I write this from the perspective of someone who willing be working at an unpaid internship this summer but someone who has had to also take a part-time job to pay for said internship.

Summer has started and for the most of us, especially those of us who have reached junior/senior level, our summers are not quite as care free as the previous years. No longer is the part time job at the local fast food restaurant enough, we now need experience in our field to put on our resumes. This experience often comes in the form of an unpaid internship.

Internships offer valuable experience in a future professional’s desired field, but they also offer the opportunity for networking opportunities. It doesn’t matter what field you’re working in, it’s all about who you know. Regardless of whether or not your internship is paid, use the opportunity to meet people in your future field. For those of you looking to attend graduate school, your supervisors can offer you valuable connections as well as letters of recommendation.

Many colleges and universities require an internship as part of their degree requirements. They rarely, if ever, require a paid internship. Students who participate in an internship, even an unpaid one, are simply fulfilling their degree requirements.

Internships, whether paid or unpaid should be treated just as any other class would be. Your desk in now your classroom. Take everything it is that you’ve learned while sitting at your desk and go out into the world and apply it.

Unpaid internships often do not require as many hours as a paid internship would. Most unpaid internships require 20-30 hours a week, with some even requiring as few as 12-15 hours. With the average being 25 hours, it is quite possible to work a part-time job in addition to your unpaid internship. By working 15-20 hours a week at a part-time job, even making minimum wage, that’s more than enough money for gas to your unpaid internship.

Do not not take an unpaid internship simply from fear of not being paid for you work. As with many things in life, internships are not just about the money, it’s about the experience and the lessons you will learn.