Many students have noticed a change in the type of internships offered by AU’s CareerWeb. And while it may be subtle to some, it is a shift that affects the vast majority of AU students that hold an internship during their time on campus.
Before last year, of all of the students holding for-credit internships, usually 65 to 70 percent were unpaid. Last spring, however, that number jumped to 93 percent. This semester the number went down slightly to a still higher-than-normal 83 percent.
Most have assumed this is merely a symptom of the economic times in which we live. However, a recent report by the Economic Policy Institute suggests that many firms are not following established federal guidelines for unpaid internships, unlawfully using interns solely as menial laborers.
We have all heard intern horror stories, but this study amounts to much more. The concept of illegally utilizing unpaid interns as simply free labor is disheartening, mainly because it infringes upon the traditional purpose of an internship: to give students an opportunity to test out an employment sector, while at the same time gaining on-the-job experience.
While some may contend that internships without pay attract only those truly dedicated to the position, they are ignoring the fiscal realities of many college students. In this respect, an abundance of unpaid internships might actually prevent firms from gaining the most skilled applicants, as few of us can afford to lose money in our attempts to pad the resume.
Experts say this abuse of unpaid interns is result of outdated, and therefore unclear labor regulations — some left unaltered since 1947. But until Congress decides to bring these regulations up to contemporary standards, AU students must take advantage of the many available on-campus resources to avoid unpaid internships with no value.
One such resource, AU’s Career Center, already offers an excellent interface for students to find internships. However, an additional tool that is not as known to students is their High Quality Internship Map, which clearly labels and shares employers with whom fellow students have had good experiences. According to the Web Site, High Quality Employers “have terrific projects through which interns contribute and learn about themselves.” Whether they are paid or unpaid, these internships offer the kind of experience that will serve students as an asset in the future.
But along with the resources offered by the university, students should realize that we still have the ability to screen employers ourselves. We should have to not put up with an internship that amounts to nothing more than coffee duty. If we do, these positions will only continue to waste the time of students in search of a worthwhile experience.
In no way is this editorial meant to be a rant against all unpaid internships as they certainly can be valuable learning experiences. However, the study by the Economic Policy Institute merely reminds us all that AU students must use caution when screening potential internships. Perhaps this may be inconvenience, but with university institutions and fellow students, it should not be too difficult.
