Comments on: In Praise of Unpaid Internships https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html Everything to make HR better Sat, 11 Aug 2018 16:51:51 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 By: Mr Compensation https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212349 Sat, 11 Aug 2018 16:51:51 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212349 In reply to JB.

Absolutely; ‘unpaid’ implies to me exploitation and undervaluation. One of my criteria for selecting a college and major was the availability of compensated cooperative-education opportunities. “Co-op” rules!

]]> By: Professor Ronny https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212328 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:30:09 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212328 I’m a college professor and spent nine years as a department chair where I had to approve all internships. My original opinion was that an internship should either be paid or the student should receive academic credit but not both. Over the years, after seeing a bunch of students take internships, I have changed my opinion completely. Now, I strongly believe that all internships should be paid. Period.

First, many companies seem to feel like academic credit is pay enough. However, what they do not realize is that for a student to receive academic credit for an internship, the student must PAY to register for the course for which they will receive credit. If it’s a three hour course (typical) then they must pay for a three hour course. In other words, they must pay for the privilege of working for the company.

(The college must pay a professor to evaluate the company and the work performed to make sure it was worth academic credit so this is not the college gouging the student.)

Not only must the student pay for the academic credit and work for free, they must forgo the opportunity of working for pay somewhere else and if the internship is not local, they must pay to live in the new location. That is just too much to expect for “experience” unless they are receiving exceptional experience and most interns do not.

>>Regardless of what your professors say, you’re at
>>school to get a job.

I have to disagree with this as well. If the ONLY purpose of going to college is to get a job, then you are going to a votechnical school and not a college. Also, colleges would not offer degrees like philosophy or history that rarely or never lead to a job. My undergraduate was mathematics and it never once helped me get a job.

]]> By: Noemie https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212323 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 20:00:32 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212323 I got an unpaid internship but it came with free student lodging, a free bus pass and free access to sport facilities. That was a good compromise and I was able to live on my own money from previous part-time jobs and not be a burden on my parents.

I feel that completely unpaid internships with nothing else given are really unfair and create too much hardship for students and their families.

]]> By: Kelly https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212322 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 18:46:01 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212322 I’m against unpaid internships unless academic credit is being earned as part of the internship. Otherwise, it should be like any other employment and paid at least minimum wage.

]]> By: Dorothy https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212321 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 18:15:44 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212321 In reply to Becky Mcintyre.

I’m surprised by your views given that you say you’re a recruiter.

• You might want to look into McDonald’s employment requirements. You might be pleasantly surprised at what avMcDonald’s job teaches a first-time worker.

• If an internship is unpaid, only a student wealthy enough to forego pay can afford to take that internship.

]]> By: Maria Rose https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212320 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:27:24 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212320 I believe the internship program referred to in the article doesn’t follow/fall anywhere in a school connected program. The ones referred to by article expect their interns to put in a minimum of 50 hours weekly. I am not sure if there’s any college credit given at all, unlike the school based internships. These are set up to give the individual, exposure and experience, in fields like high finance or fashion or law offices, where there’s no training,you are expected to know when hired. These are the internships where we have heard complaints about being expected to learn while being the gofer person.
Unless there’s a school credit attached, all internships should be a paid position (in a lower bracket than an experienced employee). How else is the person supposed to support themselves while doing an internship? And like the article states, there should be a clear definition of what will be accomplished during the time period of the internship. Even tech startups fail in this by taking advantage of the “free” labor. I would hope that the employer/employee relationships have gone past this point.

]]> By: the gold digger https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212319 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:42:39 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212319 In reply to Becky Mcintyre.

As a recruiter, if someone has any experience, that is significantly better than someone who has worked at a McDonald’s.

1. Thus perpetuating the problem
2. I would rather have someone who had worked at McDonald’s, where there is no favoritism and you have to show up on time, every shift, and deal with crummy work conditions, than someone who got an internship through her parents’ connections.

Signed,

Someone who had to – HAD TO – work for money in high school and college

]]> By: BethRA https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212318 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:21:32 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212318 In reply to Becky Mcintyre.

They don’t TARGET them, but they do disproportionately impact them. If you cannot afford to work for free (or next to nothing) you are being excluded from a major career-building opportunity, as you yourself pointed out.

]]> By: Becky Mcintyre https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212317 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:06:49 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212317 I disagree with another commenter . Unpaid internships do not “target” minority or low income people. They are open to everyone. Do you want people to have opportunity to get a foot in the door ? Or is it more important that people make 8 to $10 an hour? If money is more important, work construction or fast food. It’s a choice thing, just as we still see people getting degrees in fields that don’t translate to jobs. Your choice!
Internships are tremendously important for gaining any relevant experience. As a recruiter, if someone has any experience, that is significantly better than someone who has worked at a McDonald’s. I get that people have to work. My own firm now has well-paying internships; if we want to hire people with internships, we need to hire interns, too. For us it’s not a matter of paying; having interns is also work for the firm.

]]> By: Robert Licero https://www.evilhrlady.org/2018/08/in-praise-of-unpaid-internships.html#comment-212316 Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:01:48 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=4919#comment-212316 In reply to JB.

Nailed it!

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