Every Minute Counts: How to Decide if an Unpaid Internship is Worth Your Time.
As students in the communications field, we know that we must complete an internship at some point in our college careers. This experience is not only vital because it’s a graduation requirement; it’s also vital because it is the best way to gain work experience and craft skills in our field. Additionally, having these experiences under our belts helps to build our resumes and make them stand out when seeking opportunities after undergrad.
Finding an internship can be tricky— between the scams on Indeed and highly sought after positions on LinkedIn, the internship searching process can become overwhelming. In addition to becoming overwhelmed by trying to get a foot in the door, dilemmas arise when compensation becomes a factor in the searching process— especially when a student is financially self reliant. Some students simply can’t afford to work for free. All interns would prefer to be paid for their time and work; however, this preference isn’t attainable for everyone. After a stressful month of searching for an internship in time for the summer, I’ve gathered three helpful tips to work smarter— not harder, during your internship search.
Tip 1: Asses the workload
With any job, you should expect to work. However, when you’re a full time college student, you have to be selective with how you spend your time. Obviously, school comes first; so, if an internship demands as much work as your classes, you should definitely pass it up. A way to decide if a workload would be too much is by viewing your schedule with the internship incorporated into it. Ask yourself: Do you have any free time? How many hours in all will you be working? Will your weekends truly be weekends? These are all questions that are worth asking, regardless if a position is paid or not. However, these questions carry more significance when you're constantly producing your best work for a company without compensation.
Tip 2: Measure the benefits
An unpaid internship isn’t by default less worthwhile than a paid internship. Factors such as industry, relevance to future goals, and reputation/prestige play a huge role in how valuable an internship experience will be. Additionally, all of these factors are reflections of your personal goals and aspirations.
Here are some examples of each factor being considered in the internship selection process:
Industry: An unpaid internship that directly focuses on crisis communications would be more valuable to someone who wants to work in that field compared to a paid internship that focuses on the tech industry.
Relevance to future goals: An internship that builds skills specifically for the fashion industry should be a top priority for someone who aspires to work for a fashion publication— regardless if the position is paid or not.
Reputation/Prestige: Some companies are more popular than others, and names can make all the difference on your resume. For someone interested in media, an unpaid internship at NBC Universal outweighs a paid internship at a local mom-and-pop shop.
Tip 3: Analyze the market
A great way to decide if an unpaid internship is right for you is by analyzing your local job market. Do some research and ask yourself: Are most internships paid or unpaid? What is the typical pay range? When you have hard data, it enables you to have a realistic idea of your worth in the job market. This enables you to have good judgment when discerning what internship to take, especially if it is unpaid.
Closing
Looking for an internship can be daunting, especially in a field such as communications where your experience is everything. There are a plethora of paths to take, and figuring out which one will take you the farthest takes a lot of thought. I hope that this blog helps anyone who is facing a dilemma in the internship-searching process better prepare for their future by selecting the most beneficial internship experience, even if it is unpaid.
About Alaiyah
Alaiyah Arnold is currently a Junior at Grand Valley State University where she studies Advertising & Public Relations and Communication Studies. Her hometown is Chicago, where she has had numerous positions across the city involving customer service, communications, and fostering interpersonal relationships. Alaiyah is a team player who is passionate about striving for greatness and looks forward to continuing her career journey with GrandPR and growing as a professional.