Job hunting blues

I’m putting my feelers out in the job market (in my case it’s journalism) and it’s thoroughly depressing. No one expects it to be easy. I am generally a realist and I know that these things don’t just happen – unless you are extremely lucky or have the right contacts (which is another issue altogether).

What is annoying me the most is the amount of internships that are sneaking in under the guise of being ‘graduate’ or ‘trainee’ jobs. They are distinctly not jobs or even remotely job-like. There are exceptions of course, and I know this is idealistic but jobs should:
1) Pay a living wage so people can pay their rent, bills, buy food, etc.
2) Make people feel valued and like they are part of something bigger and meaningful.
3) Make the most of individuals’ assets; knowledge, skills and personality.

Internships generally don’t pay. Interns are rarely thanked or appreciated. And interns are usually to be seen tucked away in the corner, making coffee and tea, lugging boxes around, painstakingly archiving 8 years’ worth of weekly newspapers that nobody will ever refer back to, or rehashing press releases. This is not always the case, but it usually is. If the interns are proactive and ask the right person, they might get lucky and be given the opportunity to work in other departments in the publication. They might be asked to write for the website, or source pictures, or help another journalist with research. They might get bored and chat to a member of staff who turns out to be the best contact they’ll ever have. But it’s not guaranteed that they will actually do anything worthwhile, or at all linked to what they want to do – and it’s this kind of manipulation that is a big issue. Yes, it looks great on your CV but what can you really say about it in an interview other than “I made tea for the editor”?

Internships are slave labour nicely wrapped up in this fallacy that if you work hard enough then you will get a job for your effort. This used to be the case – you could work somewhere for free for a fortnight and then perhaps get a job offer – but it isn’t anymore. Companies are using the current climate – and consequent desperation of those who are unemployed – to their advantage. They are the ones who win out in the end. They get the work done, and I’m not sure they much care who does it as long as it is someone who proves they are sufficiently desperate or interested enough to do whatever tasks are casually thrown their way. I have heard a lot of stories of interns being asked to do work which is entirely inappropriate – or even unsafe! – which was not agreed in the ad for the internship.

Another issue is that internships are rarely paid, and only occasionally do they even pay expenses. So interns end up out of pocket. This excludes an entire group of people who aren’t lucky enough to live in London (where most of these kinds of opportunities are), have parents who support them or… You know, have a money tree growing in their back garden.

I personally am fortunate enough to both live in London, and have parents who can support me financially until I am able to myself. I have already carried out a lot of work experience, and I realise I may have to do a lot more. But I feel truly sorry for those who have been totally excluded and prevented from these sorts of opportunities simply because they genuinely can’t afford the travel, accommodation, or perhaps even the time off work, to do the kind of work that is generally accepted as ‘the best way in’.

I am a realist, and I understand it’s difficult. I don’t expect the moon on a stick, straight after leaving university. But I wish that the system was fairer; that companies were forced to pay expenses at least; that there was a time limit to how long you could be forced to work for nothing; that there was a way of holding those companies that don’t comply with the law, to account – other than exposing them on blogs or in the media. I’ve come across a lot of internships today that are in the ‘graduates’ or ‘trainees’ section – and it’s utter poppycock.

Taking interns seriously

Success as a graduate in the current climate often depends on one thing: experience. In fact, there is so much competition for jobs in every sector that companies can sit back and wait for students to come knocking, safe in the knowledge that they will always have a position filled. Some of the companies book work experience a year in advance, such is the demand. The students themselves are falling over each other to grasp at these opportunities. And why shouldn’t they? Internships and work experience are the best way to fully understand the world of work and the specifities of a job you’re looking to get into.

The problem lies in the fact that most internships are unpaid. Not just unpaid though – no expenses are paid for travelling to and from the placement, and no lunch is paid for. Interestingly, since Universities are battling it out to stay relevant and give students what they ‘want’ – a course that guides them straight into the world of work – more degrees now require placements to be undertaken. On this course, for example, it is a requirement for entry into the second year that you undertake a fortnight of professional journalism experience. For entry into the third, the students need to have 4 more weeks under their belt.

The principle and the value of internships is brilliant, and surely helps individuals to grow both professionally and personally – but the largely-held view that ‘anyone can do it’ is simply not true. A surprising number of students at University receive no financial help from their parents or guardians – how, then, are they to afford to get to the placement? To eat lunch? Of course, lots of these students work to get the extra money. And whilst a month isn’t a lot of time in the year, for students that are working part time – juggling University, a job and a social life – a month is a huge demand on their time. It’s a month that they won’t get any payment for – in fact, a month that can turn out to be extremely expensive, especially if the placement is in London (as so many desirable placements often are). Some students have even had to leave their jobs to take on work experience just to get through their degree. Some know they can’t afford to work without expenses and simply don’t try to get work experience – and are worse off for it.

From an employer’s point of view, there is very little in the way of legislation or government intervention that says interns must be paid expenses, or even sets out rules about the treatment of interns. Of course, there are organisations like Skillset – part of the Sector Skills Council – with politely suggested work experience guidelines. One of the guidelines is that unpaid work experience should be limited to “no more than two weeks”. A delightful idea in theory but a guideline abundantly flaunted by most of, if not all companies who offer work placements. Those students who follow the guidelines and refuse to work for more than a fortnight unpaid simply won’t get the opportunities. Those who genuinely cannot afford to travel to and from work placements are being held back by their financial status. God forbid they ask for some compensation for their hard work . This isn’t a problem for employers though – there are plenty of others who are desperate enough.

Students should expect a fair deal when it comes to trying to further their career, but it seems this is a vain hope. Even in Parliament, MPs depend on unpaid interns, worth up to “£5m a year” . Disgusting? Yes. Unsurprising? Not really. The picture is just as bleak across the board. Young people are being forced into internships through a lacklustre job market, increasing competition and increasing demand from degree courses. Even then, after perhaps working for months for free, they have absolutely no guarantee and little hope of getting a foot on the career ladder. We need legislation to protect youngsters from exploitation so early in their career, and we need it desperately.