For most of high school, I listened to my friends talk about how babysitting was the best job anyone could have during the year given how well it paid. In the summertime, the same was usually said about being a lifeguard or continuing to babysit with the family that paid so generously during the school year. However, college hits, and something changes. The current and recently formed college students begin to realize that we have to start thinking about what we want to do for the rest of our lives, and the type of background experience we need to get there. Of course, we utilize the help of our parents and family friends to ask them what they believe would help us attain this experience. The answer is generally the same for just about anyone you ask -- get an internship. What they don’t tell you, however, is that majority of these internships are going to be unpaid--especially if you’re only a first-year college student. That being said, most students find themselves questioning whether or not it’s even worth it, and if so, why.

Currently, I am working as an unpaid marketing intern for the Music Institute of Chicago. Initially, I was worried about the fact that I wouldn’t be making money. After all, isn’t part of the whole “living on your own” mantra about learning how to spend the funds you make wisely and find a system that works for you with regards to managing your budget? Upon further reflection I have come to the conclusion that the work experience is far more important than the amount of money being made, especially at the age most college freshman are at when being hired.

The majority of college freshman still live with their parents. That being said, it is fair to say that for the meals they have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they are not having to pay for themselves. So technically, we’re not really out and living in the real world yet. We still have our parents there for us to help us pay for a few things here and there and make sure we don’t go too many nights in a row without a meal. Still, it’s frustrating to go from making $10 an hour, working for three hours, to making absolutely no money and working for a seven-hour work day. So how do we let the old days of babysitting and lifeguarding go and make peace with our busy, new, and completely free schedule? One word: experience.

Regardless of what you end up declaring as your major or where you end up working after college, businesses everywhere are looking to see that you have some type of work experience that can be applied to the area you are interested in at their company. Although it would be easier for them to look at how much money you spent taking care of Tommy and Sally on your Friday nights in high school, it’s a little more complicated than that. While this is stressful, I don’t think anyone would try to argue that it doesn’t make sense, and given that, you may be able to understand what the value is in having some type of work experience, regardless of whether or not you are getting paid.

Is the lack of money you are currently making stressful? Absolutely. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are aware of the fact that you need work experience to be a competitive candidate at the agency you hope to work at upon graduating. You still wish you didn’t have to stay silent when your friends ask if you want to get dinner on the weekends. Nevertheless, subtract that little part of your life from the equation for just a minute, and try to think long-term. Not only will you have a list of recommendations available to present to your new possible boss, but you will also feel accomplished and extremely proud of yourself for doing something on your own and being self-reliant.

So the next time you have to wake up early to go to your internship, and find yourself asking the question, “Is this worth it?” think about how much you are setting yourself up for future jobs and positions that you wish to hold at a company. It may not make you any less aggravated by the lack of pay, but it will remind you why you show up to work every day, and for now, that is enough.