Unpaid Internships: Pros and Cons

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Unpaid internships have become a typical requirement for several professions, including nursing, where students are expected to complete a certain number of hours in clinical settings to obtain their license. Unpaid internships have the potential to offer significant benefits to both employers and students, but they must be structured in a way that is fair and accessible to all. However, the legality of unpaid internships is a contentious issue, with some arguing that the exploitation of students’ labor contributes to income inequality. On the other hand, an unpaid internship can be a crucial leeway to developing valuable skills and experience by receiving and acting on feedback provided by seasonal professionals. Employers should be required to provide clear job descriptions, learning objectives, and regular feedback and evaluations. Interns should be provided with a stipend or other form of compensation to cover their basic living expenses. By implementing these conditions, we can ensure that internships are a valuable and accessible opportunity for all students. This essay will explore the pros and cons of unpaid internships and argue that they should be legal under certain conditions.

One of the main arguments for unpaid internships is that they offer students with priceless work experience, which can enhance their future job prospects. While an organization may not have a budget to pay interns, its ability to offer a learning opportunity should not be discouraged. Many employers prefer to hire candidates with previous work experience, and internships can allow students to develop skills and gain practical knowledge that can be applied in their future careers (Morrison, 2022). Internships provide real work or industry experience for students to link what was learned in class to real-world encounters related to their job specifications. During internships, students can access networking opportunities that may lead to job offers or references. In some companies, interns are mainly employed after completing their learning period. According to Sharma & Choudhury, M. (2023), many companies usually convert unpaid internships to full-time or part-time employment. Organizations evaluate the behavior and capabilities of interns during their learning periods and may decide to hire the best candidates. This indicates that unpaid internships can benefit new graduates or students in advancing their skills and acquiring employment.

Unpaid internships can allow students to explore different career paths and industries, helping them make informed decisions about their future. Many students enter college knowing what they want to do professionally (Morrison, 2022). Still, they may not clearly understand the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities associated with their desired career. Interning in a specific field can provide students with a firsthand look at the industry and help them decide if it is the right path. Furthermore, unpaid internships can help students develop a strong work ethic and learn how to navigate the professional world. Working in a professional environment, interacting with colleagues and superiors, and adhering to workplace norms and expectations can provide students with invaluable soft skills they can carry throughout their careers (Morrison, 2022). While unpaid internships have faced criticism for being exploitative, if structured properly, they can offer students with valuable work experience, industry exposure, and professional development opportunities. Employers must recognize interns’ value and provide them with meaningful educational experiences.

The opponents of unpaid internships claim they exploit students’ labor and contribute to income inequality. Students are expected to perform menial tasks, such as making copies or fetching coffee, that does not relate to their learning or professional development. Furthermore, internships are often only available to students who can afford to work without pay, excluding students. According to Hora et al. (2020), students will likely avoid unpaid internships if they cannot cater to costs such as housing and transport. Students from high-income backgrounds can meet the expenses required during unpaid internships, develop their skills and secure a high-earning job instead of their financially struggling counterparts. This perpetuates income inequality and limits opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a result, unpaid internships can create a cycle of privilege (Morrison, 2022). Only students who can afford to take on additional expenses can gain valuable work experience through internships, while others are left behind.

In some companies, interns perform tasks that are crucial and essential for the organization for free, which reduces the cost of hiring employees to fill such positions. In such instances, companies should calculate the extreme expenses incurred by the students and offer some form of compensation (Morrison, 2022). For instance, transportation allowance, rent payment and other necessities can be provided using the organization’s resources. For instance, interns are mainly categorized as gratis personnel, excluding assistance from the accommodation, food, healthcare, and transport under the United Nations system. The United Nations (UN) is one organization that has come under scrutiny for its use of unpaid internships. Between 2009 and 2015, the UN and its specialized agencies hired over 32,000 unpaid interns (Lopes, 2021). However, most of these internships are based in cities with high living costs, such as Geneva and New York, which puts a financial strain on interns. This financial burden inevitably favors local candidates and applicants from wealthier countries, resulting in a lack of geographic and socio-economic diversity within the UN System.

