By Radhika Raman
As I read and re-read the news, I am increasingly worried about my future job prospects.
In April, the Associated Press reported that 53 percent of recent college graduates are either jobless or employed in positions that do not require a college degree.
The vast majority of AU students complete an internship (or multiple internships) before graduation as a way of gaining a competitive advantage in the job market.
AU's Career Center consistently ranks among the top-20 best university career services as measured by the Princeton Review.
Although the prestige of the Career Center initially drew me to AU, I have become increasingly troubled by the University's emphasis on internships, paid or otherwise.
As I search the Career Center's online listings at this moment, less than half of the internships explicitly offer some type of pay.
Not only are unpaid internships largely illegal, they also contribute to economic inequality by favoring wealthy students who can afford to pay for housing, food and transportation expenses. A New York federal judge happens to agree.
(The Department of Labor has a test to determine if an unpaid internship is legal
