Can I Work for Free?

Now more then ever and internship has become one of the, if not the most important step any undergraduate or graduate student can take. Though many graduate students naturally work hard and do well in school, an internship can provide you with real world experience, networking opportunities, and exposure to important individuals. However, it also seems that now more then ever it is nearly impossible to work for free. This seems like a difficult issue to understand, but when you examine it more closely it (unfortunately) makes a great deal of sense.

The first hurdle an intern has to overcome is the stereotype of being unreliable and immature. Considering that many internships pay very little (or not at all) it would not be unusual for an intern to simply quit without giving any sort of prior notice. This is especially true if this same intern is lucky enough to be hired at another position within a full time capacity. To put it mildly, they would be fools not to leave this position as quickly as possible. However, how did this intern have the ability to be hired in the first place? Simple, they gained experience from their internship. This logic will eventually lead any Human Resource personnel to believe that in an intern-employer relationship the intern has everything to gain and the employer everything to lose.

The second hurdle an intern has to overcome is the reluctance of many employers to hire interns without pay in the first place. This practice is technically illegal because under federal law an employer cannot compensate an individual who is producing anything for them. In some circles this is considered almost a form of professional slavery. This means that, for example, a railroad intern can drive the engine all over as long as it's not pulling anything. This means that an intern cannot help pitch a new idea to a potential client or look for ways to save money within the budget. In many ways this law simply creates a more competitive atmosphere for interns. Now that they are paid employees (albeit not well paid) of an organization, it is considered that interns will produce for a company rather then learn from it. This in some ways is beneficial to both the intern and the employer, but can also be a very negative experience for the intern and employer. This is particularly troublesome considering that an intern is supposed to "learn" not "do" while they intern. To make this problem even worse, many employers have completely frozen or terminated any internships program to save money and avoid prosecution.

It seem ridiculous that a company would not want to hire (even at minimum wage) an individual who is obviously well qualified and willing to work hard for some exposure. Particularly in this current economic environment its hard to imagine why so many employers are not looking for new ideas to propel their organizations into the future. However, even with all these hurdles internships are still available and some can have very beneficial outcomes for both the intern and the employer. For example, many schools offer internships through their own relationships with business and community partnerships. More and more employers have begun to provide interns with "intern contracts" that morally and ethically "bind" the intern from any behavior that may be disruptive to the organization. Though such documents are not legal, it is highly frowned upon by professionals to go against your own word. There are also small businesses and start ups that are willing to gamble on the inexperience of a student for the possibility of finding the newest, freshest ideas within their respective industry. Though it may not be impossible to find an internship, it is incredibly hard to work for free.