Internships: Because you're worth it?

Louise thinks making people to pay to do work experience is just a little bit cheeky, even though unpaid work can be a valuable addition to your CV. After studying a masters in journalism at Goldsmiths and slogging through hours of unpaid internships and work experience herself, Louise managed to land her dream job as an editorial assistant - with Lifetracks.com!

Old folks tell me that a degree used to mean a job 10 years ago, but it seems we're now fighting to give our labour away free of charge, or even paying for the privilege. Unbelievably, money is changing hands for unpaid internships. That's right - graduates are paying for services to help with contacts and covering letters to secure that dream placement.

Aside from the fact that that if you have the right skills you shouldn't have to pay a service to prove that for you, this highlights the climate we're in. With nearly one in five of us under 25s are out of work, competition is fiercer than ever. Employers are cashing in – after all, why pay for something when you can get it for free? But as the culture of unpaid-work-as-the-norm spreads like a rash, we're getting a bad deal – and not just financially.

The law states that if you work fixed hours, have responsibility for set tasks, and are not a student, you're defined as a 'worker' and should be paid minimum wage. But even the Government's own Graduate Talent Pool offers internships which pay expenses only. While It's great that the rules governing unpaid work are being examined, unfortunately nothing's going to change overnight.

"I just wasn't used to earning money from my chosen profession, and wasn't sure I deserved it."

When I was hunting for a job, there were shockingly few entry level positions around, not because entry level workers weren't needed but because interns were doing their jobs, presumably to cut costs. Instead of feeling confident in my experience after doing lots of unpaid work, I was hesitant when applying to paid positions. I just wasn't used to earning money from my chosen profession, and wasn't sure I deserved it.

The fact that unpaid internships are often an unwritten requirement of getting into a career doesn't just mean richer young people who can afford to do them have an unfair advantage. Making anyone work for free for too long is exploitation of their ambition and willingness to make sacrifices for their dream job.

Short of taking to the streets in protest, I've learned the most important thing is to ensure you get what you want out of your internship, and that your employer keeps to their side of the bargain. Value yourself, know what you're doing there and ask to learn new skills and for new responsibilities, so that you can show them off to future employers. Even if you aren't being paid, you're still worth it.

By Louise Ridley

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