12 Reasons to Take Unpaid Internships

Never, ever work for free. Unpaid internships will be a complete waste of your time and rarely ever eventuate to something better i.e. a paid internship / full-time position. It would be much better to hone your entrepreneurial skills and try and do something on your own, regardless of however simple it maybe. In the crudest of terms, think of yourself as a prostitute. Would you open your legs for free? No, right?

I have completed several unpaid internships, for all of those reasons that were listed. Yes, of course these are all true. But it is a sad day when companies replace paid employees for unpaid ones (why wouldn't they when there are so many people willing to work for free?) creating a spiraling effect of making it harder and harder to find paid work because less and less is being offered. After working three semesters for free, I feel aweful that I have contributed and reinforced the necessity of unpaid work.

I understand the importance and value of unpaid internships, but unpaid positions don't help me pay bills. I'm currently in a situation in NYC where I have an AWESOME internship with the only downside being I'm not getting paid. It's been a great experience so far, but again, I'm left with having to struggle constantly to pay rent.

I'll add just a few more benefits of even unpaid internships: - Samples for your portfolio - Assessment of your skills, strengths and weaknesses - Possible reference for your next job

Your reasoning here may be true for some students, but this is definitely not one-size-fits-all advice. I have completed three fully unpaid internships and two with stipends; each of them had academic credit. Unfortunately I'm now in a position where I can no longer get credit since I'm enrolled in a dual-degree program, thus getting my bachelor's and master's degree in four years. So this is a great disadvantage for me for companies to adopt the, "well I'm giving them credit, so I don't have to pay the interns," philosophy. To be honest I was kind of offended when you said if you planned your college career "correctly," you'll have a free senior year. Not true. I'm spending much more time now on my schooling than I ever did my freshman/sophomore years, when I had time to intern. Now the only way I can justify an internship is if I can get paid for it to help save for my eventual career in public relations, where junior executives get paid often around $20k per year. I've loved some of the internships I've had, but I agree with Adam -- when they pay you, they want to see you succeed and see you as part of their company. Unpaid interns are replaceable at best and disposable at worst. They always expect another one of you to come in and fill your spot when you leave. While some people may need it on their resumes, internship experience is different for everyone. Unpaid internships shouldn't be the norm.

Unpaid internships are a very touchy subject with me even during these troubled economic times. There are legal issues that companies should ALWAYS adhere to. Please use the following link to make sure your company is following the rules set by the DOL. http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf I have said this many times….. Seriously, just pay them!

I've gotta disagree here. When I was in college, I had multiple paid and unpaid internships, and I would never encourage a student to go for an unpaid internship. From my experience (and the experience of many of my friends) if the employer isn't paying you, than they aren't fully invested in you. If they are paying you, they want to get their money's worth, so you'll be doing real work that benefits the company. More often than not, if you are not paid, you'll be doing more busy work. Also, in all of my paid internships, I had better relationships with my bosses, more training, more education, and a better work environment. Sure, unpaid internships give you experience, add to your resume, expand your network, blah blah blah. But so do paid ones. Unpaid internships offer nothing that paid internships do; they are simply a watered down internship. And yes, I know there aren't as many paid internships as there are unpaid. To me, that doesn't mean you simply accept that you must take an unpaid one. That means you work even harder to impress hiring managers with your well crafted resume & cover letter, professional online presence, and anything else you can do to get their attention. You're an intern, not a volunteer.

Absolutely agree. My unpaid internship set me on the path for success for the next ten years of my career, and I learned things that wouldn't have been possible any other way. It paid dividends in skills, future salary, and connections. To get the most out of your internship, have a plan. What specific skills do you want to learn, what specific knowledge do you want to acquire, what specific connections do you want to make? If you can, negotiate a performance agreement with your boss that includes you handling a project of some type on you own. It doesn't have to be big, but it will help immensely when it comes to marketing yourself for your next career move.

Unpaid Internships are only a means to an end - A path to a wage. 1. In the end, all people seek to get paid for the fruits of their labor. 2. Unpaid internships give people without the needed skills required to be productive in a job, a way to attain those skills. 3. In a good economy, when there are lots of job openings, only people without the necessary skills to be productive in a job will take unpaid internships. 4. In a bad economy, when there are few job openings, people who already have the necessary skills to be productive in jobs employers need done will take unpaid internships. 5. Today employers are receiving free productive labor from young people because of the lack of job openings available, not because the workers aren’t skilled. (Thats why postings for unpaid internships have increased 350% in the last 3 years) 6. When an employer receives free labor, solely because of the tough economic environment a young person finds himself in, it is exploitative. Example 1: A minority or woman who gets paid less than a non-minority or man solely because employers can get away with it, is exploiting the environment that a minority/woman finds themselves in. Example 2: If a new immigrant who comes to America for a better life is offered $1 an hour to fix cars in an auto repair shop (no one else will do the job for less than $15 an hour), though the immigrant may thank you for the job opportunity, it is exploitative.

The danger is that those from wealthy backgrounds will find it easier to gain experience and make contacts, whereas those bright candidates who just cannot afford to work for free will have to take less career-focussed positions. Sure, it is great for students to gain experience and do internships, but it should not be the privilege of the wealthy to make these contacts and get that great resume. It is never clear cut and you may want to volunteer to help a local community business or charity, but on the moral balance I don't think that graduates should ever have to slave for free just to gain get into an industry.

Perfect timing of this article as students are preparing for spring and summer internships. As an ummm... (36 year-old) intern in graduate school, I am currently working on an unpaid internship. For me, #7. Connections is by far the best reason for me. The internship has opened so many doors for my personal and professional life. These are connections that will provide the framework for references, letters of recommendations, and true genuine friendships that will last long after graduation. Thanks for this affirmation, Rich.

It just stinks when you have graduated and still all you can find are unpaid internships. This economy is rough. I've taken them hoping experience now is worth the money I'm not making by taking a dead end part time job.

Yes. For all the reasons listed...do the internship...and thank the employer(s) who couldn't afford to pay you in cash, but paid you with, hopefully, a meaningful work experience that you can leverage on your career trek--particularly if you delivered the best results possible. I will add, however, that it is shameful for those employers with billion dollar revenues who opt not to pay student interns. There should be a SHAME ON YOU list for those companies who can afford to pay but love the idea of free labor.

Following the DOL advisory almost two years is the unpaid internship still as popular for employers as it used to be? The New York Times is catching a lot of heat for having a) just written about the legality of them and b) posted a series of unpaid internships.

I am hoping for the best from my internship. I have not been challenged with much yet, but I have been making not of my daily activities in a notepad. Doing my very best to improve my social skills as well there. I want to prove to them that even though I am not in school, that I have a good work ethic and want to improve it, and prove to them everything I stated in our meeting. I get to do what I love, which is write, and have a chance to edit. Gaining experience is key to me now. I know I would only be miserable without the few hours I put in there. I am still looking for more internships and ways to gain writing experience via short story submissions. The bad part is that I still remain unemployed but I know that right now if I was, I'd be unhappy with a paid job which is essentially just to pay bills.

Taking an internship will not only get you experience, but show the company your work ethic and commitment to growing as a professional. In my case, it lead to me getting a job right after graduation. You never know what could happen!