Fashion Careers, News, The Business
Will Prohibiting Unpaid Internships Kill the Fashion Industry?
By Lauren Sherman
Recently, there’s been lots of talk regarding the legality of unpaid internships. The New York Times, for instance, ran a story over the weekend about how labor officials in several states believe that most unpaid interns should be paid minimum wage. Patricia Smith, the federal Labor Department’s top official, has said that she and staff are planning to enforce labor laws on a national level.
What does this exactly mean for the fashion? Our industry, and most creative industries, rely on unpaid interns to make things happened. If we didn’t have unpaid assistants working on set, or in the office, magazines wouldn’t get published, film wouldn’t get developed, and fashion shows wouldn’t run so smoothly.
I know that, during my time in college, I did four internships, one of which I was paid a commission on sales that I closed. (It was at a boutique/art gallery.) However, the other three internships, which were in editorial, were unpaid. One landed me my first job out of college. Britt’s senior year internship also resulted in a job right out of school.
The good news: According to our better-educated colleagues at Above the Law, interns who are unpaid but receive college credit are fine. As are interns who are being mentored and educated by their superiors. The bad news: 18-hour days working on a shoot or a day spent cleaning the office–for free–is going to be harder for an employer to defend. That is, if labor officials do indeed question the company’s practices.
Thomas Onorato, a partner at New York public relations and events firm OW!, says that he sympathizes with both sides of the debate. “People mismanage their interns and turn them into personal assistants or a messenger service,” says Onorato. “Our small PR and event business would not run without the help of our amazing interns (which are very hard to find by the way!).”
On the other hand, he also worries that companies who can’t afford to pay interns minimum wage will become less effective, and that the lack of internships will leave many who aspire to break into the industry unprepared, not to mention deflated.
“I personally would not be where I am without the two amazing internships I had while in college. Yes, I got a lot of coffee and ran errands but I also watched and learned so much,” he says. “Many successful people in our industry started this way and it’s ridiculous to think these great opportunities for young professionals would all of a sudden go away.”
Whether you’ve been an intern, you are an intern, or you want to be an intern, what do you think?
Should everyone be paid something, or are unpaid internships simply a part of getting your foot in the door?
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Hmmm, if you read the articles you are mentioning, they are not speaking of outlawing internships. No one I have read on subject has mentioned that. What they are talking about is enforcing laws already on the books that entire industries are not following and no one is policing. Fashion, Publishing and the Arts are infamous for making people work full time for no money while exploiting loop holes . This has been going on for decades. Not only has it been illegal the whole time, it has become expected for many people (usually only those who's parents can afford to maintain them while they are working full time for no money) to work for nothing. It's not only ridiculous, but illegal. It also helps to keep those who can't afford to be in an internship away from the business. Internships have always been allowed by the law and will continue to do so, but they have guidelines and those need to be followed. It makes me laugh to think that multi-billion dollar industries; Fashion, Publishing and Fine Arts, as well as multi-million dollar industries like Non -profits, insist on taking the low road of illegal internships, rather than using legal internships for everyone's benefits. To say that fashion magazines, fashion houses and such do not have the money to pay for workers, and need to have free unpaid interns instead lets everyone know they are mismanaging their books and trying to come up with sad excuses for not paying people for work that needs to be done.
I can see both sides of the story. I am not in the fashion business but when I was in college I had to work a real job to be able to afford school and I feel like I really missed a leg-up on my career by not having the opportunity to do an unpaid internship. Maybe this will help those without trust-funds to get their foot in the door.
I worked all through college too, and I agree that I felt like I missed out on getting a leg-up. My only concern is that if they make it unpaid internships ok as long as college credit is offered, then there’s going to be a lapse of time where those who worked through college won’t be able to get internships because college students will be preferred (in order to keep it legal). Whew, that was a long sentence- everyone still with me? Ok. I’m right out of college and even now, before these laws going into effect, it’s hard to find internships OR jobs, and one of the things in my way is definitely that I no longer can accept college credit. Even if I accepted that during school it doesn’t really remedy the problem of not being able to work for free for an entire summer (during which I usually lived at home and made the money to pay for my room and board for the next year).
