My first internship of my freshman year was with a website that allowed college students to report style on their college campuses. When I first got the job, I was super excited, and I couldn’t wait to start. It was great seeing my name right above a published article. I knew it wasn’t Vogue magazine, but it was a start. But as I slowly discovered their business model, I began to feel used. The majority of the content on the site is provided by the college students all over the country and various countries in the world. Which means we provide the majority of the content on the website as well as free advertising for the site. I wasn’t comfortable with their business model because I wasn’t getting a lot of value out of it. The organization had so many writers that it was and still is hard to build a connection with each person.
From the internship listings I've seen, a lot of the organizations both small and large see them as free labor and not as training for the next generation of workers for their industry. Ideally, an internship is intended to create value for both you and the employer. It benefits the intern because they receive a real experience that a textbook won’t be able to teach them. It benefits the company because they’re training the workers needed to keep their industry running. Fashion, for example, is ever changing, and the future of the sector rests us on. Each generation brings a new perspective to the game. One of the many reasons I love the fashion industry is their ability to teach and give back through internships, mentorships and scholarships. But not all companies see internships that way, and I’m starting to feel it’s a huge problem
When I read internship descriptions during my routine search through internships.com, I notice a lot of employers are looking for free labor. Some internships want their interns to create their entire social media marketing plan for free. Which I think is ridiculous, considering that it’s usually that company’s only form of advertising. They should hire a social media director or a freelancer if that’s what you want. Some internships even want prior internship experience, which is silly, because the whole point of internships is to gain experience in your field. Employers should see internships as a way to give back to their industry and not as a free helping hand. And if they want the extra help, they should at least pay for it, even if it’s something as little as $500 at the end of 12 weeks.
Unpaid internships also provide an economic disadvantage for students who can’t afford to give their time for free. I’m fortunate enough to come from a household where my mother can support me, but not everyone is as lucky. Especially not the students who have to work to put themselves through college. Some of these internships are very demanding as well as time-consuming, and some students may not be able to take on unpaid internships as well as part-time jobs to support themselves. This can be very stressful to students who just want to be successful in their careers. I want this idea that we have to sacrifice our mental well-being for success to disappear. Working hard shouldn’t have to cause you your health or sanity.
Unpaid internships also lower the value of entry level positions who have similar responsibilities and requirements. Why would an employer hire an entry level recent graduate, when they could hire the same graduate as an intern and not pay them for the same skills? We’re told that internships are vital to getting into our dream career, but some employers are taking advantage of this necessity. It’s time for everyone to change their attitude towards internships.
