I can honestly say I learned more from my first internship than I did in my entire college career. I landed a gig at Ruffhouse/Columbia Records and worked for free for almost two years. In that time, I cut my teeth on the some of the most popular music of our generation. Money aside, I was fortunate. I knew the right people and that leg-up ultimately launched my career. I waited tables to supplement my income and spent the rest of my time hitting the books.
We recently posted a poll question on PerfectBusiness regarding compensation for interns. Should all interns be paid or does it depend on the situation? Some of the responses opened my eyes and made me think about the socio-economic impact of intern hiring practices.
Non-paid internships are oftentimes joked about as “free labor”. Is it okay? Should interns at least get some kind of a stipend to cover their life expenses? The poll on PerfectBusiness essentially agreed that interns should be paid outright, with 60% of people polled saying they should. If we can stop asking those who can least afford to work for free, to work for free, we might be able to diversify our workforce. At least in-part.
In turn, kids without the support of Mommy and Daddy can focus on studying and getting the top job.
As it stands today, the best unpaid internships often go to the financially endowed. But does it matter?
Tags: columbia, interns, perfectbusiness, records, ruffhouse
