Are Unpaid Internships Worth It?

If you’re a college student or fresh out of college, chances are that you’re considering (or have been offered) an unpaid internship to get your career going. In the US, 47% of all internships are unpaid – that means close to half of all interns aren’t compensated financially. 

So, is it worth it?

There’s no doubt that not receiving a salary is a big compromise, but there are benefits that can offset the hit. Like many early job-building opportunities, unpaid internships are an investment. They’re also a helpful leg up on the work ladder if you don’t have previous work experience or are struggling to find a paid position.

Here’s what unpaid internships can bring you.

Gain Hands On Experience

Whatever industry you’re stepping into, an unpaid internship can provide you with real experiences around the dynamics and duties of that space. You can work alongside people who have been in the career for a long time, and who can offer insights about what is expected, and what challenges are involved. 

You can also uncover your own sense of ‘fit’ in the job. Perhaps you love it and feel inspired to work harder to secure a higher role, or maybe you realize it’s not for you and decide to pivot your job search. All these takeaways are essential for your next steps.

And remember, whether you have a positive or negative experience with your internship, you’ll walk away with knowledge and skills that help you better understand your career trajectory. Not to mention, you’ll be seen as more desirable by employers who recognize the discipline and hard work required to complete an unpaid internship.

Build Your Professional Network

Unpaid internships often include meeting a lot of people in the company, and some internships may even assign you a mentor. These connections are an excellent way to expand the pool of people who can share their expertise with you and possibly offer you work or recommend you for projects down the line. 

No matter how brief or seemingly insignificant a meeting with someone may seem, if you take care to be curious and express what you’re hoping for in your career, you’ll be surprised at how willing people are to support you.

Because many organizations are aware of the financial hardship of unpaid internships, they might make an effort to invite you to conferences, talks, and other events where you can grow your network even further. It only takes chatting to one person to open up new doors!

Develop Sought-After Soft Skills

Beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of unpaid internships, you’ll evolve soft skills that are crucial to both your professional and personal life. Communication, time management, teamwork, and problem-solving are all traits that can be transferred across professions. Developing these can also keep you motivated, establish a healthy work-life balance, and maintain relationships.

In fact, soft skills matter a lot in the digital age. A survey from LinkedIn found that nine out of 10 global executives think that soft skills are more important than ever. In a separate report, communication was ranked the number one skill amongst all “in-demand skills” in 2024.

Notably in unpaid internships – where you’ll likely have to collaborate with people and set up and contribute to meetings (plus perhaps having to navigate working another paid job or set firm boundaries to focus on other projects) – you can develop soft skills faster and more fully.

Learn to Use Different Tech

Unpaid internships can expose you to various software, digital solutions, and platforms that you may not have used before. They can also provide you with tools that you know, but can utilize on a deeper level, learning how to collect and analyze data, and integrate systems. This familiarity is very valuable in the modern workforce. It means that you can get up to speed with organizations’ operations faster, and it suggests that you know how to work securely and efficiently online.

During your internship, you could ask your manager to shadow the tech teams to understand the tooling they have. Doing this shows your colleagues that you’re engaged and gives you a sense of what digital resources support the industry, and businesses in general. 

Strengthen Your Resume

Any type of internship is a stepping stone in your career story. Whether you hope to be employed by the company afterward or want experience to take forward, an internship demonstrates that you’re a committed, hardworking individual. Especially with an unpaid internship, people respect that you have given your time to a position that wasn’t motivated by money. 

Regardless of your end goal, an unpaid internship adds considerable clout to your resume. Not only does it make your profile stand out, it can also improve your chances of getting traction with recruiters. For example, if you’re a humanities and social sciences graduate, you’re 26.3% more likely to receive a job interview request than your peers who haven’t done an internship.

See Industry Ethics and Standards

Internships are not one-directional: the experience is as much about you assessing the company as the company reviewing you. 

Perhaps you secure an unpaid internship with an organization that has always interested you, but while you’re there, you find that you don’t like the work ethic or hierarchical structures or the politics of the business. 

Alternatively, maybe you weren’t so enthusiastic for an internship but during your time come to appreciate the culture of the company and the space they work. So then, you decide to orient your job search to something similar.

The whole process is about feeling out what resonates with you. What you care about and what you want to learn should all be embodied in your work environment, and an unpaid internship can provide you that necessary test ground.

Unpaid Internships, They’re Still Worth it

Ultimately, we think unpaid internships are worthwhile. They can help you tap into a life-long payoff. You can get a taste of working life, confirm if certain industries and roles are for you, network, and much more. All that translates to making you a more competitive candidate for jobs. And, hopefully, more confident on your career journey.

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