Sarah Pohlman
As an anxious fourth-year student expected to graduate this May, I take searching for jobs and internships very seriously. Over the summer, I looked through ePACK almost daily looking and applying for internships for the fall semester. Scrolling through, I noticed that a large majority of the jobs posted were part-time, unpaid internships.
At first, I ignored every posting with the word “unpaid,” and only applied for paid internships I thought I was qualified for. After interviewing and receiving no job offers from companies offering paid internships, I realized that it was necessary to take every opportunity that came my way no matter the pay if I wanted to gain career experience.
Money is an important factor for many NC State students, including myself, and there is constant debate over whether unpaid internships should exist, as noted previously in Technician.
However, I believe many missed opportunities can come in the form of unpaid internships being ignored. Although paid internships may be ideal for the job-searching NC State student, unpaid internships can still be beneficial and give valuable career experience.
The World University Rankings places NC State in the top 20 of graduate employability, and employers carefully consider previous work experience when hiring. This is why the Career Development Center puts a heavy emphasis on helping students prepare when applying for jobs and internships.
The Career Development Center says that preparation and training are extremely important when entering the professional workforce. There are many pros and cons to unpaid internships, but an unpaid internship is still worth more on your resume than no internship at all, particularly since applicants with unpaid internships are more likely to receive a job offer than those without internships.
Although unpaid, these internships boost resumes and give students knowledge that cannot be taught in a classroom setting. Unpaid internships can teach you how to manage time, how to work with or lead a team, and how to develop a professional network. These new skills cannot be taught, but rather can only be learned through real life experiences.
Getting an internship — whether paid or unpaid — in college is proven to help NC State graduates obtain a job after graduation. The May 2017 Future Plans Survey from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning discovered that a large quantity of respondents attributed their post-graduation employment to previous internships and externships.
Graduates also attributed their success to services provided by the Career Development Center, like career fairs. These career fairs are just one of the amenities that the Career Development Center offers like mock interviews, counseling sessions and resume checks. All of these services help train students to get an internship, unpaid or paid.
I have both management and unpaid internship experience, but my unpaid internships have been more useful in getting interviews and job offers. My unpaid internships taught me applicable skills that I will use in a future full time career like analytics and research.
I am currently working my second unpaid internship, and I am already learning more new skills. I have made connections with multiple employers that are vital for recommendations and networking. Most importantly, I am discovering more about who I am and what I want to do after graduation.
Getting a job in the professional workforce is becoming more and more competitive, and if I only applied for paid internships, I would not have the career experience necessary to find a job after graduation.
If you are interested in getting an unpaid or paid internship, the Career Development Center is available for all NC State students. More information is available on their website.