The “struggling intern” trope has been displayed in many movies. Some say those representations are accurate, and others disagree. After reaching out to many students (with and without internship experience) and the career center, I hope to clarify the question of “to be or not to be” an intern.
Unpaid internships are known for taking people in who have little-to-no job experience, and, in return, giving the intern the chance to bulk up their resume. Often, these internships can be costly to attend, as the expenses of gas, parking spots, bus fare, housing and professional attire build up. The lack of compensation coupled with the added expenses creates barriers for those hoping to break into the job market.
Unpaid internships are unfair because they naturally are not suitable for people who need financial support. Building a resume is crucial and can be very beneficial for career advancement. However, if a working student cannot afford to take time out of their week because they do not have an affluent background, they are at a disadvantage. Unpaid internships typically claim to help students who lack references on resumes by pointing to the valuable work experience. If companies truly cared about the financial and mental well-being of their interns, no internships would go unpaid.
As the summer internship season finally concludes, now is the perfect time to hear what the students of Lewis & Clark have to say. I stopped by the Career Center and spoke with Sophia Korsmo ’25, who shared their opinion on unpaid internships from a more professional view. Korsmo has been working in the Career Center for about a year and a half. They expressed that they personally did not agree with unpaid internships.
“If you are putting in that labor I believe you should be compensated fairly for it,” they said.
The Career Center finds internship opportunities that compensate students with either a stipend or class credits while catering to a student’s intended major. They are currently hosting a raffle where students can join Handshake for the chance to win a gift card and frequent updates on open major-specific positions.
I heard a variety of opinions from students on the experience of unpaid internships. Some shared that they were unhappy with the outcome of their internship. They believed they took on too much responsibility for an unpaid position, where regular employees were getting paid for a similar amount of work, not making the time spent attractive enough to return the following summer.
However, that is not to say all unpaid internships are cruel. Some people find great value in unpaid internship experiences. Seeing this as less of a job and more of a learning experience opens up horizons to exploration.
The unpaid internship market is not evil. If a position works for someone, they should take the opportunity and run with it. However, unpaid internships as a concept are not sustainable for people with less affluent backgrounds.
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