The value of internships

[katie88]

I am a recent communications university graduate moving to New York on a 12 month working visa from Australia in a couple of months and I don’t really know whether I should go over with the expectation to intern for free or find paid work.

I have spent three years working in apart-time paid PR position for a large multinational while I completed my undergraduate degree so I have significant experience under my belt and a heapof good references.

My question is am I selling myself short by applying for unpaid internships, or is it unreasonable to expect that I might be able to land a full-time paid role? I suppose I'm really not familiar with the interning culture in America and I would like some more insight into it.

I am interested in finding a PR position inthe arts industry, for example galleries etc, however I understand that this is a highly competitive industry which favour those with significant experience inthe sector.

I am also considering applying for work at a PR agency which specialises in the arts.

Any advice on what I should expect would be much appreciated.

[qbtacoma]

I can't speak to the situation in NYC or your field, but here is my take on interning in the US.

I feel like unpaid internships in corporate settings are not worth the time. This is mostly because they do not produce skill-building. From the employer's perspective, the unpaid intern may, at any moment, flake out (even if the intern has no intention of doing so) because the consequence/motivation of a paycheck isn't there. Thus the employer is unlikely to risk time/project efficiency by giving the intern significant responsibilities.

However, sometimes unpaid internships can be a step in the door. If there is a trial period of, say, three months, after which the employer wants to hire you, then it would be worth it. It *might* also allow for introductions to other people in the industry, but they too will know if you were the unpaid coffee-maker or the paid intern. So, again, this depends.

However again! In fields such as the arts, nonprofits, etc volunteers DO get a huge benefit from their activity in the long term. By volunteering (e.g. unpaid interning) you show that you are dedicated to the organization and are reliable, competent, etc. I've been told that I have an in for jobs at several places I volunteered long-term. These were service organizations, though, and if you are looking to get into the corporate/admin side of the arts I think volunteering may not help you.

What is most likely is that you will get a part-time internship with a stipend. Especially with this economy, that kind of deal is the best offer I've seen for people with no previous experience/contacts. Don't assume that you won't be able to find paid work (and don't assume that you don't deserve it!), but volunteer somewhere as you are looking for paid work. If nothing comes up, the organization you are with might pull through.

[neuropsych76]

I've done two internships as an undergrad and they have both been invaluable for me. The first one was working at a hospital and was unpaid but I received great experience and even though it sucked working two jobs that summer, it helped me refine my interests as well. My second internship paid for my living expenses but that was it. I worked in a lab far away from my home and it was a great experience as well. I'm not sure if these experiences will directly help me get into graduate school but so far every professor I've talked to has brought them up so they must be somewhat noteworthy and they were great learning opportunities for me.

Long story short: Unpaid internships can be hard in the short run, but if you find a really good one it can help you long term.

[communications13]

It really depends on the situation. I too did two internships, at one I didnt learn much, I was mostly there to photocopy (although, I now am a kickbutt photocopier). At the other I had an amazing experience in my feild of Media in a once of a lifetime environment. There ARE internships that are worth your time and are career making experiences but they are few and far between and are hard to find. Internships, depending on your feild and I'm sure PR is one of them can be hard to find (good ones anyway) too. Many it is a requirement that you be IN SCHOOL and you are receiving CREDIT for the internship.

With the job market the way it is, there is value in interning while you make the long look. I had an intern supervisor tell me something very smart, when you find a good paying job, the people you intern for should not be upset if you leave them to take it. They know you need to live, to make money, especially if you had been working for them for free. If they do get upset, they didn't have your best interest in mind and you don't want to work for that anyways.

[cizinka]

i have to say i agree with qbtacoma...

unpaid internships are for the dogs. they have replaced entry level positions thus putting all those who come out of grad school looking for a place to get our foot in the door at a disadvantage.

you probably won't get the experience you want (i've done a couple of them - prestigious ones too - and you tend to just sit in the corner... or bring things to the post office) because as qbtacoma pointed out, they aren't going to give anyone unpaid real responsibility.

if they do by chance give you real responsibility, that's pretty much illegal.... and it's not very fair to be doing something for free that other people get paid to do.

i went to grad school in nyc and i hoped to find a job in art pr as well -- not a chance. but i was coming out of grad school in '08 so there were no jobs.

when i have kids i am going to warn them away from unpaid internships.

[Burkis]

It depends on the internship and what you hope to get out of it. My former classmate completed an unpaid internship at CNN (Anderson Cooper 360) a few years back and found it useful because he developed a good working relationship with Anderson who in turn offered to help him find employment in his area of interest. So, what are you hoping to get out of this? Do you want to further your skills, transition from intern to fulltime employee at the company, or both?

Unpaid internships are worth it if you have clear end-goals in mind.

[adinutzyc]

An unpaid internship in a corporate setting is illegal (although not uncommon) in the United States. Only nonprofits are allowed to offer unpaid internships, legally.

That being said, it is your choice, but if I were you I wouldn't take an unpaid internship in a corporate setting, especially not in New York (NYC is expensive). Again, working for a nonprofit is a different deal.