Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Unpaid internships

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Unpaid internships

    What's your thoughts on these?

    Just asking because somebody I know has flatly rejected them as a way to get a foot in the door of their chosen field of work (and no, they haven't gotten in there yet).

    I did a few months' worth of unpaid internship during my second year of college, and I didn't have a problem with it ... mind you, it hasn't helped me get a job either, LOL. The timeline was clearly laid out and we were told at the start it was UNPAID, so nothing came as any kind of surprise.
    Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
    ~ Mr Hero

  • #2
    A lot depends on the industry and the players involved. If you can get a glowing letter of recommendation from someone well known in the industry, it can go a long way. And let's not forget, "work experience".

    Most times, it just benefits the business.

    This one might interest a few people.
    Life is too short to not eat popcorn.
    Save the Ales!
    Toys for Tots at Rooster's Cafe

    Comment


    • #3
      It would depend on my financial situation, I suppose, but it would also depend on what was expected of me. If I'm not getting paid, then I expect to do significantly more learning than working, honestly. I'm not much for slave labor.
      Last edited by Deserted; 05-04-2018, 03:17 PM. Reason: typo
      Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
      OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
      she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
      Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

      Comment


      • #4
        I've seen too many companies take advantage to think they are a good idea.

        The company my friend in the UK used to work loved them. But they weren't unpaid as much as they only paid for your travel and food allowance for the day. Depending where you lived in London, your train ticket could be several thousand pounds for the year. (Yep, you did just read that right.) It was a 12 month internship. Most of the interns were doing the exact same stuff as the full staff, but the company only had to pay 12 full time staff instead of 20.
        A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read. - Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

        Comment


        • #5
          At least for the US --

          -- In general: TG Karl would be the man to ask ^__^

          -- BG - That sucks, and would be illegal over here, I believe x.x On the other hand, jobs over here are *very* unlikely to reimburse you for transportation costs.

          -- In the US, to the best of my knowledge, internships can only be unpaid if they are truly on-the-job training. If you're just a glorified gofer, or a straight-up permanent replacement for someone else, they gotta pay you. That being said, this sort of intern exploitation is still pretty rampant to this day, from what I hear.
          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

          Comment


          • #6
            Some interesting responses here. The unapid internships we did certainly were expected to result in a recommendation for future real employers ... that was the whole purpose (well, aside from giving you at least some idea of how a law office worked ...)

            The organizer made serious attempts to take your transportation (or lack thereof) into consideration when assigning you somewhere, although of course there were no guarantees.

            And since we were all still in school at the time, finances weren't so much of a problem: the internships ran for only the semester, and those of us on student loans simply continued to live off those loans.

            I can see where it could easily be exploited, though.
            Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
            ~ Mr Hero

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth EricKei View Post
              At least for the US --

              -- In general: TG Karl would be the man to ask ^__^

              -- BG - That sucks, and would be illegal over here, I believe x.x On the other hand, jobs over here are *very* unlikely to reimburse you for transportation costs.

              -- In the US, to the best of my knowledge, internships can only be unpaid if they are truly on-the-job training. If you're just a glorified gofer, or a straight-up permanent replacement for someone else, they gotta pay you. That being said, this sort of intern exploitation is still pretty rampant to this day, from what I hear.
              It's the same over here in Ausland (where Blue Ginger and I are from).

              My work does reimburse for transport costs for our mentors.

              Comment


              • #8
                Most of us in Oz do work experience through our high schools. Sometime the school finds the placement, sometimes the student has to and then the school contacts them to make sure it is not fake. It is usually only 1-2 weeks and during normal term.

                Some places will pay the student like they are a real employee (fast food, supermarkets, etc), some will pay the recommended $5 a day (it might have gone up in the last decade since I knew anyone that did this) that is supposed to cover their lunch but some will pay nothing because it is not a legal requirement. The last places generally claim that you are a 'volunteer' so don't have to pay you a thing.

                My work experience place in year 10 fell through at the last minute and I ended up just going to work with my mum. I only did 6 of the 10 required days though. Mum's boss felt bad for me and said to just come in on the days mum worked. So I was there Tuesday to Friday the first week, then Tuesday & Wednesday the second week. Mum worked in a childcare centre and guess who's immune system was not strong enough? If you guessed mine, have a cookie. The only reason I went in on the 2nd Wednesday was because my teacher was to visit. I spent the whole day on the couch in the staff room mainlining cold and flu tablets. Pretended to work when the teacher arrived, then fell back asleep on the couch.

                And working there definitely cemented the fact that I never want kids. I was in with the 3-4 years old kids and gah! Sticky fingers, a billion 'but why' questions, food tantrums, trying to understand mumble, but at least they were toilet trained and I was not allowed to help in that area (thank dog). I really don't know how parents do it.
                A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read. - Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Blue Ginger, I hear ya! At one point (I am the eldest) my mom worked in a supermarket in Michigan but my dad worked across the river in Ontario (we were planning on moving back to Canada).

                  I was left in charge of my younger brother and sister, plus a half-housetrained dog. That cemented my decision to remain childless for sure (and also to have cats, who don't need walkies to do their business).
                  Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
                  ~ Mr Hero

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X