Unpaid Writing Internships: Are They Scams?

If you’re a student, you might be considering some writing internships. Some, however, consider these unpaid temp jobs to be nothing more than scams – employers getting work for free. And I agree…sometimes. Unpaid writing internships can also be really beneficial to you as a budding writer. The key is to find a legitimate internship, not one where people just want you to do work without getting paid.

Qualities of Good Internships:

• The number of interns makes sense for the size of the company. If one person is hiring 10 interns, he or she probably just wants free workers. As an intern, you want attention from your employer.
• There’s a learning opportunity. If you just churn out work without getting feedback, what are you really learning as an intern? You should leave the internship with a better understanding of the industry than you had when you started.
• The company is known in the industry. You don’t have to work for an industry leader, but at the same time, an internship should look good on your resume. A brand-new company probably isn’t a good choice.
• Flexibility is key. You’re a student. As with any internship, your employer should understand that you need some flexibility. That doesn’t mean that they are “easy” on you, but someone who doesn’t understand that you can’t take a project because you have class probably doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
• They communicate with your school. To get credit for your internship, you likely have to have your employer fill out papers and talk to your adviser. Someone who just wants you to work for free probably won’t make the effort to ensure that you pass with your college.

Qualities of a Bad Internship:

• All the work you do is ghostwriting. How will that help your portfolio?
• The company is brand new. They see you as an easy source of free work for their new business. What can they really teach you if they themselves are new?
• They don’t have a website or brick-and-mortar business. Working with an online company that doesn’t even have a website, just profiles on writing websites, is just asking for trouble. How serious are they really if that’s the case?
• They don’t talk about what they can offer you. They talk about your duties, but they never talk about what they’re going to offer you.
• There’s no qualifications to get hired. If you’re hired really quickly, they likely just want you for the free work. A good internship is at least a little competitive and hard to get.
• They don’t care if you’re a student or not. Internships should only be for students.

Unpaid internships aren’t always scams – but they can be. If you’re considering this route, be careful to find a company that has your interests at heart, not someone who just wants and army of people who will write for free.

UPDATE: Someone emailed me a link to this article about internships, which I had not previously read. It’s a good place to go to continue the discussion!

Image via sxc.hu.