Internships have been in the news a lot lately, after a ruling from a federal appeals court in New York found that unpaid internships are legal if they’re tied to the intern’s education and the unpaid intern—not the employer—is the “primary beneficiary” of the arrangement.
But students don’t have to go to court to clarify the terms of an internship. They just need to ask questions before they show up at the office, says David Hults, a career coach, author, and speaker. “I think developing expectations of what you can learn and what you can do to advance the organization is very helpful,” says Hults, who founded Activ8 Career Coaching in St. Louis. “The reason you ask for that is, you not only want to meet those expectations, you want to exceed them.”
Potential interns should also find out whether a supervisor would be willing to offer a recommendation for a job well done or if there’s a specific project they can complete. Recommendations and tangible products can provide a big boost for a student’s portfolio.
Gaining real-world experience is also invaluable for students who might not understand what a particular career entails. “It’s one thing to learn it out of a book,” says Hults. “It’s another thing to put it into practice.”
And if interns find themselves making coffee runs or copies, they shouldn’t be afraid to speak up. “You can always renegotiate, especially if it’s not paid,” Hults says. “You can’t always get paid for an internship, but you’re there to make the best of it.”
