Comments on: Unpaid internships are just not worth it

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:53:38 +0000

I would assume top caliber students are getting the paid internships because they are at better companies (GE, Google, etc).

So the best internships are getting the best students. Then, of course they have a higher potential to get a job than unpaid internships.

I wrote an article about the exact same topic:
http://www.jobkaster.com/blog/a-case-for-unpaid-internships/

By: avanthard

avanthard — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:48:29 +0000

300/400 euro pay a month is a tease, no pay at all is a mockery!!
i have had 5 internships within 2 years in Berlin, and NO job offers, HOWEVER excellent references for the future employers were given.
There should be some regulations towards this slavery! It’s gone the way too far, I have seen this situation now from the inside out, and hurts, because it’s pure young labor exploitation!!! There is NO educational part involved, by hiring they ALREADY expect you to KNOW everything, i really mean it!

With the money they were paying me I could only pay my rent, i had to work weekends to by my bread! I am NOT able to pay my tuition fees and will not be until they hire me as a normal worker!!

I have 3 degrees, and when applying for a graphic design internship (this is something i have not studied yet, but have a huge interest in, and have taken a course by myself) i get rejected because i am not enough experienced!!! they are NOT interested in teaching, but only using you as a cheap work force!

Seeing all this I have started the global fight:
https://www.facebook.com/internshipcrime

I have written letters to EU, as a call to action, and will continue collecting case studies in order to prove that this is a crime!
Please, support by joining the Facebook page!

Thank you for reading,
Katja

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:57:32 +0000

All internship and traineeship positions are paid at http://www.j1training.org. J1 Training programs are open to all international students and young professionals up to age of 34. However most positions are in hospitality

By: exintern

exintern — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 02:37:49 +0000

“Because they can” is the most likely explanation. The law is rarely enforced, the economy makes jobs scarcer, the interns have no negotiation power and little knowledge of their rights anyway.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 02:32:22 +0000

Those are unsettling statistics, but it doesn’t surprise me. I’m not sure if there’s something about the economy that necessitates so many internships, or if employers just don’t budget for employees in these positions because they don’t have to.

Such a shame that young people have to stoop so low to move ahead.