University students – should you consider an unpaid internship?

Internships are a wonderful extension of classroom learning where you can put what you’ve learned into use or learn something new entirely.However, not all internships are paid, which can put you in a pickle. There’s no guarantee an internship will land you a job in the future, so should you take up an unpaid internship that comes your way or hold out for something else?Here are some considerations to mull over before making your decision: If you are financially sound or have parents or family members who can support you financially, an unpaid internship would be a good thing for you to consider. Last year, the BBC reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) had, in the past 50 years, expected their interns to “move to their headquarters in Geneva, or one of its six regional offices, and work unpaid without travel expenses for up to six months, costing each person around £5,000 ([US]$6,540)”.That’s a staggering amount of money for students, especially if they don’t have financial support available. While WHO has since made a U-turn and started to pay their interns, it’s worth highlighting that some internships are an opportunity of a lifetime even if they don’t offer payment, so you may want to consider biting the bullet if the experience is worth the financial hit.