I decided to change careers when I was 28, went into a masters program that was amazing and started doing an internship that did not pay me. However, I ONLY did the internship for EXPERIENCE. I worked in San Francisco and few other places for free and I was able to land permanent work a year later.
I did not have any experience in the field that I was going into so nobody would hire me, even at entry level. Luckily, some places hired me to work as an unpaid intern and had me work on amazing research projects with incredibly intelligent and creative group of people. These projects were so good that I was able to take them to my interviews and show the work I did as an intern.
Everyone was very impressed!!!
The biggest PLUS....
It was nice way to get my foot in the door and meet my future husband :) :) (the best part of all ) lol .
At the end, everything was worth it.
I was so happy working with such great people and gaining wonderful experience, I did not care if I got paid.
Ruby Skye of CA5:56PM June 03, 2010
I did follow K.E.'s comment and read the New York Times article: "The Unpaid Intern, Legal or Not" By Steven Greenhouse. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html) While it is true that the U.S. Department of Labor regs on the matter are very strict, (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL12-09acc.pdf) the concept is still sound. There is a small window of opportunity when the matter is approached as "Job Shadowing," which might still allow the potential candidate to comprehend the job duties and responsibilities, and offer the potential employer and staff the chance to see the potential candidate "in action," decide if they are articulate thinkers, and get a feel for how they might interact within the company.
Kris S Tengbergof NV10:36AM May 28, 2010
No matter what the situation (excepting charities) working for free is not only robbing yourself but other workers as well and a practice barely above that of slavery and is the very definition of "exploitation."
ecofecoof GA9:16PM May 27, 2010
I took classed for a year thinking that I could get a job in the medical billing field. The I was told over and over that I needed to have min. 3 years experience. I told them I would work for free for several months so I would know what they expected of me and get the experience I needed. No one was willing to hire me and train me for free. I am disapointed in this idea of working for free when it didn't work out for me.
ajof MI5:55PM May 27, 2010
While I love this idea and very much considering doing this, it raises some other questions. Would an unpaid internship jeapordize my unemployment? At least I have some sort of income while I am working for free, but if I need to report what I would have made to EDD, it may end my unemployment. The government is so unpredictable.
Also, would the company I be giving my time to be liable if something happend to me during those work hours? Randy
Both Todd and CynicL have good points and it goes to the heart of the entire issue. Picking and choosing the right company is the KEY to this working out. Which is why you must use all the tools at your disposal to find out about them. What other jobs are they advertising for? If you can't find out on typical job boards, use www.linkup.com
GLHof MN5:54PM April 29, 2010
Even though I'm looking for a full-time gig, I do often hunt through the internship listings to consider the possibilities you present here (although many times the company is not listed in an ad, so it can be difficult to research an anonymous employer).
And maybe it's just leftover cynicism from my last employer's tactics, but my question is, how do I separate the "opportunities" from the "just-taking-advantage-of-some-free-labor-because-the-job-market-is-so-desperate-right-now"?
I've seen companies patting themselves on the back throughout an ad because they're offering $2/hr to interns "BUT anywhere else you'd get NOTHING!" (obnoxious caps lock included, no joke). I'd almost rather get nothing than get on my knees and thank a company that covers barely half of my gas expenses to get there.
Don't get me wrong, I do see the opportunities presented when the best way to get hired is to prove yourself. In fact, more often than not, that's my strength; to become indispensable. But I've been down that road and sometimes it's a dead end; with a boss extending internships indefinitely but still getting 40+ hours/week and doling out the responsibility (and accountability) of a senior staff member. And then the intern is stuck. They could hold out and continue the free labor for that big salary the boss keeps waving just out of reach, or give up everything they've invested in a non-paying but nearly full-time job.
So how do you know who to trust? Especially when you're not a student and have to cross a lot of more well-known companies off your list because they require you to get college credit?
cynicLof NJ3:43PM April 29, 2010
I can agree with this in most aspects, there are a few points in which I would like point out though. Being a college student unpaid interships are gonna be the most available but also being a college student those internships are not ideal at all. Most of us are paying a tad bit of money alreay and to stay a-float after graduating working two jobs seems more like an impossible feat. Figuring the time it would take to become a factor in a company that is not even paying and the time you spend probably working at a job that has nothing to do with your degree, you have gone from 100 percent enthusiastic to just wanting something to give sometime soon. I am more of an optimist but,I am a realist as well and I know how a lot of people think. I myself would be willing to take a risk with multitasking directly after college but I don't know many others that would be willing to go so far as to not get paid in an internship just for a chance at a paying job.
Reader Comments
Back to blog
Ruby Skye of CA 5:56PM June 03, 2010
Kris S Tengberg of NV 10:36AM May 28, 2010
ecofeco of GA 9:16PM May 27, 2010
aj of MI 5:55PM May 27, 2010
Randy Campbell of CA 10:35AM May 27, 2010
K.E. of CA 4:17AM May 26, 2010
GLH of MN 5:54PM April 29, 2010
cynicL of NJ 3:43PM April 29, 2010
Todd of MO 11:09AM April 28, 2010