Let’s face it, getting started is just hard. I’ll be interested to see where this internship news ends up though.
I think the point is that if they are forced to pay, then many people will not want to offer interships. It really is a catch 22.
I was under the impression that most times they are unpaid college interns because if you get hurt, you are a liability of your school, not of where you got hurt.
I agree with Anon. No one disputes the value of internships except the people who are hiring the interns and refuse to value them…as in pay them. In other industries, people would be in an uproar if similar positions (i.e. admin assistants) went unpaid. Simply allowing unpaid internships in what I suspect are female-dominated industries (at least for the interns) is criminal (assuming no college credit is being given). Of course, it's easy to say “I wouldn't be where I was today without my internship.” You'd still be in the same place, you'd just have been PAID for it. And the incremental cost is minor in many cases. Additionally, allowing unpaid internships necessarily gives advantage to those that can afford to be unpaid (wealthier kids) and locks out people who must support themselves. I've done unpaid, I've done paid. Being paid was a HELL of a lot better. Why not support this? I can't understand why anyone would support unpaid internships unless they were using unpaid interns.
Unpaid internships are definately part of getting your foot in the door and saying to the employers, “Hey! Look at me!' Internships teach you fresh new perspectives you'll need in that certain area of expertise. It's all hands-on advice, advice, and guess what else? Advice. If they went away, newbies would be clueless as to what to do and who knows…out on the first day. The internships are the previews of future job opportunities. They are the keys to the locks of our futures.
I say allow supply and demand to take its course. No one is forcing anyone to work long hours, and if you don't like your job, you should quit–regardless of how much or little they're paying.
The fact is that so many people want to be a part of the entertainment industry (and fashion is very much about entertainment) that they're willing to work for free in order to get the required experience and connections to move up. If these positions weren't in such high demand, they pay would be better.
So interesting that you guys posted this as I've been thinking about this a lot lately.
I think interns should at least be paid minimum wage. For people like me, it's really hard to manage school, a job, and an unpaid internship. Why can't I just be able to make some money from my internship? In my eyes, I see it as creative whoring. A lot of the times, the interns provide really creative ideas, stores, ect. ect. If this is the case, shouldn't there be at least some reward?
I completely AGREE with you. It is a disgrace. So, Fashionista—you ask us what we think—would you ever NOT pay an intern?
I interned at a very prestigious fashion house for a year, out of college and it was the best experience of my life. It is probably the only thing on my resume that really pops out at employers. I might of done things that were a little ridiculous at times but, you just look back and laugh and realize that is how the industry works and that's how you pay your dues: Bringing your boss coffee and having it on his desk when he arrives, running around the city with 30lbs of clothes in garment bags, picking up things from their apartment (if they trust you). You earn trust and respect and the glamorous part of the job comes because of these things. I wouldn't trade my experience for the world; these internships hold true value.
I am someone who graduated in May of 09, and since then have been interning without landing a job. Before I graduated I had 4 internships as well, so I do have enough experience to have a job as at least an assistant. Since I can not receive college credit, I think it is strongly important to receive some kind of pay. I have been through the worst of internships and never been paid, so I am totally for this becoming more strict.
For those arguing for paid internships only, keep in mind that fashion isn't only big companies like LVMH or Gucci. It's also small designers like Zac Posen or someone you've never heard of who may have very small profit margins. The experience can still be worthwhile, and a way to build the experience that people will pay for.
As a small, bootstrapped start-up, most companies big or small really do value the contributions of their interns. We don't have a large budget, so in most cases what's offered is feedback, guidance and an opportunity for questions and learning. It may not seem like much, but very few jobs are going to offer you a chance to learn as you go, make mistakes and get feedback. Every internship is different, but as a free internship veteran I know that even when the work I got to do was basic, being able to observe how things worked made the experience worth the time I put in. I mostly did this in my last year of high school, but even before that had unpaid jobs that gave me a decent resume and connections before my first semester of college. I'd do it again without hesitation, and I hope that even though the internships we offer aren't paid, the people who participate in them feel the same. If they don't, we take that into consideration and try to strengthen the benefit to participants.
We're still developing, but I know that the first people we call on for paid assignments and jobs will definitely be from our pool of unpaid interns – many who've proved to be extremely talented, dedicated and all around amazing.
