Free Labor?

This summer, The New York Times published an article examining a hot button issue debated heavily in our society—should all student internships be paid?

I could hear all of your voices as you read this now.  “Of course we should be paid!  Our work is free labor!  How is this topic even up for discussion?”  However, the reality is that a majority of internships are offered for academic credit—that is, without an hourly rate, weekly stipend or benefits.  In essence, students are paying their colleges or universities for credit(s) in exchange for the permission to gain field experience by working at a company for a certain amount of hours per week.  After taking into account the cost of transportation, a new professional wardrobe, lunch on the job and sometimes even new living arrangements, accepting a new internship can cost a student a pretty penny.  Nine times out of ten, that is a pretty penny many college students do not have. 

Despite this seemingly unfair arrangement, career advisors, professors and parents continue to urge students to participate in internship programs.  In doing this, many students hope that investing their time and money into an internship position will help them to secure a job upon graduation.  Undoubtedly, field experience looks great on a resume.  But what, exactly, is the likelihood that an unpaid internship transitions into a full-time position? 

Legally, any profitable company that hires interns for academic credit is supposed to create an educational learning environment for their students.  For example, internship programs should offer their students training, mentoring and instructional workshops.  However, this is not always the case.  Instead, many interns remain stuck at the bottom of the totem pole, fetching coffee for the higher ups and pleading with the copy machine to NOT jam up their boss’ latest presentation.  While many students are satisfied with working their way up to less menial tasks in the workplace, how long will interns allow themselves to be taken advantage of?

Now more than ever before, students are fighting back and petitioning against internship programs that reap the benefits of the “free labor” they receive from students.  The aforementioned article, entitled “Unpaid Interns: Silent No More,” discusses this popular movement of students fighting against this system.  The question is, how will this movement play out, and will all interns finally see dollar signs at the end of the tunnel?