This lack of diversity and inclusion in UN internships has serious implications for equal opportunity and perpetuates inequalities. In a 2019 survey conducted by the Fair Internship Initiative (FII) to assess the performance of UN internship programs, it was found that 64% of the 727 interns who responded were from high-income countries, with 54% of those being from Europe and Central Asia (Lopes, 2021). In contrast, only 3% of the survey participants were from the Middle East and North Africa (Lopes, 2021). Such statistics are clear in an organization that aims to reduce inequality and promote diversity. This demonstrates that unpaid internships, by design, exclude and discriminate against those who cannot afford to work for free.

Unpaid internships should be made legal under certain circumstances to ensure they are inclusive. In addition, employers must ensure that internships are accessible to students from all backgrounds. This can be achieved by offering alternative forms of compensation, such as course credit or stipends, to ensure that students are not excluded based on their financial situation. Employers should prioritize diversity and inclusion in their recruitment efforts and actively seek out candidates from underrepresented backgrounds (Rogers et al., 2021). Companies should be allowed to offer a supportive environment for underprivileged students by providing necessary resources and partnering with other stakeholders to ensure all students can access high-quality learning through internships. Employers should prioritize diversity and inclusion in their recruitment efforts and actively seek out candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

Ultimately, the goal of internships should be to provide students with practical experience and professional development opportunities while still benefiting the employer. By establishing clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and ensuring accessibility, employers can create a mutually beneficial relationship with interns (Buzdugan, 2020). While unpaid internships are not a perfect solution, they can provide indispensable learning opportunities for students, particularly those seeking to enter competitive industries. The students should not be subjected to hostile conditions that limit their ability to concentrate on learning during the internship period. As such, I believe that unpaid internships should be legal, but only under conditions that prioritize students’ educational and professional development and ensure accessibility for all.

In conclusion, unpaid internships have both advantages and disadvantages. While they offer valuable work experience and networking opportunities, they can also perpetuate socio-economic inequalities by favoring local and wealthier applicants. However, unpaid internships should be made legal under certain conditions. Employers should be required to provide interns with vivid job descriptions, learning objectives, and regular feedback and evaluations to help them learn and grow in their field. Interns should receive a stipend or other compensation to cover their basic living expenses, ensuring they can focus on the internship without shifting their attention to financial strain. Implementing these conditions can create a win-win situation for both employers and interns. Employers can benefit from interns’ fresh perspectives and ideas while interns gain valuable work experience and skills to boost their future employment prospects. Providing stipends or other forms of compensation to interns can ensure that internships are accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds, leading to greater diversity and inclusion in the workforce. By implementing these conditions, we can ensure that internships are a valuable and accessible opportunity for all students.

References

Buzdugan, H. (2020). ‘He who is silent is taken to agree’: University careers services and the problem of unpaid graduate internships. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 44(1), 21-28.

Hora, M. T., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020). How do students conceptualise the college internship experience? Towards a student-centred approach to designing and implementing internships. Journal of Education and Work, 33(1), 48-66. Web.

Lopes B., Z., M. (2021). Unpaid is Unfair – how unpaid internships perpetuate inequality. Foraus. Web.

Morrison, A. (2022). Social and private goods: the duality of unpaid internships. Contemporary social science, 1-13. Web.

Rogers, S. E., Miller, C. D., Flinchbaugh, C., Giddarie, M., & Barker, B. (2021). All internships are not created equal: Job design, satisfaction, and vocational development in paid and unpaid internships. Human Resource Management Review, 31(1), 100723. Web.

Rothschild, P., & Rothschild, C. (2020). The unpaid internship: Benefits, drawbacks, and legal issues. Administrative Issues Journal: Connecting Education, Practice, and Research, 10(2), 1-17. Web.

Sharma, P., & Choudhury, M. (2023). Business school interns’ intention to join: studying culture, work engagement and leader-member exchange in virtual internship. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.

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Unpaid Internships: Pros and Cons

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