Is there such a thing as a valuable internship?

As the saying goes, “If you are good at something, never do it for free”. This quote speaks volumes to myself as I reflect on some of my internship experiences I have had over the years. In the business world our skills and knowledge is what pushes us forward in our careers, so why would we allow our skills to be used without compensation within the job market?

This may be taken a little harsh, so let me explain better. Nothing in this world is free, we can all agree on that. Currently in college many of us do not realize what our worth is out in the job market. We struggle to receive internships, unpaid ones at that, just to add a nice name to our resume. I am very much guilty of that and I have learned all of this the hard way. We as consumers assess value to certain products based on how much we are willing to pay for them. Work that you are willing to do is a tangible good that employers are willing to pay for, but if they are not willing to pay for it you need to reevaluate the position you are in.

Consider this, is the work you are doing benefiting or adding real value to the company? Internships are used to let inexperienced individuals gain real world experience; it sets them up for better opportunities. But if your work as an intern has no real value and does not matter to the employer, are you really going to receive more opportunities? We have also used internships to gain contacts and networking with executives within a field we desire to work in, we hope to get recommendations from our superiors. As an intern, would you like the recommendation from an employer who does not value you enough to pay you?

Many will argue that some companies just do not have the money to pay interns, which is completely understandable; but if an intern is doing the same work amount as an entry-level position they should not be doing this for free. We have been taught in school that we need to build up our resumes and get real world experience and I couldn’t agree more, but wasting your time at an internship that is unpaid and has no real future for you, is not time well spent. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask for compensation for our hard work; even if this is a part-time internship it should be a paid one at that. Never offer your business services for free, those skills you have in the business world is what will make your career and push you further.

- Amanda C