Okay let's try this again

So err...I uh...err. Okay, I probably don't have what it takes to become a fulltime blogger. I'm okay with that - even if nobody else reads this, at least I'm getting it out there.

Anyway's, I'm suffering through an unpaid internship. I've learned a few things - but transferrable skills? Valuable experience? Eh. And awesomely enough, NPR just had a story about it.



This story really brings up some interesting points. Here are my favorite two:

Only the well off can afford an unpaid summer: This summer, I am doing not 1 but 2 unpaid internships. I am living at home, and my parents support me, so in the end I am not really losing all that much. Plus, I couldn't find a paying job anyway. But if I had to do an unpaid internship in Los Angeles? New York? It would be difficult enough to provide for all this with the stipends usually given to interns, so imagine having to pay for all this out of pocket.

Only the well connected can get the best ones: This is no surprise. A lot of companies offer internships - from the fabulous to the not so fabulous. The fabulous ones usually offer the best opportunities (in terms of resume candy anyway). Unfortunately, a lot of them are nearly impossible to get unless you know someone who can get you an in. So basically if you are a) poor, b) not well connected or c) both, you are starting behind in an already difficult job market.

It's a long piece, but even if you listen to just parts of it, it's interesting. Compared to what some of these people are doing--cleaning doorknobs, mopping bathrooms--mine isn't that bad. Not at all. Sure, I've had to answer phones, get coffee, and run errands, but all in all it is manageable at least. Would I rather be paid for my services? Of course! I work like an assistant I should at least get paid like one.

Unfortunately for me, I want to work in the entertainment industry, and these unpaid grunge work internships are just a part of the ride.

What do you think of the infamous unpaid internship?