Theory versus Real Life
on Jun 14th 2010
Theoretically speaking, yes, if you work, you deserve to be paid. But to many people, myself included, who hear the word internship, the first thing that comes to mind is “free labor”. If someone offers me an internship and a stipend/salary, that’s great, but it’s not something I’d expect. You can call it unfair, but, in today’s job market at least, be happy you’re employed. Consider it the price of education.
At the same time, what I do truly think is unfair is when companies use their interns for menial labor that does not give them any job training or useful skills. That is akin to slave labor, in my opinion.
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8 Responses to “Theory versus Real Life”
Agreed. It’s the price of education. You’re right about us calling it unfair. I guess an internship should be expected as unpaid, whether we like it or not, no matter how much we bitch about it. The best thing that can happen is that the internship turns into a position.
I understand your views, and as someone who has gone through an apprentice process, almost the same idea, it makes sense that people be trained before given real positions. I argue with myself about it all the time, and I see both sides.
But if a company is making money off your free labor, don’t you think you should be compensated for that? It’s one thing to work with people and gain training, but a lot of the time these interns create revenue for their respective companies, and that’s a job.
I have to raise questions about the ‘happy to be employed’ line. If you’re not making anything in terms of compensation, you’re not employed. For students who have to foot all their own bills that makes it twice as hard in this economy.
It’s a very fine line, and I have a hard time keeping it clearly defined. I like your point of view though, and respect your opinion. Thank you.
When interns do the job of a regular employee, they do deserve to be paid. But I think interns should neither be given the assignments nor the pay given to a regular employee. Employers should respect the fact that the intern is still a student and is there more for experience and training than to work for the employer.
Aaron and Rappaport, I completely agree with you both! I get so frustrated when companies require you to commit 40 hours or more to the job, work side-by-side with their actual employees (who usually just sit back and dump all their work on you), and then refuse to even pay for your travel expenses -not to mention all the hard work you provide! But what aggravates me even more is that even if a Baruch student does miraculously find an internship that is willing to pay, we are not allowed to accept it for it would not be counted for our required internship course. Mind-boggling!!!!!
-Julia German
I agree with you. Hands on experience is so important, so when interns are given these menial jobs, as you say, we really aren’t learning anything but being used for manual or superfluous task to help the office. If that were the case, I think unpaid internships are useless.
I agree. Experience is what is sought after in a internship. I look at my experiencences as an even exchange. I do normally assume that when an internship is “unpaid” that the work load would be less demanding. Money however adds another dynamic to an interns’s duties. Companies everywhere are finding ways to cut cost, by having interns do the work. I think it is only fair to pay for travel expenses, because its coming directly from the student
I agree that an internship should be looked upon as an educational experience and most of the time that is what it comes down to, but I do not think it is fair if the work some of the unpaid interns are doing is more than what the workers who are getting paid are doing. Otherwise I feel that internships are a great way to gain experience, get your name out there and learn the ropes in your field of study.
Attractive entry. To that coming season was better than what hands.