-YM, publisher, Signature9
And for shameless self promo, if anyone is interested in becoming an (unpaid) intern – no coffee runs, errands, busy work or irrelevant tasks included, consider applying with us: http://www.signature9.com/intern
My friend's mom runs an up+coming skin care line. She has lots of work to do and could use interns but can't afford to pay them. Finding a job is difficult right now, so gaining any sort of work experience is compromised. With the economy still taking its toll on business, finding a job (especially a summer job for when I come home from school) is increasingly difficult. So, unpaid internships benefit companies that don't have the compenstaion in their budget and students who need work experience. That peice of legislation may not be the best idea.
For those arguing for paid internships only, keep in mind that fashion isn't only big companies like LVMH or Gucci. It's also small designers like Zac Posen or someone you've never heard of who may have very small profit margins. The experience can still be worthwhile, and a way to build the experience that people will pay for.
As a small, bootstrapped start-up, most companies big or small really do value the contributions of their interns. We don't have a large budget, so in most cases what's offered is feedback, guidance and an opportunity for questions and learning. It may not seem like much, but very few jobs are going to offer you a chance to learn as you go, make mistakes and get feedback. Every internship is different, but as a free internship veteran I know that even when the work I got to do was basic, being able to observe how things worked made the experience worth the time I put in. I mostly did this in my last year of high school, but even before that had unpaid jobs that gave me a decent resume and connections before my first semester of college. I'd do it again without hesitation, and I hope that even though the internships we offer aren't paid, the people who participate in them feel the same. If they don't, we take that into consideration and try to strengthen the benefit to participants.
We're still developing, but I know that the first people we call on for paid assignments and jobs will definitely be from our pool of unpaid interns – many who've proven to be extremely talented, dedicated and all around amazing.
-YM, publisher, Signature9
And for shameless self promo, if anyone is interested in becoming an (unpaid) intern – no coffee runs, errands, busy work or irrelevant tasks included, consider applying with us: http://www.signature9.com/intern
as others have pointed out, there's a difference between a straight up unpaid internship and offering college credit.
it gets tricky when you start talking about summer internships. forcing employer's to pay people a minimum wage would definitely level the playing field, allowing people who don't have supplemental sources of income to gain valuable experience.
at the same time, as someone trying to start a company i do know that often, i just don't have the money to pay people market rate (though i do always offer to pay something.) though i will readily admit that in most cases, when i offer to pay market rate (or close to it) the level of service i get is much, much better. not knocking people who work for free (i've done it), just recognizing that a broader pool means more (and often better) options.
I'm a big fan of internships because mine led to an entry-level position at a magazine where I later became editor. I ran a bootcamp-style, unpaid internship program for years and many of the women and men “graduates” eventually worked for me and/or moved to NYC to get magazine jobs and, in two cases, have hired ME for freelance work. We've always relied on unpaid interns to get the magazine out the door; it's a simple fact of the publishing industry. Many unpaid internships are nothing more than free labor, but find one that gives you real skills and you might get your foot in the door.
I'm still surprised people support working without being paid. Many, many companies have low profit margins but still manage to pay people. I'm a systems engineer, but I've interned at a well-known medical journal and I was still paid enough to live on my own that summer (I've also interned in my field for very low pay). Unless you're being given college credit somehow (and frankly most small fashion houses should be able to manage that), you deserve to be paid for what you do. And if it's a tiny business, perhaps be given a portion of the profits. Do people really think it's okay to work without being paid? If so, stop calling it an internship and call it what it really is: volunteer work. I have no problem with that.
I'd also like to add that the publishing world is rife with untalented hopefuls who dream of working at a magazine. Many, many young applicants are crazy for fashion but are simply horrendous writers, let strong editors. I love fashion blogs, but I've had a few bloggers apply for internships and they struggle with working under an editor and learning to write magazine copy—as opposed to blog posts—after x-amount of years working independently. Internships are a good way for editors to learn who can work under pressure and still produce strong copy, weed out those who can't and hang onto those who can.
“People mismanage their interns and turn them into personal assistants or a messenger service,” says Onorato.”
