Unpaid internships

michelenicole:

lovepuppy:

soupsoup:jackieheartsb:jessicagoldharalson:marco:

Everyone has read this on their dashboard by now. My two cents? I took an unpaid internship for a high profile designer. I lived in a dorm, had a $50/week allowance and would have never, ever got my current job/starting salary if I didn’t have that experience. The payment was in the portfolio I had after leaving that place, which was a million times more valuable than $12.50/hr. Bonus points for getting connections in the industry.

I agree with Marco, unpaid internships are shitty and the process is flawed. But don’t hate on people who take them. I did 3 unpaid internships in College, and I did them while taking a full course load AND having fridays off. I never worked during the school semesters, but that’s only because I worked enough during the summer to get through my entire school year. My internship at Fuse was so valuable— not only did I learn a lot and realize I wanted to go into TV, I also made great contacts and got hired for jobs. It depends on the industry you’re in, but it’s not cool to make generalizations about the people who take them. Sometimes you don’t have a choice if you want to start your career. It’s unfortunate, but you just make it work.

unpaid internships are sometimes just a ‘have to do’. if i didn’t already have a paying summer job lined up in which i could use as an internship after ad school - i totally would have had to do one, it’s just part of the game. i would have also probably worked 2 jobs to get myself through it too.

sure my parents have helped me out here and there, with furniture or home things, but i have had a job since i was 15. even 3 at a time while i was in college, and have paid my own tuition and expenses since then, and rent since i moved out of home at 20. if i have children, they will pay for their own schooling as i did, or a car as i did, etc. you need to earn it.

to those parent-funded kids - you’re lucky, and you better know it. 

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