Unpaid Internships

There have been some very good points made recently about the disadvantages of unpaid internships. One of the most obvious is money. While I cannot argue against the importance of money, I can make a compelling argument for why unpaid internships should not be overlooked.

In my twenties and thirties I was busy raising kids. I did go to college during this time. Now in my 40’s I have been unemployed for an extended period of time. Since there did not seem to be an end to my job search, I started to give some thought about how I could apply my skill set, and do something else.

That is when I began looking at internships. When you are in your forties most traditional routes for internships are not an option. Most internships want college aged students who have a degree,

This doesn’t have anything to do with contacting someone for an internship. You are however never too young to understand the importance of building networks, and forming connections. There are many ways to do this online and the internet is full of tutorials, but when you are wanting and looking for something, paid or unpaid, tell everyone who will listen.

Consider a volunteer position. Some of you will say “Well isn’t that what an unpaid internship is?”. That would depend on the unpaid internship versus the volunteer opportunity, while factoring in what you hope to gain. I get more personal attention from my unpaid internship than if I volunteered my time writing on an online blog. You know though, there are many volunteer opportunities that are as good as an unpaid internship. When you volunteer there is usually some form of training; you learn new skills, you can get someone to write you a letter of recommendation, and it looks just as good on an application.

My internship is from home and online. Before you take an internship that is based from home there are pros and cons to consider. So let’s consider some of the benefits of working from