Internships: Should You Go For Paid or Unpaid?

Ask anyone whether they would rather work in a paid or unpaid environment and the response is likely a resounding, "Paid!" After all, who would actually prefer to toil in a job without receiving any payment at all? Internships can often be viewed the same way. After all, interns work hard on a regular basis during internships, so of course many prefer to participate in internships that will reward them with an income. Yet, a paid internship is not always the best internship. Deciding between a paid and unpaid internship can be challenging, but it is not impossible as long as you assess the quality of the opportunity that the internships will provide and what you are looking to get out of it.

Internships are something that all college students, no matter what field they are looking to join, should consider. Internships provide students with valuable work experience that will aid them in future job searches. Though an education is important, many employers also seek applicants who have some kind of professional experience. New graduates typically do not have the opportunity to gain relevant experience, so having a few internships under their belts will help them to convince employers that they are ready for the job.

When it comes to deciding which internships to take, students should consider how they will go about completing the internship and what they hope to get out of it. Paid internships are nice, but they also often demand a lot of time from their interns because the company is paying for their work. Unpaid internships are typically more relaxed in terms of scheduling. This means that it is commonplace for interns working at unpaid internships to get a part-time job for income, something that many unpaid internship coordinators are willing to work around. Consider the cost of living and determine whether or not the amount paid by the internship will cover your living costs. If not, then the paid internship likely will not work out for you because you will not have enough time to get another job for supplemental income. If you are living at home and do not have expenses to pay, then both unpaid and paid internships are viable options.

Another thing to consider when choosing between paid and unpaid positions is what you hope to gain from the internship experience. If you would like to work in one specific part of a company and only that part, then choose the internship that will provide you with that opportunity. Big companies typically offer interns limited positions and duties, so those internships could work for you. However, if you are looking to gain plenty of experience and tackle various duties, then interning at a smaller company will probably be better for you. Use this factor to decide between a paid and unpaid opportunity to ensure that you get the most out of your internship experience.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 12th, 2010 at 12:54 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.