This Debate About Unpaid VS Paid Internships Needed To Be Had
It’s a HOT topic between young adults who are in university or recently graduating. Taking on an internship is almost invaluable in this day and age because it’s extremely difficult to get a full time job without having some sort of experience under your belt.
The Kris Fade Show peeps are all too familiar with the struggles and know the vital importance of doing an internship. Whether the internship experience is paid or not, the work experience is what’s important… or is it?
The Kris Fade Show peeps discussed what are the benefits of going for a paid vs unpaid internship
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Some countries made it mandatory that internships under certain sectors must be paid, the UAE however, is not one of them.
Unpaid internships in the UAE are quite common and receiving remuneration is not a right but an option. Priti Malik starts off the discussion with the views of the internet. People seem to think that unpaid internships should not exist.
I think it depends on case to case. I don’t think you can just say ‘it has to be paid’ or ‘it has to be free.’
Kris Fade said. He goes on to say that he would’ve probably never been a radio host, had he not done it for free 18 years ago.
I was learning this art for free by really great radio guys. We spend thousands of dollars going to college and university. But when you go to college or university, you get an education, you don’t get experience.
Kris added.
My college/university experience was experience. I was in a broadcasting programme so I learned everything first-hand in university… I also did internships that taught me even more on top of what I was already learning. I’ve been interning for free since I was 17.
Priti shared.
“New Girl Nala” who is 23 years old and also on the show shared her take on internships. She said she wanted to do internships and promotional paid work simultaneously, to help out at home. The dilemma for her was that internships often took up all the time in the day that she wouldn’t be able to take on paid work.
That’s why a bit of money for example for transportation, food, anything, would’ve helped so much.
Nala Chible explained.
The presenters discussed how the money attached to an internship should not be an “incentive.”
If you’re doing an internship because you want to work in that field, gaining experience should be an incentive in itself.
Eddie also said that sitting with the person who’s mentoring you at the internship will allow you the knowledge to personally get to where your mentor is at now. Eddie says he worked in shipping and logistics full-time before Virgin Radio. He’d go to his day job and then finish his evenings off learning about radio because that’s where his passion lied. Money was the last thing on his mind because his passion was there.
Kris Fade flips the conversation of when internships should be paid opportunities
If you’re taken advantage of as an office intern where you’re just putting things in envelops for 14 weeks or you’re just like not progressing or learning about a certain thing, then definitely you should be paid.
he said.
Priti said that often times however, doing the occasional coffee run or minuscule task is okay to be part of the unpaid role.
If i was doing a job that the office could not function without me, then I’m like ‘get me paid’
she added.
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