Unpaid Internships: Being Paid in Skill Growth is Not Enough

We all know the benefits of taking on internships during and right after your college career: you build crucial skills in a related field, you get to test out various work environments and find a style that works for you, you enhance your resume with real world experiences, etc. Internships are a stepping stone into the working world, but for many, unpaid internships are forcing them to choose between earning an income and building their resume.

There are two types of unpaid internships: those that are providing college credit as compensation, and those that are not. When not for credit, unpaid internships are exactly as they sound: no income for the work they are doing. However, many universities across the United States require their students to participate in at least one internship for credit in order to graduate. Students, then, have to pay for these credits, as it is a part of their tuition. Not only are these students not getting paid, they are paying an academic institution to do the job. As The New York Times puts it, "Instead of receiving no wages, students are, in effect, receiving a negative wage."

It is important to note that many college students are not financially supported by their families. This could be due a myriad of reasons, ranging from being a low income household, the student/parents opting for financial independence, a lack of parental figures to provide support, etc.

For many students, this is a critical dilemma. In general, internships take up about 10-20 hours of work per week. Many college students work at least one job, and these 10-20 hours of work are taking away from a time they could be getting paid.

Let's run some math. In a five day work week, there are 120 hours. Assuming a student is getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep, then a student is awake for 80 hours. Classes take up roughly 15 hours a week, and homework and study time take up approximately 17. This approximation includes weekends, so let's shorten it to 14. Now, we are at 51 hours left in the week. According to Market Watch, 80% of students in college work a part-time job, with students working an average of 19 hours a week. Now, we're down to 32. Next, let's factor in self care items such as eating, showering, doing laundry, etc. to be about 3 hours a day, leaving a student with 17 hours of free time during this 5 day period. Students value and rely on social time, so let's say a student spends two hours a day hanging out with friends. Now, there's only 7 hours left in the week.

It's not hard to see how a student is forced to choose between working part-time and an unpaid internship. There simply is not enough time for both. Often times, the students who can afford unpaid internships are the ones who have the financial support to do so. This leaves students who are financially independent to make some very tough decisions.

How can you help? The simple answer is do not offer unpaid internships--pay these students for the work they are doing.

What are your thoughts on unpaid internships? Have you ever done one? Let's discuss.