Internships were created for experience, a gateway entry into career positions we fathom after watching The September Issue or reading inspirational quotes from Kelly Cutrone. We were taught internships were the politically correct resume builders essential to our well-being and competitive build against our peers; they were our educational experience outside of text books and tuition costs. Where did we go wrong?
Xuedan Wang, former intern for Harper Bazaar Magazine, filed a suit against Hearst Corporation in a high-profile case for 40 plus hours per week of labor with no compensation. She made a thought-provoking statement in which " Employers' failure to compensate interns for their work, and prevalence of the practice nationwide, curtails opportunities for employment, fosters class divisions between those who can afford to work for no wage and those who cannot, and indirectly contributes to rising unemployment." Most are waiting on the outcome of the suit and some are considering it challenge, yet they're not totally dismissing efforts. "The biggest challenge will be getting more interns involved. They have less incentive to sue and risk being black listed," stated Susan Scafidi. Wang has opened eyes on a subject matter that will directly affect companies internship structure and how interns will evaluate their experience.
Read the entire article at cocainepretti.com/xuedan-wang-death-to-unpaid-internship.html
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