Should You Take An Unpaid Internship?

Should you take an unpaid internship?

Not so long ago, after a brief hiatus from being an employee, I re-entered the job market. I am out of that rat race now, thank goodness, but I was thinking about the experience recently and what made the job search so unpleasant. Besides the general application processes being tedious (Click HERE to read why I believe pre-interview skills assessments in recruitment are a scam) and the affinity for under-paying that companies have, I came across another phenomenon. The unpaid internship.

The thought of doing anything for free with the cost of living crisis and many other factors involved probably doesn’t sound very sensible, does it? But with most things, analysis of your personal situation is needed here. I am well experienced in my career field, and so doing anything unpaid that is not a passion or cause of mine makes no sense. I am basically far beyond intern status, even in the opinion of many hiring managers, so I probably wouldn’t get an interning position anyway under the scope of being “overqualified.”

Therefore, in my case, my initial answer to the question in the title of this article is…no. An unpaid internship isn’t necessarily something that I would advise, even for a recommendation, exposure, or to boost your resume. If you want to work for free, there are plenty of charities and NGO’s that need the help and would be happy to have your expertise on board in order for them to make a difference. But this would be a very narrow answer that does not take into account different career levels and situations. There are some exceptions and nuances to this, which is what we are going to discuss in the article below.

If you’re contemplating this decision right now, I hope this article will help you. So, what are the possible conditions where an unpaid internship would be worth the struggle for you?

The status of the organisation offering the internship

If you are offered an internship by an organisation that is extremely well-known (and can give you opportunities simply by you being associated) or if the organisation is offering full-time employment after a SHORT internship period (3 to 6 months) then it may be wise to take said offer. Certain organisations are excellent career launchers and can give you access to travel the world and network with diverse people.

The requirements for you to complete your qualification

When it comes to taking an unpaid internship, you may not have a choice. It is highly likely, if you are a university student, you have to go through a practical experience period as part of completing your course. A lot of universities and other training programs require their students to practically apply what they have learnt theoretically, in the relevant environment. And unfortunately, during this time, you are at the mercy of the policies of the company you are interning for (this is called “attachment” in some countries). I have heard many stories of companies that only provide transport costs to their attachment or interning students (some don’t even provide that) because they know that, technically, you need them in order to complete your course, lest you defer, which would be terrible for any student. So, they take advantage and get cheap or free labour out of you. It’s sad, but it’s true.

In this case, as much it sucks and is a reflection of how uncomfortable career progress can be when ruthless individuals are in control, it is likely that you will endure the pressure of it because you have to, in order to become qualified in whatever you are studying.

Interns also tend to be very young and are usually dependents with support systems, such as their parents. Companies know this, so they take advantage of it. The culture of internships is that they are generally for individuals who are not established and haven’t really worked before because chances are they wouldn’t be as keen to take that kind of position otherwise, right? This leads me to the next point…

Your career level

As mentioned earlier, I have a fairly advanced career in my industry. I have enough experience to apply for positions of a certain level. If you are in the same position, it wouldn’t make sense for you to take any internship at all, let alone an unpaid one. You can apply for opportunities such as fellowships that are more suited to people who are mid-career professionals, but an internship wouldn’t really be beneficial to you. That being said, you need to evaluate your current career situation. If you are fresh out of college or university and you really, really want to put some experience on your resume post-graduation, then go ahead. If you have the means to survive being unpaid for a couple of months and if you just want the exposure, an unpaid internship might make sense for you. Maybe you think that landing the job you really want won’t happen without some practical work experience to speak of, and so you are willing to do the work for free. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, especially right at the beginning of your career.

Besides the above reasons, you should seek paid internships, in my opinion. Internship policies are a direct reflection of company culture. And we all know how important a good company culture is for employee morale and just general career progression. You really don’t want your first work experience to be with an unfeeling company that won’t usher you into the working world fairly. Obviously the pay will be lower than average, even with a good company, but I believe that if you work for a profit-based business, you should be compensated. Most internships are part-time or not full shift patterns anyway, so that’s why a lower compensation is justified, and interns are also technically not employees.

Always consider your personal circumstances and coping abilities, too. If you have the resources and support structure to take an unpaid internship to better your future (and it must be something that will better your future in one way or another, whether financially or for character-building) then go for it!

What are your thoughts on unpaid internships?