The Ethical and Legal Issues of Unpaid Internsihps: Your Rights

If you are starting to think about your career, you are probably considering internships. An internship is a good way for you to earn college credit while deciding if a particular field is right for you. However, paying gigs are difficult to come by and often found in more "glamorous" fields such as entertainment and politics. If your internship does not fall into this category, you might consider settling for an unpaid one instead.

Unpaid internships can be difficult to survive. Your parents may not have the financial resources to support you during your internship, and you may not be able to find paid work to support yourself. You can take out a loan but what if you already have several out to pay for college? One of the biggest questions of all is: are these unpaid opportunities legal?

According to CollegeRecruiter.com, unpaid internships are legal. The employer is agreeing to take on a student and teach them the ropes of an industry. If the student is receiving school credit and gaining real world experience (meaning not just "grunt work), then it is a good opportunity to put on a resume. Some interns aren't paid mainly because they are not full blown professionals and cannot bring as much to an organization as someone with more experience. Keep in mind that this means you are more of a volunteer.

In an article in the New York Times, a student services administrator at the University of Virginia said that overwhelming amounts of students applied to receive summer stipends, which are modest at best. The administrator said she had ten times more applications than normal and said "it was heartbreaking" to not give one to everyone who applied and needed it. Many of these students are then forced to use their stipend to support their families. In order to make up for not being paid, they sacrifice in other ways such as living at home and commuting to work or living in free housing.

In order for these internships to be legal, the Department of Labor has outlined six standards that an experience must fall under for it to be acceptable to not pay interns. However, not all of these standards have to be present. Among the criteria:

The training benefits the student.

The student is not hired in place of a regular employee but works closely with one.

The student is not guaranteed a job after the internship ends.

There are also ten questions that an internship site must consider when hiring unpaid interns. Half of these questions must have a "yes" answer:

Is the work a part of the course of study?

Will the student receive course credit or is this internship required for graduation?

Does the intern have to submit a report to his or her advisor?

Is the internship educationally relevant as proved by the college or university?

Will the intern have the same or similar duties as regular employees, and will they be able to learn from these responsibilities?

Is the student shadowing or learning from current employees?

Does the internship provide opportunity to learn a relevant skill?

Is it related to class material?

Is the intern supervised by a staff member?

Is it understood that a job is not guaranteed after the internship?

Although there are many questions and controversies surrounding these opportunities, having an unpaid internship is not necessarily a negative thing. Students often get to learn what a field is really all about, including company cultures and an understanding of the expectations of full time employees. They can learn skills that they haven't picked up in college courses. Furthermore, making connections is not to be underrated. Interns can meet people in the industry who can recommend them to others in the field, and all this could lead to a job opportunity upon graduation.

Aside from receiving financial assistance in the form of loans or grants, a student can also try to find a part time job throughout the duration of their internship. Although it is unappealing to wait tables or work in retail, their job will still give them invaluable experience and teach them responsibility. No matter what experience a student gets, it is still something to put on a resume. Employers like seeing loyalty and a sense of responsibility even if an applicant spent time waiting tables.

For today's college students, gaining any internship is necessary to get their foot in the door of the industry of their choice. Unfortunately, sometimes students must make sacrifices to gain this invaluable experience. Even if they are giving up monetary compensation, they will still have something to offer once they enter the job market upon graduation.