This is the problem I encountered. I didn't learn anything as an intern except what time to pick her kids from school, how EXACTLY she liked her coffee, open mail and run around like a crazy person from one corner of the city to the other for hours.
Requests for lunch break resulted in eye rolling. And lord help you if you went to to the restroom, because the minute you stepped out everyone asked you a million times “Where were you for 30 seconds!?!?!!!”
Hi, I never say that they're outlawing them–I say that they're planing on enforcing laws already in place. Other than that–good points made!
Agreed, great thoughts. It’s an interesting paradox that this development could serve to make running a company in the fashion industry vastly more expensive, while opening doors to many young people who previously were unable to seek unpaid internships.
Your argument is almost non existent from the moment you start, using Zac Posen as an example of a small firm that needs to have unpaid labor in order to survive is actually funny. He is definitely not Gucci, but an international designer who sells high and low at places like Nordstrom and Target, he doesn't have enough money to pay someone 7.55 an hour to do reception and assist staff? Again, excuses that the fashion industry comes up with when they don't want to give up something that is illegal. I don't doubt that there are many tiny fashion companies out there that need staff, and they would prefer to have unpaid staff so that it doesn't cut into their profits. They can have interns, but they have to follow the law to do it. Otherwise they need to have the few staff they have work a lot more or have family members come and do work, like other small businesses have done and continue to do. Breaking the law is no longer an option.
It's funny that you use a photo of Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port as both of them are successful business women who started as unpaid interns (kind of).
Personally I think that it's fine not to pay interns, but its unfair to expect interns to invest 24hours a day in an unpaid job. As long as the enterprise not only takes advantage of not paying interns but also gives them valuable knowledge about the business, its completely ok. Cleaning the office or making coffee is not such a valuable knowledge. So I think that what you describe as bad news is actually good news as well.
http://thefashioncamp.blogspot.com
How, exactly, is that “bad news” Lauren? Are you that dense? Unpaid internships are free labor, nothing more nothing less. If the fashion industry can't survive without unpaid labor then good riddance, it doesn't deserve to exist. You girls are such knuckleheads sometimes…
as a former intern of elle magazine, i can tell you that the experience i gained from there was immeasurable. as rewarding of an experience as it was, i ended up paying $400 every month in transportation fees from connecticut to new york so that i could work essentially for free. i wasn't offered any kind of lunch or subway stipend, which, to be honest, is really ridiculous.
if these companies do, in fact, rely on interns to get their work done, then i think that pretty much says it all.
Nobody has mentioned stipends yet. I think the least even small firms can do is provide a lunch and travel allowance if the internship is unpaid and the intern isn't getting school credit. While I understand time is money, I also know that intern turn over rate can be extremely high and sometimes expectations of interns and employers are not the same. If a stipend was provided it would acknowledge that interns, no matter their social and economic status, struggle to be able to come work for free. A stipend would also let the employer know that they really do value the time and energy an intern gives. If internships are meant to be learning experiences and test runs for a future career, there needs to be clear expectations set during hiring so that interns and employers know what they are signing up for. A stipend would really help.
You sound like you work in the fashion industry.
A paid internship and an unpaid internship both result in getting coffee, carrying clothes, picking things up, etc… the only difference is one is similar to slavery and one isn't.
In these economic times, internships are not leading to job offers and many jobs that have been offered have been rescinded. Also, how are students that cannot afford to work for free being affected in the job market later on?
I once was an intern. I worked at a Manhattan Theater Company (we called it MTC for short…). While interning at said MTC, I carried my bosses urine sample to her doctor for her. (yep, this really happened). After my experience with that particular artistic director, I know all too well that many internships are seriously problematic.
Not being paid has a psychological effect both on the intern, and on her supervisors — often everyone in the equation buys into the idea that that the intern is worth as little as her paycheck. I fortunately had the self respect to say something about my role as a transporter of bodily fluids (and after saying something, I started studying for my LSATS so I could one day sue her… kidding, sort of, not really).
I sympathize with the arguments raised above, but also really think that interns are basically kids, with very little experience from which to judge what is right and wrong in a workplace, and even if they have the foundation to judge, they are often powerless to raise their voices in protest. When a group of people is essentially powerless in the market, and often abused as a result, it is exactly when the government should step in — to protect those who can't protect themselves, and to give a bullhorn to those who don't have a seat at the bargaining table.
