Are Unpaid Internships Worth the Effort?

Melissa Korn:

It's drilled into college students' heads from day one: get an internship, you'll get a job.

But a new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers finds that the equation isn't quite so tidy. That internship might lead to a job-but your chances are far better if you're getting paid.

The group released a study this week showing that 60% of 2012 graduates who worked a paid internship got at least one job offer, while just 37% of those in unpaid gigs got any offers. That's slightly - only slightly - better than the offer rate for graduates who skipped internships entirely, at 36%.

Unpaid internships are ubiquitous. A 2010 survey from NACE found that nearly 95% of member schools allow organizations to post unpaid internship opportunities, and less than a third of those require students to earn academic credit or some form of certificate for their work. Intern Bridge, a recruiting research and consulting firm, found that more than half of internships reported for its 2011 Internship Salary Report were unpaid.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 29, 2012 1:12 AM
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