Internships – you know you “need” to complete one. But with classes, working a part-time job, and having a social life, squeezing in an internship may seem a bit impossible. To balance all of this, many students believe that taking on an internship is only appealing if it’s a paid position. While taking an internship which allows you to get paid AND get course credit seems like the best option, a better idea to look beyond what the hourly rate may or may not be in order to find your perfect internship. Sometimes the best opportunities are with companies that cannot afford to pay interns. What they lack in funding, they will make up for in experiential learning opportunities.

Here are some of the benefits of choosing an unpaid internship:

1. Personal Interest: Having an internship in college is beneficial because it gives you real-world experience while remaining in your safe collegiate bubble. College is the time to experiment with different career choices, even if you aren’t getting paid. If you have a particular, uncommon interest, you are better suited to take an internship that more closely matches your skills and interests. For example, if you’ve always wanted to work in Human Resources, don’t take a Marketing internship just because it pays more. Go after your dream career – there’s no time like the present!

2. Networking: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, right? If you can take an internship that has you working with influential people in your field, consider it instead of a paid option. The small amount of money you would make at the paid option will be forgotten when it takes you less time to find a full-time job after graduation!

3. Opportunities to Learn: You should choose the internship that allows you to get your feet as wet as possible, and sometimes that may mean it’s unpaid. It’s easier to overlook your lack of salary if you’re trusted to take on unique responsibilities and learn a great deal about your field. That’s better than being paid to make copies and fetch coffee.

4. Flexibility: Going to school full-time and doing an internship can be exhausting both physically and mentally. If you are volunteering your time to an employer, they may be more willing to work with your schedule than employers at a demanding paid internship.

5. Possibility of Advancement: If you are willing to work for free for awhile, employers will see that you are dedicated to the profession. If you do a good job, they may want to reward you once you’ve received your degree. Employers want to hire someone they know; if they know how hard you worked as an unpaid intern, think of how hard you’ll work for salary and benefits once you’ve graduated!

This doesn’t mean that excellent paid internships do not exist! On the contrary, there are many paid opportunities out there, so if you’re lucky you can find a paid internship that fits all of the above criteria. Just keep in mind that money isn’t the only factor to consider. Remember, this isn’t just a job – it is also an educational experience. Pick the best opportunity, not the best salary, and you will be rewarding yourself even more.

For more information on this topic:

http://tinyurl.com/yla5lrg – Know your Internships: The Wall Street Journal

www.dol.gov/elaws – Fair Labor Standards Act

Written by:
Audra Fry, Assistant Director, Center for Career Planning
Otterbein College