The Southwestern Company Difference Blog
The title of an April 4, 2010 article in the New York Times caught my eye. It was “Growth of Unpaid Internships May Be Illegal, Officials Say,” by Steven Greenhouse.
Obviously, through working with thousands of college students who participate in Southwestern Company’s summer sales internship, this title jumped out at me. Not so obvious to me was what it meant – at first.
That was cleared up in the first sentence. “With job openings scare for young people, the number of unpaid internships has climbed in recent years, leading federal and state legislators to worry that more employers are illegally using such internships for free labor.” Aaah, okay.
The theme, backed up in the article by experts in education and career fields, is how the number of unpaid internships has skyrocketed in recent years – perhaps because of the economy, perhaps this is just what it takes now-a-days. It seems to be a symbiotic relationship, as employers wish to control costs and students want the experience for their resumes. One thing I always tell interested parties in Southwestern Company’s internship is how the experience will help them stand out in the job market. This is something I can definitely attest to, as my phone rings off the hook with hiring managers and company owners seeking to hire Southwestern Company student dealers and alumni. Years ago, we began starting companies with the students, creating an outlet for employment upon graduation in addition to our sales management program (for more info, go to www.southwestern.com). The point is, Southwestern Company recognizes talent and the importance of valuable experience learned outside of the classroom.
The article states, according to a 2008 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 83% of graduating students had internships – hundreds of thousands of students every year! (By the way, Southwestern Company is a member of NACE and our Global Director of Campus Relations, Dr. Ralph Brigham, is a former President.) Experts think up to ¼ of those internships are not paid.
Some of the students interviewed stated they did not gain too much real experience and had to perform menial tasks like clean things and get coffee.
Internships are valuable to college students because the experience, whether paid or unpaid, helps them down the road. The article quotes Ross Perlin, an aspiring author on the subject of unpaid internships as saying, “Internships have become the gateway into the white-collar work force.” He also says many students see them as a way to gain the experience to entry level jobs – many of which are willing to not get paid.
I guess the main thing I took from this article was the stark contradiction an experience like the Southwestern Company summer sales program offers students who are seeking more in an internship experience as compared to many of the ”internships” out there – paid or unpaid.
