Should Interns Be Paid? The Irony Behind Ivanka Trump’s Recent Tweet
Justin Bariso
Founder & Principal at EQ Applied | Management Thinker & Doer | Emotional Intelligence Student & Teacher | Inc. and TIME Contributor
In the working world, an internship can be a remarkable learning opportunity, a great jump-start to a new career.
But should interns get paid?
That’s the intro to my Inc. column from this morning. The question re-entered public discussion after American businesswoman Ivanka Trump shared an article on her official Twitter account, entitled: How to Survive as an Unpaid Intern.
The article was penned by Quincy Bulin, a copy intern employed by Ms. Trump’s blog, IvankaTrump.com.
"With this being my third unpaid summer in New York City," wrote Bulin, "I've learned a few tricks, as have the other interns at Ivanka Trump HQ." Bulin and her colleagues shared tips that included taking on a part-time job and shopping for groceries on Amazon Prime.
Of course, Ms. Trump’s share of the article set off a firestorm on Twitter. This one sums it up well:
Chief Brand Officer for IvankaTrump.com Abigail Klem made this statement (via email to The Huffington Post):
"We strive to create a fulfilling learning opportunity tailored to the unique interests and career goals of each intern. It is our goal that at the end of the program, our interns leave with experiences that will help guide them into choosing a fulfilling career path."
The Real Problem
Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, recently penned a terrific piece for The New York Times. In it, he gets to the root problems caused by unpaid internships:
We often hear that success is "all about the people you know"--as if it's just a matter of equal-opportunity relationship building. We rarely talk about how one knows them, or about the privilege that has become a prerequisite to knowing the right people.
I sometimes get calls and emails from friends seeking help in landing internships for their children. I understand what they're doing; this is part of being a parent. Still, it's a reminder that America's current internship system, in which contacts and money matter more than talent, contributes to an economy in which access and opportunity go to the people who already have the most of both.
"The broader implication," continues Walker, "is privilege multiplied by privilege...By shutting out these students from entry-level experiences in certain fields, entire sectors engineer long-term deficits of much-needed talent and perspective."
Walker argues that companies actually hurt themselves--and everyone else--by refusing to pay interns for their work.
So, it's time for a new discussion on internships.
I ask you:
- What are the goals of an internship, from the perspective of a company and the intern?
- Should interns always receive wages?
I look forward to hearing from you.
(A deeper look: Are you interested in three specific ways unpaid internships actually hurt the companies that sponsor them? I outline them here in this morning’s column on Inc.com.)
Photo Credit: By Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA (20160208-DSC08139) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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As an author and one of LinkedIn's Top Voices, I share my thoughts on business and management best practices weekly. My first book, Emotional Intelligence: The Ultimate Skill for Everyday Life (working title), is scheduled for release later this year.
If you're interested in tips on how to make emotions work for you instead of against you, subscribe to my free monthly newsletter by clicking here or contact me via email using jbariso[at]insight-global.de. (You can also reach out here on LinkedIn or via Twitter: @JustinJBariso.)
I also write for Inc. and TIME. Some other articles you might enjoy:
Food Science enthusiast with 5 years of experience in business development and product development.
7 年It depends on a situation. I agree that some sort of payment may encourage more of an intern at a basic level. I got internship outside of my resident city and I have to admit that I enjoy very much working there, but I also expected a payment since I would have to arrange my living cost there (and the payment was pretty good, so I was pushed to do my best too and not worry too much about my acommodation).
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Owner at Bouquiniste
7 年As an intern myself, I can say that it depends on the circumstances. At present I am interning at a small independent publishing house in Sydney. Through my experience I have learnt a great number of things about the industry and about book publishing, that I can safely say I couldn’t have learnt in my university classroom. Unfortunately, no amount of study can amount to the value gained from experience. I am more than happy to drive the 2.5 hours each way to the office and work for free two days a week, for two reasons. Firstly I know that I am helping a company that is helping others, through publishing unsolicited work and also through their huge philanthropic initiatives and because I know in this company every dollar counts. The second reason is that as an independent publishing house, I have gained experience that I will use for the rest of my career in the book industry, the work I have done has been greatly appreciated and important, and because they help their interns gain employment through their connections. So when you are working with someone who is passionate and appreciative, you don’t mind lending a helping hand as you are gaining just as much value in return. I can’t say I would feel the same way if I was interning at a global company who clearly had the means to compensate interns for the work they do. So in answer to the question, unfortunately there is no set answer; it all depends on the circumstances.
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