidates, unpaid internships contribute to an incipient career in an unforgiving market.

Pick a company with a paid internship.

Intel pays their interns and they receive other benefits as well.

I agree that unpaid internships have their cons. There are paid internships, so that is certainly another option to consider.

Bullshit, Bullshit, freaking BULLSHIT. :(

I think that's selling both the employee's contributions and the employer's benefits short, personally. It's allowing yourself to be take advantage of. Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter however, you and everyone else here are ultimately free to do take such positions as you see fit. If you feel it's in your best interest, go for it. I'm beyond the point in my career where people giving away their labor for entry level experience harms my employment or wage prospects.

People choose to take them.

If people wanted to make money right away, they'd get a job that paid money.

Because experience. Working at Mickey D's pays the bills but interning for Congressman turd sandwich gives you experience knocking on doors. That and entry level spots requires relevant experience as well as a bachelors so yeah.

I think you would be hard-pressed to find an unpaid intern who didn't wish that they were getting paid for their work.

Last year my cousin was interning at some place up in NYC for school credit. It cost her money to get an apartment in NYC and to take the subways back and forth between NY and Connecticut, and the place she was interning at was about to pay her but the college told her that she had to turn down the pay in order to get the credits. I mean, seriously, if the business wants to pay, why should the school care, it's not coming out of their wallets! But now that semester is over, and she's still interning there and getting paid. Actually she just met Olivia Wilde at that place a couple weeks ago.

It's not like we're in disagreement; we're just looking at the same thing differently. There's exploitation in unpaid internships, but it's a byproduct of an unfortunate reality. If I find myself trying to launch a career in a field that demands practical experience even to entry-level jobs, I'll either keep bashing my head against the wall by applying to jobs I have no chance of acquiring, or I could go the less than advantageous route and opt for an unpaid internship.

Perhaps authorities should introduce legislation that would regulate internships and protect new graduates from becoming free laborers.

potential pending lawsuits for those that just use them for menial work, if people ever cared to pursue them, so keep racking up unpaid hours then file a phat lawsuit later

See the thing is, a lot of them know that the internship leads to a paid position, one that's likely far beyond minimum wage.

It's why they tolerate the unpaid work experience long enough.

I remember hearing an interview with some ex-Goldman Sachs intern on CBC Radio that was talking about the company's (then) recent decision to lower the mandatory work hours from some exorbitant number per week down to a less exorbitant number per week. And the person spoke about how they literally worked an 80-90 hour week just to impress their supervisors enough to get the position.

People scoff at the idea, but then the person went on to talk about how after a year and a bit, they were making a six figure salary.

I personally work anywhere from a 40-70 hour week and make close to $40K CAD per year. And I'm not scoffing. Plus, the government paid for my six weeks of training (the trucking industry is desperate for new blood, so they sponsor new drivers). A slight change from barely a dollar more than minimum wage (I was clearing less than $20K after tax before hand).

@foxhound_fox: I'm aware of the reason why many people take unpaid internships. My girlfriend took one a few months ago and received a letter of recommendation and hopefully this will help her get a better job at some point in the future.

That being said I know that she would have liked to have been paid for her work, even if it was just minimum wage. Most people would describe an unpaid internship as putting up with bullshit as a means to get ahead in life. One of the big reasons for that description is the fact that the internship is unpaid.

All of this leads me back to my original question, did you take an unpaid internship, and if you did, would you have rather been paid for your time?

No.

I worked for 7 years (2 years while still in university) at jobs that barely paid over minimum wage and got nowhere with them. I was very lucky to happen on the truck driver training program, or I'd still be stuck in that situation.

And my university degree was not helpful for any of the jobs, nor would it be helpful to find any jobs without further education.

Depend on where you're coming from. In a capitalist economy, everyone is paid what they are worth, and what they are worth is market driven. If there are students out there willing to sacrifice pay check for what essentially amounts to a foot in the door then companies will keep interns unpaid.

Also I think you are overlooking the fact that most of careers that have internship programs are highly competitive and much sought after. Even if they are unpaid, those opportunities often benefit the interns as much as the employers; if hired they will end up with much higher salaries than positions that aren't drawing from a pool of interns.