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Internships, Beneficial or Exploitative? A Modern Dilemma.

Forms, questionnaires and interviews, pursuits to get internships can be long, tedious, and sometimes futile. A process that we’re definite that not many of us enjoy. You need to brush up your CV, get recommendations and then, finally apply. Then you must wait, wait until you either get the email you’re waiting for or be faced with the alternative, no response at all; the latter option being the most soul-crushing.

Missing out on internships, if you’re anything like us, might feel like the end of the world. But apart from the “juvenile” complaining, it is no lie that internships are beneficial.

Internships come in handy, as firstly, you can add practical knowledge to your knowledge from academia. An invaluable learning process which is unavailable in the academic experience, since you truly get to understand your industry from a heightened perspective. Secondly, “real world” experience is integral to understanding the nature of jobs and the skills that you require to secure a place in an industry, after graduation. Thirdly, you will get to meet people. You will network and make friends in your industry from whom you can learn from. Networking is another method of growing your chances of landing a job after graduation and a reliant source of mutual development. Finally, you will know, at the end of the internship if doing social media is not for you (We’re sorry, but we had to include that joke).

Internships tell us if we’re apt for some certain industries or sets of tasks, they open doors for you whilst telling which ones not to take. It is essential to come to terms with this so that your precious time is not wasted slaving away with something you genuinely dislike. Although, keep in mind our cynicism when looking for internships, it might be your voice of reason when applying for internships.

Concerns regarding unpaid internships always have troubled university students and graduates; as the exploitative nature of employers lead to numerous disparities.

Unpaid internships can easily be considered as exploitative since interns work full time in companies, yet they receive no financial benefits to claim their own in return. The desperation for experience has turned students into vulnerable targets.

Limited rights and agency can result in discrimination and harassment in the duration of an internship, as numerous companies fail to provide protection from such instances. It is to be noted that, companies continue to use unpaid internships to replace entry-level employees. As a student, it is difficult to gauge whether an internship is worth taking or not, since most of us can not afford the luxury of not having anything on our CVs, we opt into submission. Even our pondering thoughts on the greater meaning of these short-term work experiences might not even seem to be valid to some, as internships maybe the cornerstone of getting a job.

So be warned. Internships are great, but get paid for what you do, even if it might seem like an insignificant amount. But stay away from social media, no one deserves that (Unless you’re into it).

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