The Jobs That Don't Pay

As someone who graduated less than a year ago, I fall into that field of young recent graduates who have scrambled for work in a tough economy. It was rough in the early months before a found something. Granted that job was not in my field of study. You hear some positive news here and there regarding job creation yet many in my age bracket lack that big thing called experience. How else do you get experience unless you get a job, right? Well there is something else. What is lower than entry level? That would be that internship. They come in two forms: the paid variety and the unpaid variety.

The last few graduating college classes as well as a couple soon to be graduated college students see internships as an option to gain that said experience and do something. With less job openings than there were two or three years ago, the amount of unpaid internships has risen. The rise has subsequently led to some suspicion and worry if these internships are being used to abuse free labor. The large amount of unpaid internships leads one to speculate if minimum wage laws are being violating. Officials across the country have begun looking into the legal aspects of employers' hiring practices. Unlike workers who are paid scraps, the individuals who pursue internships are less inclined to complain about being over worked or misused as they are trying to get their feet in the door somewhere or some place else.

The Labor Department has begun to educate interns better and cracked down on firms. Any for-profit agency intern is entitled to be paid under the law. Many employers failed to uphold their legal responsibility whether or not it met the criteria to be eligible be have unpaid interns. Criteria for an internship to be unpaid include: the internship should be similar to the training that would be given in a vocational school or academic institution; the intern should not be replacing or taking the place of a normal paid worker; and the employer doesn't gain an advantage from the intern's activities. These are three of the six criteria.

It is tough to exactly pinpoint how many paid vs unpaid internships there are, but it cannot be overstated that there are more people who will accept an unpaid internship in this tough climate as they see it as the only way to boost their resumes. Some studies do show three times the amount of unpaid internships than two years ago. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found two years ago that since 1992 the amount of graduating students with at least one internship on their resume went up from 17% to 50%. There are hundreds of thousands of students taking internship and there is easily more than 1/3rd that are unpaid. The number is possibly even higher.

Out west in Oregon, they have uncovered several internship abuses. There were cases where unpaid interns were replacing regular staff members and given responsibility without supervision and pay. Some cases have been brought forward where unjustly treated interns were given settlements. Other individuals in some states thought they were going to be doing one thing and then forced to do menial tasks that would not serve their future. Another thing brought up, which I for one saw coming, is the fact that unpaid internships are easy for well-off individuals to take. I did an internship program two years ago where I paid for the program and luckily received a stipend for the summer, but otherwise it was unpaid. Many individuals who need paying jobs will most likely decline internships that are unpaid while those who have enough money can boost their resumes and future career path. So, the more unpaid internships we have, more higher income students will have an extra advantage over middle to lower class students. These higher income students also might have connections that add to their advantage.

Some despite the fact that they aren't financially stable to do so still pursue these unpaid internships. It is tough because many employers look for internships and experience on resumes, but you can't afford taking time off to work at an unpaid internship then you become less qualified to an employer. Some industries are looking to give students a high caliber experience in order to make up for the lack of pay. But on the other end of the spectrum, some places that do pay interns don't necessarily give interns a proper educational experience. Of course, depending on your interest there might be a higher amount of unpaid internships while other industries might have a low amount of unpaid internships.

As someone who is looking to get into the political field or non-profit area of the economic market; unpaid internships have less strict regulations there. A lot of work is done on a volunteer basis and generally serve candidates, charities, or any other person or group. In both sectors, employers are required in states like California to ensure interns can receive college credit to compensate for the absence of pay. However, the college credit "payment" does not give an automatic free pass to make interns do labor for a company unpaid.

That six criteria mentioned earlier is under scrutiny from the Labor Department as it has been over 60 years since those standards were set during a time when apprenticeships and unpaid labor was not too uncommon in the wake of World War II. I know from my family that my grandfather and his brothers all picked up trades through such apprenticeships and such. However, in 2010, things are a lot more expensive and we see hardly anyone who would freely not get paid if it didn't mean a notch on their belts or resumes. One lawyer mentioned that as the standards are set now, the intern is not supposed to be doing work that gives their employer an advantage. But as someone who has done multiple internships, the internships serve the employer and intern mutually and that is something has been brought up in terms of both sides are an advantage because of the internship. Lastly, unpaid interns aren't given any benefits and privileges and are also not protected from any harassment in the office.

One thing is for sure, there are definitely more and more unpaid internships popping up and it is tough for many to decline them as they scramble for limited jobs in this tough market. I have passed up multiple unpaid internships because I would not feel financially stable as I would need to live while working for free. At the same time, I have bills and tuition payments and it is just too tough to not get paid at this time in my life. There are certainly many people in a similar situation. Also, I can say in all my internships I was treated to a full experience and learned a lot. There are too many unpaid internships that are taking advantage of students and recent graduates who just want to get themselves one step closer to their dreams.

I strongly recommend reading the article below where I got the inspiration for this post from. It has many points I mentioned and a lot of examples and other information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html?hp=&pagewanted=all