Yes, the short answer is that internships can be paid opportunities. It may come as a surprise to know that many students are unsure about the number of paid internships available out there! As a university student or recent graduate, it can be tempting to take any opportunity to improve your employability, but you don’t have to settle for an unpaid internship. Keep reading to find out more about opportunities that will build your CV and possibly even get you paid.
Who Can Do An Internship?
Although technically anyone of any age can be an intern, usually interns are students, grads or career changers who are looking to gain skills and experience in a specific industry.
You may choose to do an internship if you’re not sure what kind of industry you’d like to work in or what kind of role you’d like to pursue. Internships are a great way to build experience and gain a variety of skills whilst figuring out exactly what you like.
Are All Internships Paid Opportunities?
Interns once commonly worked for free to attract employers who would not hire them without references. However, this practice has become less common due to rules and regulations that require payment for interns in certain situations. For example, employers must pay you the national minimum wage if:
- You have a work contract that outlines the project you will be working on
- You are promised a contract for future work
- You must turn up to work, even if you don’t want to go
There are instances where internships do not require a wage or National Minimum Wage, for example:
- If you’re a student in a UK-based higher education course, and the course requires you to complete an internship for less than one year
- If you’re a work experience student in compulsory education
- If you’re a volunteer working for a charity
- If your internship only involves shadowing an employee
Find out more about these new rules at the gov.uk website.
These rules are not the same across the world. In some European countries like Germany, interns generally receive a stipend or salary during their time at an internship. Although less common, it doesn’t mean that unpaid internships have completely disappeared. Nearly everyone can complete an internship but paid internships may be harder to find.
Internship Wages Vary
Internship wages can also vary depending on the company you work for. Some internship programs pay you, whilst others are unpaid. For example, startup companies may not have the budget but they may ask for unpaid interns to help them. It is important to remember that even if an internship doesn’t pay, many of them can still act as excellent CV builders for a student or recent grad.
In general, the more specialized an internship program is (and therefore less likely to be widely available), the higher chance it is that you’ll find a paid version of it somewhere. For example: while most companies have some sort of customer service department that needs interns occasionally during busy periods (like Christmas), there aren’t very many companies that will offer paid customer service internships on their website. You’ll need to dig around if you want one!
There are plenty of other positions that don’t involve customer service (such as HR) which do advertise for paid interns. Some internships may cover things like lunch and travel costs. You won’t receive payment for the work, but you also won’t lose any money either.
You may also find that there are internship opportunities that pay, but not always a lot. Again, it’s worth weighing up whether the experience is worth it and whether you can financially afford it.
Paid And Unpaid Internships Can Benefit You
Some companies don’t pay interns because the young person is learning and building their experience just by being there. Unpaid internships can benefit you in other ways if you’re financially able to take on these opportunities. Internships offer valuable industry-specific skills for your CV (and LinkedIn profile!), along with a genuine experience of workplace culture.They are also a great place to network and create professional relationships that will benefit you in the future. One unpaid internship can lead to 5 future paid internships if you get to know people and leave a positive impression.
The founder of the company, the company budget, and the government’s rules and regulations ultimately decide whether to pay an intern. Unpaid or paid, these opportunities are a great way to gain new experience, new skills and improve your professional network.
