Imagine two students, Ashley and Jessica, apply for a job. Both attended the same school and had similar grade point averages. Both have the same degree; but there’s one difference. The summer before applying for the job, Ashley participated in an unpaid internship in her field of study while Jessica worked long hours at a department store. So who gets the job? Well obviously Ashley due to her experience, right? But let’s backtrack and find out why Jessica chose the department store job.

Two months before graduation, Jessica’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. Due to her chemo and radiation, she could no longer make it to work which meant no income from her already low paying job. Therefore, Jessica had to step in and earn a living to finance her family’s wellbeing. While her first job choice would be directly related to her career, without a degree, she only qualifies for an unpaid internship. Participating in an unpaid internship means not only would Jessica be working for free, but to avoid legal disputes, the company offering the internship would require her to accept academic credit in return that must be paid for just as any other class would. This so called experience would basically require Jessica to pay to work.

PLUS, for those that feel Unpaid internships ACTUALLY give you job experience, The US Department of labor states that “…an internship program is structured around a classroom or academic experience as opposed to the employer’s actual operations…” In other words, the minimum wage law says that in an unpaid internship, you are to be taught in the same manner as in a classroom and are not allowed to participate in the actual work of the company. “..if the interns are engaged in the operations of the employer or are performing productive work (for example, filing…or assisting customers), then the fact that they may be receiving some benefits in the form of a new skill or improved work habits will not exclude them from…minimum wage and overtime requirements because the employer benefits from the interns’ work." The job experience that most people think they will receive from Unpaid internships is actually illegal through these unpaid Internship programs.

**SUPPORT MYSELF AND MY FELLOW COLLEGE STUDENTS! SIGN MY PETITION NOW!!

Links