UNPAID INTERNSHIPS: ARE THEY WORTH IT?

Submitted by ub on

As a former intern for The Washington Post, I can honestly say that it was the best first journalism work experience I could have expected, or wanted.

Therefore, as long as an unpaid internship benefits both parties and is entered into freely, are these arrangements legal, or illegal?

A former student who interned with a large publishing organization recently filed a law suit claiming that an unpaid internship was illegal citing declining opportunities for a paying job.

Legal, or not they are popular because employers don't need to create as many full time positions. The individual should realize the value of their opportunity and utilize it wisely to learn the ropes, network and enhance their human capital.