Internships were created for experience, a gateway entry into career positions we fathom after watching The September Issue or reading inspirational quotes from Kelly Cutrone. We were taught internships were the politically correct resume builders essential to our well-being and competitive build against our peers; they were our educational experience outside of text books and tuition costs. Where did we go wrong?
Xuedan Wang, former intern for Harper Bazaar Magazine, filed a suit against Hearst Corporation in a high-profile case for 40 plus hours per week of labor with no compensation. She made a thought-provoking statement in which " Employers' failure to compensate interns for their work, and prevalence of the practice nationwide, curtails opportunities for employment, fosters class divisions between those who can afford to work for no wage and those who cannot, and indirectly contributes to rising unemployment." Most are waiting on the outcome of the suit and some are considering it challenge, yet they're not totally dismissing efforts. "The biggest challenge will be getting more interns involved. They have less incentive to sue and risk being black listed," stated Susan Scafidi. Wang has opened eyes on a subject matter that will directly affect companies internship structure and how interns will evaluate their experience.
Despite your stance on the lawsuit, there's a very critical bottom line to be notated here. Entry-level positions we find ourselves qualified for are becoming obsolete, in which when you're interviewing for that one opening at your favorite publication, there are hundreds who find themselves just as qualified as you because they've worked various internships at unpaid rates with well-respected companies whose direct purpose wasn't for the intern to gain an educational experience, but for the company to directly benefit from the efforts. There's an uneven scale that needs to be tipped with opportunity versus monetary gain (on the company's end) in order for the scales to balance out, making the competitive pool more logical to swim in. In the current state, if you're juggling unpaid internships (plural) with school you are lagging in the race. There should be a distinctive mark in which makes your resume more charming than the next's and it isn't an internship.
This does not mean you should call the internship coordinator and tell them you quit nor does it mean you should not partake in internships period. Think outside of the socially inclined box we've been placed in when it comes to career decisions, because the traditional how-to-steps in which to make a living no longer exists.
Based in East London, Lazy Oaf is a graphic brand that focuses on illustration in design.
