The nightmare of unpaid internships

By: Allison Plummer

Internships are becoming more of a necessity for students who are
reaching their junior and senior year of their college career. These days, as
the workforce is changing, many young people are finding that the
competition for entry-level jobs is very intense. Due to the fact that many
employers look to only hire those who already have experience in that field.
However there is a huge difference in being someones unpaid intern and
being the coffee-maker guy.
Students will struggle straight out of college if they think a degree
alone is sufficient to succeed, said Shawn Carter a career advisor at the
University of Memphis. Completing at least one internship is an absolute
must.
Affordability of unpaid internships is a major problem. The Sutton
Trust asked, two out of five people aged between 18 and 24 believe unpaid
internships act or have acted as a major barrier to getting a job. Those who
thought about applying for an internship have reconsidered because they
couldnt afford to work for free, while 39 percent of people offered an
internship have to turn it down for financial reasons. It is clear that young
people are being locked out of professions due to unpaid internships.

Many people argue that its not about what you know; its about whom
you know. That is a very common but mild benefit of taking an internship
whether it is paid or unpaid. The National Association of Colleges and

Employers shows that there is about a 2 percent difference in employment

outcomes between those who have an unpaid internship and those who have
no internship at all. While 61.3 percent of paid interns received at least on
job offer, only 37 percent of unpaid interns receive one.
However, those who are able to accept an unpaid internship put
themselves at risk because they have no protection against discrimination
and harassment in the workplace.
Universities across the United States have started to play a critical role
in the internship economy. About 90 percent of universities now offer
academic credits for students who partake in an internship. Some majors
have created a slot for students to use their class time to go intern. The
University of Memphis offers paid internships on campus. For example,
aspiring journalists can join the staff of the Daily Helmsman. This is an
independent student newspaper at the University of Memphis that is put
together and ran solely on the staff composed of the students.
Students can work in student media to have some work experience.
Many unpaid internships are only for about 150 working hours, which works
out to be about 10 hours a week in a semester, Dr. Matthew Haught a
professor at the University of Memphis said. That works for a lot of
students.
Internships are pretty much essential to enter the job market for all
media fields, so students need to get them. Some employers respond by
stocking up on interns to do the jobs once done by full-time staff members.
Others take many interns because they know students need an internship so

the experience is maybe diluted some. Of course, paid internships are the
best because students get money for the work they do. New federal laws
about internships have rules about being paid or unpaid, and unpaid interns
are supposed to do less work and receive more mentoring than paid interns
do. Paid interns can be treated like regular employees. So, the paid
internships sometimes offer better portfolio pieces, while unpaid ones can
offer better mentoring.
This past summer I interned at St. Jude to help me see what my
career in nursing will look like, said Peyton Watts, a sophomore at the
University of Memphis. It was an incredible experience and I look forward to
returning back there next summer.