More often than not, I am embarrassed by the way the design industry treats new, young talent. Being fresh out of college, my friends and I see it quite often. You all know what I’m talking about. Laughable, dud, job posts with a claim to “no pay, but valuable learning experience that you can’t get anywhere else”. Really? You’re the only company who is offering experience, and I need to work for you for free? Where is the logic?

Someone please tell me the reasoning behind unpaid internships. How is this a viable option for anyone to LIVE? Just take a moment to think about it. Could you work for free? How about 3-4 days a week. Free, unpaid labor, I get the benefit. As a designer, you can have someone come in, do a large portion of your work, and then slap your name on it and call it your own. And if I label it an internship, I can pay them in valuable experience, or give them “credit” for school (internship credit = paying to not get paid). It all works out doesn’t it? I do get it. It’s a bad economy, and it’s hard to pay the bills and employees. But, it’s even harder to pay for things when you’re not making any money.

I once saw an ad for an unpaid internship that requested 2-5 years experience. Now that’s audacious. The hard thing for me to realize is that people are actually applying to this “job”; people who are desperate for something, anything. These “upstanding companies” take them in and then drop them when they’re done using them. Some of them get hired, or at least (as my optimistic professor used to call them) get “connections”, but oh so many get chewed up and spit out with only “experience” and large amounts of debt to show for it.

The two internships I have had were both paid, because I worked, and made the lives of my employers easier. I didn’t want to work where I was undervalued. I benefited those companies in such a way that deserved compensation. I’m not saying an undergrad needs a salary and benefits. I am saying that just because people want the job, it shouldn’t be taken advantage of, and I suppose this can apply to any job with any company. However, I think internships in our industry are some of the worst. Just take a minute, go to Craig’s List, and type in “internship” if you still don’t understand what I’m talking about.

I’m begging you all, anyone who reads this, to reconsider the lowly intern. The intern, who is one of your hardest working employees because they want to be there, at your company. Show them their importance, not with credit, not with experience, but with money!