Knowing the Place of Unpaid Internships & Where to Draw the Line
I have used interns at my agency for as long as I can remember - but that’s not because they’re an awesome source of ‘free labour’ that you can dispose of easily like some people think. University degrees focused in business (whether that be accounting, marketing, public relations or communications) now require that students partake in unpaid internships as part of their course. Not only is this a condition of graduation, it gives the students the real world experience they so desperately need, and many of them desire!
Every year I receive an influx of applications to my email requesting the opportunity to intern at The Perth Collective PR agency for free - to get a foot in the door and apply the knowledge gained from a higher education in the workplace. In order for me to even consider taking on an intern, there are a few boxes that must be ticked
- They must be a current student. This means that their internship will contribute towards their studies and potentially even be valid for credit. Not only does this mean the students time is well spent, but taking on an intern through a university means everything is above board, and their school will typically provide them with insurance.
- They will never work more than 2 days a week. My interns typically are only with us in the office one day a week, two at a maximum. This is because it’s important that they have time to not only study, but also work a job where they are making an income. Take a look at degrees like teaching or nursing where students are required to do placements for 6 weeks at a time, full time work, UNPAID! This leaves them with practically 0 time to work a job to support their lifestyle or dedicate to their studies, this is not the aim!
- They must have a desire to work in the industry. It’s important to me that my interns genuinely love the industry, our workplace and the clients we work with, because 90% of the time, my interns go on to be paid employees. An internship requires a lot of investment and hand holding from the business side, as the students are there to learn. After spending that time teaching someone about the business and industry, I would hope they would want to come on to work with us
- Proper hiring standards apply. Because the purpose of an internship is rooted in the candidate learning and enriching their skills, it’s important that they really want to be there, and not just forced by their university (plus learning to write a strong resume and cover letter are important skills!). For this reason I treat it like a proper job application. Students must send in a resume, explain why they want to intern at the agency and most importantly, they must have done their research (address me by name in their email, reference some of our recent work or clients). Not only does this show enthusiasm for the role, it demonstrates that they are initiative taking and capable, very important skills to possess!
Interns will typically work up to an equivalent of 20 days or 150 hours, before they need to move on (whether this be into a paid role at the agency or elsewhere). I have found this is a good place to draw the line, as it gives them ample opportunity to learn, without being exploited.
If you’re a business owner and feel you have a lot to offer in terms of educating soon to be graduates in your industry, consider contacting universities to take part in their internship programs! There is so much to be gained from both sides.
View our current internship opportunities here