If firms really can't afford to pay unpaid interns, they'll be forced to raise the prices of their goods. If this afflicts the entire fashion industry (as many seem to suggest), then no one firm will be at a comparative disadvantage to others. All fashion designers/firms/etc. would just be forced to pass on the costs of hiring interns to their customers, who would pay only slightly more for often very expensive merchandise, where the additional cost probably won't be as noticeable. I'm not really seeing the downside here – the clientele certainly aren't hurting for money and offering minimum wage is hardly a ridiculous expectation! For everyone talking about the wonderful opportunities that came out of your unpaid internships, how many of you were paying your own way at the same time and not leaning on your parents? All the current system does is shut out talented but not wealthy individuals who can't afford to take unpaid internships. I'd much rather pass that cost on to wealthy consumers of designer merchandise!
I graduated from college last May and the only work I can seem to find are unpaid internships. I'm not privileged, so I have to work in order to support myself. But even if I got some lunch and a metrocard out of the deal, that would make life so much easier.
My college friends who were engineers or in business did internships while in college and they were paid way above minimum wage (even if they were at a small firm). I think that fashion houses should give interns something at least, that way more people would consider trying to enter the industry.
I think it's not the unpaid work that's the problem so much as the fact that only people from privileged backgrounds can afford to work for free. Without financial support from parents or other sources, most average folk won't be able to do these unpaid internships. Any commentary that internships lead to great jobs just underlines the problem–these internships feed into a system wherein only those from privileged classes get the great jobs.
Why does the author assume that all these internships will simply disappear, rather than many of them being converted into paid positions for workers providing a valuable service?
To get any job in the fashion industry it is necessary to have a few internships on your resume. Unpaid internships for school credit are expected, especially in the fashion industry. I think it becomes a problem when the company or brand where you are interning begins to take advantage of you as an unpaid intern. I previously interned for a big name fashion publication. Without the interns, the fashion closet would have been in shambles. We worked extremely hard and received absolutely nothing in return, not even gratitude. It is really demeaning to work in that type of environment, where you put so much in and get nothing out of it. I learned how to print UPS shipping labels like a pro and that's about it. This was the worst voluntary experience of my life.
My internship now, although it is unpaid, differs tremendously. I am respected, my supervisors are happy to have me there, they want me to sit in on meetings, they respect my school schedule, and I am treated like a human. I don't mind working for free because I know that this will pay off and my hard work will have some return.
So, my point is that unpaid internships are ok, but come on people, unpaid interns are not slaves, we are hardworking students and deserve some respect, gratitude, and maybe even a job offering after we graduate!
This is an extremely tricky issue in that it might lead to less internship opportunities but at the same time fashion companies continue to operate the way that they do only because everyone turns a blind eye. In short, companies have been allowed to get away with way to much in terms of interns. This is speaking from past experience. Interns should be paid something (stipend, minimum wage, travel expense), anything would be better than what is happening right now. Companies should be able to afford this and frankly if they can't they should operate without the free labor. THE LAW IS THE LAW and if other industries pay for their labor, fashion shouldn't be an exception. This blind eye and lack of regulation has created many abuses because employers feel that they can do whatever they want with their interns.
I am not saying that this applies to every unpaid internship, as mine was valuable for the most part. But at the same time, I felt very used. I started as an intern for a luxury fashion brand, but eventually filled in as the unpaid sales assistant. I basically took the place of someone who had been previously paid. This was partly my fault in that I allowed this to happen. Of course if free labor is offered who is not going to take up the offer.
Regulations should be enforced!
P.S. “The bad news: 18-hour days working on a shoot or a day spent cleaning the office–for free–is going to be harder for an employer to defend.” This statement is just ludicrous.
That's why I always have a learning contract when I apply to internships, so I can get most out of it. Before I start working, I go over what my goals are and how the company can help me achieve them with my supervisor.
