Thread: Unpaid internships

For those who follow the moan thread you will notice that my job is coming to an end and I need to find a new one. I am really finding it tough and even though I have spent the last two years as a project manager doing everything from marketing to accounts and have an MSc in the field I want to work I am not even getting interviews.

My boss has suggested I take an unpaid internship for six months but we have a mortgage and Mr Dizzy really does not get paid well enough for me to take six months with no income. Plus they seem harder to find then some jobs!

Have any of you lovely people taken on an internship? Is it like six months of being the office slave?! Do you have any other suggestions of getting Dizzy back into work?

Dizzy,

I think Joey would be the best person to ask. She has a wealth of knowledge, and has been extremely helpful to me. Might be worth PM'g her.

Me xx

Ah internships!!

My understanding that this has always been the rage in USA, state-side internees get some sort of living or travel allowance, or it is built into part of their college degree course. Somehow, mid-way across the Atlantic it turned into the majority of internships have no allowances and it is basically cheap labour. But that is just my view point.

I do know that a lot of museums do hire internees by the bucketload, it may be worth contacting the ones nearest to you. I have no idea how far in advance they book them though, you might find that this "intake" are already booked.

What are your long term career goals and your region/location Dizzy?

TLC x

Hi Dizzy
No real experience with the actual internship thing, but a tip I have picked up and has been 100% successful (so far!) for me is when applying for posts.
As well as the usual form/letter/cv etc I put in an Executive Summary of one side of A4 basically listing their criteria on the left hand side and then in a few words how my experience and qualifications makes me ideal for the job on the right hand side Everytime I have followed this path I have at least got to the interview stage!!
Good Luck!

Originally Posted by RM_WAG_78

Hi Dizzy
No real experience with the actual internship thing, but a tip I have picked up and has been 100% successful (so far!) for me is when applying for posts.
As well as the usual form/letter/cv etc I put in an Executive Summary of one side of A4 basically listing their criteria on the left hand side and then in a few words how my experience and qualifications makes me ideal for the job on the right hand side Everytime I have followed this path I have at least got to the interview stage!!
Good Luck!

I luuurve this idea.

TLC x

RM Wag I do that criteria thingy bob already. I normally have a table and their criteria one side and the other side two bullet points one to show how I meet the criteria and one to show how I plan/currently build on it.

TLC I work in the "third sector" ie charity and social enterprise. What I really want to do is grant administration which is analysis and monitoring. I do something very similar now and I have worked with the charity I am now on improving their grant admin. Im on the Surrey/Hampshire Border but I am happy to travel into London/elsewhere.

Hey Dizzy,

You are doing the right thing, and I am not 'peeing in your soup' but it seems that a lot of the big companies are wanting 'interns', they are cheap- ie free and can push them into doing anything that they want, if you moan, they get another one.... BUT, at the same time, you can use this to your advantage too, get contacts whilst working in these place, make connections, sparkle, etc etc

Most of all, do NOT give up!!!!! Good luck with it all xxxx

I had to tell my boss today that her great idea of a six month internship is just not going to be possible for me and that I need to have some income in that time. She seemed a little shocked that I would get such little help from the gov £54 a week for six months and then nothing until I find work. So I cant risk it. going to see if I can do a part time internship and work part time so at least there is something coming in.

Originally Posted by dizzy.chick

RM Wag I do that criteria thingy bob already. I normally have a table and their criteria one side and the other side two bullet points one to show how I meet the criteria and one to show how I plan/currently build on it.

TLC I work in the "third sector" ie charity and social enterprise. What I really want to do is grant administration which is analysis and monitoring. I do something very similar now and I have worked with the charity I am now on improving their grant admin. Im on the Surrey/Hampshire Border but I am happy to travel into London/elsewhere.

Dizzy C

I know this organisation - I'm assuming that they are in the same field as you are.

Not sure what they have in the way of jobs, but you can always ask:

Family Action Grants Programme

Hey Dizzy!!

I did an intership for 12mths as part of my degree but it was paid. I also did a 3mth one but again that was paid, albeit not that well. Wasn't the office monkey but ran the grad scheme so was good for the first, and the second I gain an awful lot of experience. We have a few interns at the moment at uni but they are strictly recruited for a project and are also paid.

I would shy away from taking an unpaid internship because like you say, you need an income. Some firms do pay living and travel expenses (often they'll put you up in an intern house, which I gather you'd prefer not to as you have a lovely place with Mr D). Looking at doing one part time is a great idea so you can still earn a living too. Is the internship that you've been offered with your current company?? Each internship differs, some will give you a 'real' job, others give you rubbish like data inputting, I'm sure they'll be able to tell you what it is all about. If they can't be exact of the objectives, try and agree some with them.

Wish you all the best of luck though and hope, fingers crossed, that a job comes up trumps first!

Hx

Hey D

I agree with Mrs M, and don't want to hijack this thread into a moan, but, you are so right as what you both have said, it annoys me so much, that now these big companies take the mickey and get 'free' labour, the job market has changed so much and the employers are so aware of this, it is really a false economy, as most of the 'interns' that they will take on, will probably be 'kids' living with their parents still, who pay no bills and can afford not to earn any money, and not be rude, but most of them aren't as hungry as other people, who want to work for their own money and job satisfaction and do something with their lives.... makes me so angry, we see it all the time, they are just not bothered and don't need to put the work in.. grrrrr!!!!

Mrs M is right, see if there are some of way of getting expenses, even if you can come to an arrangement for perhaps 3mths, that is still enough time to both gain knowledge of each other, or do part time so you can continue earning a wage.

Anyway, sorry, this annoys me so much that decent hardworking are over looked or simply can't progress due to financial issues

Good luck and if not, what about strawberry cider taster....??? Ratler farm down in Cornwall could be the way forward!
xxx

Software Project Manager-ERP-Prince 2- Hampshire | Hampshire | Forces Jobshop

have you looked for project manager posts in a different sector? It may be worth trying for a job for the experience (and the dosh) other than in the charity sector if there aren't many going - I imagine in the current climate of cutbacks charity/public sector are all cutting back on staff at the moment
Good luck Dizzy x
Project Manager | London | Forces Jobshop

Diz - check your PMs. x