The "Unpaid Internship After Graduation" Dilemma

mscareergirl.com

By Caitlin Charles

As a graduating senior, I now only have 6 weeks until I can no longer use my "student" status as a reason for being without a job, and I become just flat out unemployed.  My busy final semester has left me with a scarce amount of time to secure a position for after graduation, and I am still hoping to find the right place for me.  I have had some great job experiences over my last four years that have helped me to develop some wonderful networking contacts.  Between these connections and my job searching, I have found a few positions I would be interesting in taking after graduation, but nothing has quite worked out yet.  This however is not the discouraging part.  What has become so daunting in my post-graduation job search is the fact that unpaid internships have started to become the norm instead of entry-level positions.

Now, I'm not trying to discredit the excellent work experience and value that an unpaid internship can offer. I have had a couple of them myself, and can definitely attest to their benefits.  Where I would like to raise my question however, is their credibility as placement for recent college graduates, and even young professionals with more experience in the work force, who are simply changing directions.  Granted, if young professionals are willing to accept the unpaid positions to get their foot in the door, as a company, it sounds like a great idea.  However, for those well qualified individuals who simply cannot afford to work for free after graduation, the company could be losing out on a wonderful employee who passes up the opportunity for one with pay.

Is it wrong for me to feel like my degree is worth a paid position out of school?  I'm willing to put in the effort, and work myself up from the bottom rung of the ladder, I simply cannot see myself being able to survive on an unpaid position.  It seems to me as though my unpaid internships and other work experiences during my last four years should be able to represent those first key steps toward acquiring a paid job after graduation.

I do not want to pass up a wonderful opportunity to work for a great company, so I have been trying to work with this concept as I plan for my future.  While researching other sources on unpaid internships after graduation, I found some tips on how other young professionals have tried to justify taking unpaid positions.  For those taking on a similar dilemma in their job searches here are a few pieces of advice I have found.

1. Try researching grant opportunities that are offered to support educational experiences that can further your career area.

2. Consider taking out another loan after graduation.  Putting yourself further behind in loan payments may not seem like a great start to your post-graduation endeavors, but if it lands you that great position that will help you pay them all off in the future, it could be a good move.  If you have parents or relatives willing to support you through this time, they can always be a resource as well.

3. Consider negotiating an hourly schedule with the internship that would allow you to get a part-time paid position as well.