Internship Frustration

Many of us know by now that internships are practically essential if we’re going to break into most fields after graduation. If you weren’t aware, allow me to elaborate: While ten years ago internships looked exceptional on a resume, in this day and age you need at least two or three to even attempt to look competitive. With more and more employers requiring experience for entry level jobs, internships have become standard in the college experience.

But therein lays one of the more pressing issues about internships: how can one afford the time to do them? So many seem to be unpaid (or at least that’s what we assume), and students who need to work to pay for rent/groceries/bills/tuition understandably find themselves in quite a bind when trying to build up their resume.

However, here’s an unfortunately little known fact: in the state of California it is illegal for a for-profit company to hire an unpaid intern that is not receiving any other compensation, such as class credit. Also, internships are by law supposed to be a space where you are getting some sort of educational benefit (i.e. learning skills other than what the best ratio of coffee to cream is). Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop most companies from violating those rules, in some cases even just putting the title “intern” on what is essentially a menial job so they can get labor for free. Totally illegal.

How can you can you protect yourself from this?

• The number one thing to know is that, if you are working for a for-profit company, you should expect some type of compensation for your work.
• Your Career Services Center (that’s us!) should be watching out for you, and only posting jobs on our DonsCareers and Internship Exchange databases that are either paid (if they are a for-profit company), unpaid (if they are a non-profit company), or meet other special requirements.
• Let someone know (like us) if you feel you’ve been exploited. While most students don’t report companies hiring unpaid interns for fear of negative consequences, taking a step up and calling people out should move the internship industry further along in the right direction.
• Keep in mind that, while they technically should be paying, certain industries (especially in the entertainment field like movies and record labels) have a long history of hiring unpaid interns. This practice is seen as part of the process of working in those fields and therefore unlikely to be changed anytime soon. 
• Attend our "Last Chance for Internships Workshop" next Wednesday, April 14th, from 5:30-6:30pm in McLaren 250. Speak with a career counselor in much more depth about what your options are, learn how to be smarter about your internship search, and even hear details about a few brand new internships that haven't been posted anywhere else.

Unfortunately the move towards regulating and enforcing paid interns for for-profit companies is moving at a snails pace. But this does not mean you should give up or get discouraged. The most important thing to do is be informed, know your rights, speak out if you feel something is wrong, know that there are plenty of paid internships out there, and seek those positions that are legitimate and right for you.

 Best of luck,
-Sarah