jessicagoldharalson:

marco:

If interns are doing valuable work, pay them.

Someone PLEASE send this memo to the journalism industry, which considers unpaid internships a badge of honor.

Unpaid internships are great for the Tina TrustFunds of the world who have Mommy and Daddy to support their aspirations. But for those of us who need to eat? Not so much.

i wholeheartedly agree. i can’t take unpaid internships. financially cannot. 

the irony is that there are great, paid internships available, but those internships that are the coveted, highly-competitive ones are nearly always unpaid. 

i think internships—in general—encourage a climate that caters to students financially reliant upon their parents (you know, the ones who complain about their course load, but haven’t held a job in their life), and results in companies wondering why their interns don’t have a developed work ethic or the professional skills necessary to jump right into a demanding position. 

no wonder the internship stereotype of fetching coffee and doughnuts from the local shop still exists—because most students don’t have any developed skills beyond commerce economy, as in, they know how to buy shit with a credit card, and that’s really about it.

the most qualified interns are probably the ones that can’t afford to apply for your unpaid internship, because they are the ones who’ve been working since they could apply for a work permit, know why they want to work and would seek to develop new skills from their employer, instead of just taking a job to complete their perfume-scented resume.