Stop hiring interns for free.

Say it louder👏🏽

I do agree with this strongly. There has to be some sort of incentive. There is a fine line between enabling growth for an intern and exploitation.

That is super true. A lot of startups and companies look at interns as unpaid grunt workers. Pay them a stipend and help them learn, cannot pay? Decide a few hours every week where you teach them a marketable skill!

Totally agree! We have couple of them at Gossip helping us out with various tasks and they bring tremendous value and insights!

Totally agree! Because for instance in my case I was an Intern for almost 1 year without any rewards ... Of course it was a great experience, nevertheless, it's very sad

I couldn't agree enough! I worked several unpaid internships during school to gain experience. Though I put in the work, what I learned was all just bits and pieces and I wasn't able to set myself aside from other candidates for jobs. The same feedback kept coming back that I did not have enough experience for seemingly entry-level positions. I would only recommend internship programs if the employer plays an active role in structuring and leading the way for interns to learn about their industry in a holistic manner.

Great point. Without pay, you automatically exclude certain people from applying. Also, make a learning plan or add some structure so that they can say later more than just "I gained experience", but have something to show.

Totally agree. I felt uncomfortable when I worked with a free intern as I could not ask the person to work on something.

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very well said @yadavajay

"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch".