Unpaid internships are temporary work arrangements that allow prospective employees to observe a work environment and gain work experience without compensation. Here are some key aspects:
- Compensation: Unpaid interns do not receive monetary compensation but may receive academic credit to apply to their degree program.
- Training: Unpaid interns may require more supervision. For a program to qualify as an unpaid internship, the employer provides educational training, which often means the unpaid intern gets a mentor to guide them through the program.
- Tasks: Unpaid interns don’t share the same tasks as paid employees. In an unpaid internship, your job tasks often are assistive and allow you to focus on observing and learning from the other employees.
- Work hours: In both types of internships, the employer makes accommodations for the student’s course schedule¹.
However, it’s important to note that unpaid internships can deepen the existing social divide. A survey found that paid internships disproportionately go to white, male students with parents who have a college degree. The survey also revealed that unpaid interns get the same number of job offers as those without an internship. Therefore, it’s argued that unpaid internships are unfair, unethical, and exploitative².
Micro-internships, which are short-term, paid projects for college students, are suggested as a more equitable solution to unpaid internships. They are available throughout the year and can help students explore opportunities beyond their college major and learn highly generalized transferable skills.
Unpaid internships can offer several benefits:
- Gain Experience: Unpaid internships provide an opportunity to gain practical experience in your field of interest. This experience can be a requirement to gain employment as employers may prefer candidates with prior experience.
- Develop Skills: Interns can develop skills and receive valuable feedback from professionals. The tasks often are assistive and allow you to focus on observing and learning from the other employees.
- Professional Network: Unpaid internships can be a great way to start building your professional network. You can observe professionals in the workplace and receive instruction and advice from them.
- Academic Credit: Students may be able to complete unpaid internships for academic credit.
- Career Exploration: They can help you learn what you love and what you don’t love, and find out what you’re good at. They can also be a good indicator of whether you’ll like your future profession.
- Enhance Resume: Unpaid internships can enhance your resume by providing real-world experience.
Source:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/unpaid-internships.
(4) What are the benefits of an unpaid internship? – UNIGO. https://www.unigo.com/admissions-advice/what-are-the-benefits-of-an-unpaid-internship.
