There has been a growing campaign against unpaid internships. They really are
making a loud movement, and I applaud their bravery. Additionally, the work environment should enable every person to receive compensation commensurate with their labour, including interns.
However, there are grave weaknesses in this black-and-white strategy. First, the
majority of its supporters are young people from middle-class backgrounds, who, at the
end of the day, have a roof over their heads and, for some of them, a job that does not
literally mean life or death. Second, it stems from an anti-capitalist feeling that is mostly
justified. Their greatest failing is their ignorance of how systems operate.
I will keep it short. A business must have an enormous amount of resources to grow into
an enormous entity that hires people. Completing the puzzle and turning a profit
depends on a variety of factors, including the global economy, tax laws, the economic
environment, and more. A single event, such as a shift in oil prices, has the power to
completely destabilize an economy and cause job losses.
Consequently, economic considerations other than the presumed greed of capitalists
frequently play a role when businesses choose to hire cheap labour or interns for certain
durations. And occasionally, by giving you that internship, they are helping you out by
helping you graduate or by giving you some valuable experience that will come in
handy later on. The majority of these positions are contract-based; in short, you
already know what to expect when you are in.
This is my advice to Gen Zs; take it or leave it. If you are starting
and someone offers you exposure in exchange for payment, take the job if you have
nothing to lose. For bus fare and food, you can always work something out with the
employer. Even so, you should still go ahead and do it because you will gain valuable
experience, have the opportunity to network, and make a lasting impression.
In my quest of doing research for this article I talked to Dental Surgeon Tatiyia
Ntimama, he runs a health startup in Narok County and he hinted that they do give their
interns a small compensation. That as much they frequently break their word when an
opportunity arises, they always consider those who volunteer first and put their names
up.
Ntimama expressed his gratitude to some ex-interns who now have permanent jobs, commenting that if they had
came in with the mindset that they needed to be paid to work, they would have missed
out on a lot of opportunities.
As I pen off, this is my advice to you, young person just starting out, if you have nothing
to lose, exposure is a good thing. Take it or leave it. Simply learn how to manipulate the
setup to your benefit. Right now, or later on.