Giving school credit is great and I support how some companies don't hire unless the student gets school credit. That's bad news for me though because my school does not offer school credit for unpaid internship.
i would like to be an intern although I am still in high school, I think that giving school credit is a great idea for an unpaid internship, but if there is no school credit or the work done is simply labor like making copies or being messengers, not work that teaches, then the interns should be paid minimum wage. Where interns are able to learn a lot from the experience than pay doesn't seem necessary.
College credit IS NOT a fair substitute for pay. Getting college credit in no way guarantees that the internship will be a more valuable learning experience. In order tho receive credit, a student must pay their school many hundreds of dollars, essentially paying to work for free. I would rather do an unpaid internship (of which i've had many) than one for college credit.
i see both sides. if interns are paid i think there will be a lot less chances for other people to get in the door to intern. i think perhaps the rules of what constitutes an intern's job should be monitored. for example, being someone's cleaning service is outrageous.
“allowing unpaid internships necessarily gives advantage to those that can afford to be unpaid (wealthier kids) and locks out people who must support themselves”
VERY good point. But then, fashion has always struggled to maintain a sense of elitism.
SHARP- HARDWORKING- EAGER INTERN AVAILABLE !
HI I'm 22 I graduated from Syracuse with a BFA in advertising design and Jewelry, I spent the passed year working as media buyer /sales person for a family-run business to be able to afford my move to NYC to get into the fashion industry. I’m smart, hard working & goal oriented. I would love an opportunity to have an internship like some mentioned above, where I can learn, grow, ask questions and make connection. If anyone is looking for a super start self started please contact me! I would love to gain experience!
Robynkorine.com
robynkorine@gmail
http://twitter.com/RobynKorine
While I was in college, I had four local internships–all in the arts; none in the fashion industry specifically–and was paid for three of them, and one of them, my intern supervisor compensated me with a travel stipend to cover my commute to the internship from my school. All of my internships have been enormously rewarding–I earned the opportunity to write copy, run conference calls, sit in on meetings with CEOs and other VIPs, plan and attend cocktail events, etc.
With that said, I would have loved the opportunity to intern at a fashion magazine, since at the end of the day, I would like a career in publishing. Each summer, I've held preliminary conversations with editors and fashion assistants regarding an internship and have had to cut them short once compensation came up because I knew I couldn't afford to live in NYC as an unpaid intern. However, my generation is different: we can blog, use social networks and get our names out there in a way the Joe Zees, Anna Wintours and Glenda Baileys of past generations couldn't. So I've used that to my advantage and have built a network of editors and industry professionals who serve as mentors and confidants while I'm miles away in Texas.
All of this to say: You do what you can to earn a seat at the table. I have friends who have interned for “free” and they have nothing but good things to say about their experiences. And I don't harbor any animosity towards them for taking advantage of an opportunity I wasn't afforded. It just motivates me to work harder.
It's been very intriguing to read this debate.
A lt of the current buzz designers rely completely on free interns, especially in london. Most have one or two members of paid staff and the rest interns. Even at McQueen there's a small handful of staff and tens of interns. While legally interns here are meant to be paid, there is really no one enforcing this, and designers can simply claim you are 'observing'.
For anyone complaining about how they were treated on their internship – sit down and talk through what is expected of you beforehand and agree upon hours. At the end of the day most design companies need as many hands as possible, and if you're reasonable and hnest about what you can manage to do, they will either acted the same to you or you will know straight away that you will not feel comfortable there.
As a person who has already graduated college, has been in the workforce for 3 years and is looking to switch to a career in fashion but cannot go back to school, I wish I could do an unpaid internship. Unfortunately, majority of internships are only open to those who can accept college credit which means that I'm SOL.
Never been here before (came from the ATL link), which is to say that I don't know a thing about the fashion industry. But when you say, “magazines wouldn’t get published, film wouldn’t get developed, and fashion shows wouldn’t run so smoothly,” you're confirming that interns add value to those businesses. They are production inputs. Such labor is not meant to be free, economically speaking.
Obviously you can cite “industry tradition” as the justification for not paying interns (justification generally–not legally). And that flies with me, personally. But, at bottom, you're receiving value for free, so you're basically getting away with something. The interns' ability to put something new on their resumes isn't much of an economic rent, if you get me.
