Many college students face a dilemma each year when determining whether to take an internship. Frequently, the position the student wants is an unpaid internship with college credit, which leaves the student in a precarious spot of not being able to pay the bills. Students often are left with the choice of taking an educationally valuable job which does not pay anything or working in a paying job which fails to enhance long-term hiring potential and marketability.
Students should always exhaust every possibility in favor of taking a valuable unpaid internship. Several options are available to overcome the money dilemma. Students can research various sources at their school to see if subsidy grants are available to students taking unpaid internships. Colleges and universities normally have a vested interest in seeing that a student is afforded valuable work experience both during school and after. A student should examine through the school's career services center and financial aid office what subsidy grants might be available and appropriate. All this takes on the student's part is a phone call to a counselor to set up an appointment, along with a description of the unpaid internship and how it pertains to his or her major.
A related option is organization grants, available from many sources throughout the United States. Many organizations have grant programs which will enable a student to obtain a grant for a valuable educational experience closely related a chosen field of work. A well-known resource is Foundation Grants to Individuals, a book that many career counselors keep on their desk. Again, it may be more efficient for a student to raise organization grants with a career counselor and see what might be a good fit, rather than trying to wade through unfamiliar and overwhelming terrain.
Three other options should be exhausted before foregoing an unpaid internship opportunity. First, the student should determine whether he or she can take on extra financial aid. If the opportunity is one likely to yield long-term career benefits and is too good to pass up, then adding student loans may be worth the cost. Second, a student may be able to work out a schedule for the unpaid internship that allows him or her to take a second paying job part-time. While the schedule could end up both demanding and difficult, this may alleviate practical problems in obtaining necessary financial resources from others. Third, family may be willing to support the unpaid internship decision with financial help. The student should engage his or her family members in an interactive process to educate them as to the unpaid internship and how it is likely to yield a long-term, full-time position in just a few years. Mom and Dad may be willing to invest a little up front if they realize their child is thinking long-term and building a professional resume and network of contacts.
© 2007 Real Interns