Unpaid internships should be boycotted

Hi guys! This, write up (or shout out), is a direct appeal to all the fresh pass outs as well as working students; if you are good at something, never do it for free (a famous quote).

To be honest, my personal experience has been, a little, agonizing, working as an intern. I worked for a multinational media firm for 1 & ½ months (45 days) to be exact, for free, not a single penny guys! I realized (thanks god I did), they should have paid me something, at least traveling should be considered, but nothing as such happened.

I even spoke to the seniors working over there but found no help. Then I took the matter to the head, but was denied any explanation for this routine. Finally, I decided to leave them, and I am sure they must have hired some other intern for free. This incident was back in 2012.

Thereafter, I decided I wouldn’t work for free for anyone (except for my friends ;) ) and since have stood by my word. I refused any opportunity that was provided to me in exchange of no-money-intern. This, unpaid internship, situation has worsened over the years. I strongly believe that this is nothing less than exploitation of the intern.

I know some students, now working, who have worked, as long as, for 18 months without pay in the journalism industry. Isn’t this exploitation in a way?

The situation, especially, is at cataclysm in Mumbai. There are numerous media agencies and they run this unpaid internship thing ‘shamelessly’. Even the multinational media corporations are doing the same. It is even more-heartbreaking that these firms, most of the times; don’t even pay for the intern’s traveling allowance. “Paying stipend” is a complete different story.

The media industry in defense, for unpaid interns, has reasons like, the students are not professionals or in order to learn you have to invest something first or, even to a level, we don’t require you; it is you who is in need of the internship.

They, media houses, are only able to do this because we, interns, don’t speak for ourselves. We don’t have to be scared about the opportunity, first and foremost important thing. If you are good at it, eventually, you would end up getting a decent paying job.

You just start saying ‘no’ to unpaid internships. There are n numbers of opportunities in this growing media-journalism-business. You only have to stand-up for yourself, say no to unpaid internships, at least ask for what you deserve; and deep down somewhere, you know that you deserve better.

And yes, if you are concerned what happened to me when I refused unpaid internship; nothing much to worry, I am still associated with the media business and on a decent pay ;). Quit worrying, stop getting exploited and stand for what is yours. You just have to ask and I am 100% sure asking don’t cost a single penny.