Anyway, I don't really have a dog in this fight. If interns keep signing up for free, it certainly must make some sense for them. Just want to ensure that you understand the employers are getting something for nothing. They ought to think of it as a privilege, not a right.
(As a collateral point, the pauperism argument fails–if you've got an intern doing something more than twiddling his thumbs, then he's probably worth minimum wage. Especially if the shows wouldn't run smoothly (or what have you) if not for him and his little intern friends.)
not sure if this is good or not but cutrone wanting to CHARGE interns is a fucking joke.
Internships should absolutely be paid! I have done three internships where I worked incredibly hard, and at the end all I recieved was “Thanks, good luck”. And here I am still trying to find a job. With this said I think internships need to be paid and heres why…
1.) Interns will be looked at more as employees, and less as free labor; so we won't be taken advantage of
2.) Interns would be screened more carefully because they are costing the company money. At one of the places I interned at, they thought interns were a dime a dozen, and we had several come and go.
3.) This is a capitalist society, I can't tell my landlord “instead of paying rent I'll teach you what I know ” so why on earth should that be the case for an internship?
And one last thing while I'm blowing off steam regarding this subject…I interned at a very well known profitable magazine. I knew just as much, if not more than the market editor and could do her job with my eyes closed. The difference between me and her is that she was in the right place at the right time and knew the right people in order to get the job. And with the help of the interns she could not do her job, so why doesn't this magazine with money pay their interns is beyond me, and if the claim is 'we can't afford it' well then take it out of the editors salary because I'm doing part of her job.
Um, reminder to everyone who advocates offering internships for school credit: you have to pay tuition to get school credit.
That means that the internship not only is unpaid, you have to pay thousands of extra dollars for the privilege.
Not so much of a solution, when usually that internship isn't going to be much of a help meeting those B.A. requirements.
I interned for a pretty well known magazine and it was definitely one of the silliest decisions I've made in my life. Working unpaid should not exist. There's simply no justification for it. EVER. I agree with everything Brian said about why interns should be paid. I learned a couple of things but nothing I could apply to any future working situation. I've learned more at paid job positions. I basically got nothing out of the deal except a slight dislike for NYC and a fond hatred for trust fund debutants. There was blantant favouritism (if you were rich and had connected parents you didn't do anything but hob knob at the parties) and all the other interns were treated very poorly. You did dishes, took out trash and couldn't come to the company parties unless you were working. You didn't attend any meetings of any type and rarely swapped a word with any editor besides your boss unless you went really out of your way. I remember one friend of mine being dragged out in a snowstorm to deliver something to her bosses boyfriend. I also remember the publisher bitching me out once for asking an important question which pertained to my responsibilities. What a shitty work environment! I hope this federal law passes. . I would love to see those former employers squirm as they realize they're so up the creek without a paddle and will have to start treating people fairly. Which means the mag will probably go under . . . and I'll happily fan the flames.
As others have pointed out already, its really much a catch 22. Part of me says that they should keep allowing unpaid internships because alot of smaller companies might not function without them, but I realize I'm also coming from a different place than many people because I have a large university scholarship which allows me to work during the year and have that money go towards staying in New York for an internship, instead of for my tuition.
I do know some universities have scholarships specifically for internships (they function much like study abroad scholarships, where you write an essay about how this internship will help you and apply), and I think that should be put in place at many more universities.
I also have an issue with the college credit part. Usually, at least at my school, receiving college credit involves taking a summer (or winter) internship course. To do that, you have to pay for it, which means that taking an internship for credit costs significantly more than just a regular unpaid internship. Especially if you are on scholarship or other kinds of financial aid, because often those do not cover the costs of the (usually very expensive) summer courses.
I work in the fashion industry and we have interns. And, we abide by Federal and California labor laws. As quoted by ATL, all you have to do is follow the rules: educational credit or mentorship. Start ups or not, we all need to abide by these. Not to mention that if your interns are minors, you have a whole host of other rules that apply. All start ups need to do is provide some sort of credit or other means of compliance.
Any job worth doing is worth being paid to do. I do understand economy ect., but what are we telling young people about their worth.. It is an amazing concept what you put out always comes back and most of the time alot more than you think.. DON'T BE CHEAP… Biggest pet peeve in life CHEAP PEEPS!