What are unpaid internships costing us? | Peter Bateman | TEDxMonashUniversity

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In his talk, Peter investigates the actual cost of unpaid internships, who they benefit and who they do not, ultimately asking how we can make the essential practice of internships fair. Peter believes that stories can change minds, communities and even the world. In 2018, he won the Melbourne Press Club's Student Journalist of the Year Award. A freelance journalist and international civil servant, he moved to Thailand to pursue an internship at the United Nations secretariat for Asia and the Pacific after graduating from Monash's double master of Journalism and International Relations program. He has worked all over the world, in Europe, North Africa, North and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. His interest lies in policy development that can bring a positive change to humanitarian crises and disasters. An alumnus of Monash University, Peter believes that stories can change minds, communities and even the world. In 2018, he won the Melbourne Press Club's Student Journalist of the Year Award.

A freelance journalist and international civil servant, he moved to Thailand to pursue an internship at the United Nations secretariat for Asia and the Pacific after graduating from Monash's double master of Journalism and International Relations program.

He has worked all over the world, in Europe, North Africa, North and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. His interest lies in policy development that can bring a positive change to humanitarian crises and disasters.

[scienceannistyle]

I’m a 32 yo American in student debt, medical debt, and close to homelessness, also I’m a trained chemist. When my dad was my age, he owned his own house from working a job that didn’t even require a degree.

[nattaylor]

Unpaid internships should be illegal. If you need someone to do a job, employ someone and pay them.

[emmacat]

It's so entitled to want someone's labor for free. If I were to go into a designer store and ask to pay $0.00 for a bag that costs $1, 000, I would be laughed out of the store. So, why do employers think they should get someone's labor for free? I worked and studied really hard to get the skills needed to perform the job. I also took out student loans to get that training.

[TheTopStarz]

Many people's lives and situations, specially after graduation can mean internship is NOT an option. Even when the offers might be worth it but require you to move closer to the job that's not paying you even though you'll need rent money to move.

[KAgius]

Worked as an intern for 6 months at a company that showed 0 appreciation. Finally had enough and left. 2 months later l joined their competitors.

[seasong]

If you're good at something never do it for free

[searphhoney]

I did an unpaid internship many years ago. It was required to get my certificate. I had to quite my job, because all the internships were only during the day. I saved up money before my internship to pay my bill's.

The company that I did the internship for actually needed another employee. They decided they would just keep getting interns.

Just recently a company that I worked for started a paid internship program. The con for us employees is it meant less job advancement, because they were giving the jobs to the interns.

[gardensofthegods]

I turned down a couple good internships because I was a single parent struggling and I could not afford to spend that kind of time and energy working for nothing .

[emmacat]

I'm doing an unpaid internship, and I had to take out a loan to pay for textbooks, gas, and upkeep on my car.

[ndSummer]

I did an unpaid internship and put 3 kids in childcare. It cost a heck of a lot!

[peytonmonroe]

I'm here because my music business class had posted an old interview of a well known lawyer who said that the best way to break into the industry was to sell yourself for free and find someone who does what you want to do and follow them around and get their lunch and laundry and do it for free. Do you know who can afford to do this right now? Rich kids. Kids who don't have to worry about paying $1000 in rent just to live in the cities with the most opportunity to even get an internship. Kids who don't have to overexert themselves working an extra job to get by. It would be nearly impossible to even spend 20 hours a week working for free and then making rent. If we don't do something, the wealth gap will just continue to increase.

[amiryousef]

I'm simple. You provide a service, you get paid.
That's how capitalism works.

[bills]

College interns should be paid in accordance to the minimum wage of their state or either their tuition costs should be cut via scholarships or grants for working as interns

[tammyelizabeth]

Mortuary science grads have to do a year unpaid internship.
Thus the high number of students at the start, yet see very few actually working in the industry as a paid employee.
With unbelievable student loan debt on top as well...payments due to begin within 9 weeks of graduation.
How do you support yourself, and pay back student loans, while working 60 hrs a week for free?
As well at the end of internship, hardly no funeral homes hire the interns...they just replace them with a new batch of free employees.

[happymommy]

I did 2 volunteer jobs to get experience. I have a family and 5 kids. It is stressful but I had to be patient and trust in process. I have been able to use those as experience on my resume and references as well. It's been almost 9 months. I just got a new job related to my career which I start next Monday. Had I not done those, I wouldn't have refined my skills and learned new things, plus networking. I also graduate in May 😊

[deborahbeaulieu]

Well said!!! I am happy that someone pointed this out!👏👏👏

[jacobg]

I've had four internships thus far and always have been compensated. Even my first one in high school when I did nothing more than scan papers for 9 months after school, I got $8.50 an hour. Eventually I was able to go to $16, then $27, and finally over $33 an hour with overtime opportunities and a job offer out of college. Each of these I had no skills going in other than learning how to learn at my previous ones. There's no need to work for free.

[pvcvalley]

can confirm what he said. been an unpaid intern tenfold at high profile companies for the past 5 years and it doesn't bode well with me. at one point i snapped then figured, hey if i'm not gonna earn anything, i might as well embrace the idea to become a fulltime neet.

[AtheistEve]

Then add in the cost of free pitching. And free care workers. Volunteers.
Capitalists are making money hand over fist.

[oinamyanchen]

It costs a lot but it is worth it. If you are financially doing good, it is okay. But for those who are looking for paid internship, there are lot of other ways these days keep looking. You will get it. All the best everyone