Have you read “Hiring is Rising in One Area: Low-Paid Interns” by Hillary Chura in the Nov. 27 New York Times?
It is a brilliant, recession-proof way to double your work force, said Drew McLellan, whose McLellan Marketing Group in Des Moines has long hired unpaid interns. “It’s more money to the bottom line for you.”
Wow, I thought when I first read the article. Oh wait, it gets better. A company interviewed called Fast Track Internships charges $799 to help an intern find an unpaid job.
Perhaps even worse for college students and new graduates?
And internships are no longer just the province of college students. More unemployed professionals are seeking them — whether to test-drive a new career or simply to keep themselves occupied, according to internship placement services. Mr. Rodems, of Fast Track Internships, said 10 percent of his clients were college graduates changing professions, compared with just 1 percent in 2008. And, he said, internships are increasingly running throughout the year, not just in the summer.
I have many opinions about unpaid internships, a few of which I will share here.
- Unpaid internships are not always illegal. There are laws that govern internships that are hard to police. So, know what’s legal and what’s not. Just because it’s unpaid does not make it illegal.
- Don’t pay for the privilege of an internship — paid or unpaid. Companies like Fast Track Internships and University of Dreams, in my opinion, are at best rip-offs and at worst complete scams. You have the merits to obtain an internship on your own, so go out and do it!
- An unpaid internship is not the same as slave labor. Many of the article’s comments liken unpaid internships to “slave labor.” This is absolutely not the case, and those who say so should be ashamed of themselves. I had the honor to learn more about one of our country’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, this weekend at the National Museum of American History. What brought our country into civil war during his presidency — forcing people to work against their will for absolutely no personal gain — is slavery. Unpaid internships are not slave labor. They are a choice which only you can make.
- Unpaid internships are for everyone, not just the wealthy. The second most popular comment was that unpaid internships are reserved for the children of wealthy families. Again, untrue. There are ways to make it work. For example, if you’re in school, arrange to work 5-10 hours per week at your internship so the remainder of your hours spent outside the classroom and studying can be devoted to a paid part-time job. Or, if you’ve graduated or are on break, arrange to work at the internship up to 20 hours per week with the rest spent at that paid part-time job. You don’t have to be wealthy — you just have to know how to manage your time and negotiate an arrangement that will work best for you.
- Unfortunately, unpaid internships might be necessary to score that entry-level job. Not every internship opportunity is paid — that’s a fact. Instead of spending your time condemning the employer for their practices, focus your energies on landing an internship. Trust me, you’re going to need the experience. I know you know plenty of people who’ve had a number of internships and still don’t have entry-level jobs, but their searches would likely take even longer without that experience.
Ok, open the floodgates. What are your thoughts about unpaid internships? And I’d love to hear more than just rants — what ideas do you have to improve internships in this country?
