Understanding Internships (Part 3 of 3)
Unpaid internships and the student experience
Unpaid internships
Paid and unpaid internships exist in just about every field and discipline. Jean Riordan, Executive Director for UIC Career Services shared, “There are some fields that are able to compensate interns more easily. In many states, however, companies are technically allowed to have unpaid internships. A student may receive academic credit for the internship, if approved by the student’s college.” If a UIC student has an unpaid internship, the Flames Internship Grant is a competitive program that provides a stipend of up to $2500 over the course of a semester or the summer. Students need to have a position secured in order to be eligible for funding.
Whether you are actively seeking an unpaid internship or just need clarity on what unpaid internships offer, your fellow students can be your best resource. Unpaid internship have some benefits. Here are some experiences and lessons shared by UIC students:
Student perspectives
Christina Hendro, a sophomore majoring in Marketing, is a transfer student from Singapore. While in Singapore she completed an internship for credit during tertiary studies. Finding US internships can come with restrictions on employment for international students. “The OIS site was pretty helpful for me in understanding the process and learning about Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT). “ It hasn’t been easy for Christina, but she appreciates being able to utilize platforms to search for opportunities and contact employers. “Emailing hiring managers, which I had to do back home, was a struggle,” said Christina. To International students that attend career fairs, she recommends taking note of which companies accept OPT/CPT.
Hani Park is a senior, also pursuing a Marketing degree. As an international student from South Korea, she came to the US to challenge herself and expand her horizons. She interned as a Marketing Strategist for a company in Chicago. Hani said, “It's one thing to learn about marketing in a classroom setting, but applying it in a real-world situation has truly been invaluable.” However, because this is an unpaid internship, she also witnessed some peers struggle to balance unpaid internships and paid jobs. Additionally, Hani learned that unpaid internships may lack structure or leadership due to high turnover. Doing research in this area is a great tip. Hani said, “It has been a learning experience and has taught me the importance of leadership and communication skills. Overall, my experience as an unpaid intern has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have grown both professionally and personally, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”
Jocelyn Chandra, a junior majoring in Informational and Decision Sciences (IDS), is an international student from Indonesia. She came to the US in search of education and job opportunities in the business industry. Jocelyn has participated in multiple internships. The latest is Circana’s Diverse Marketing Scholars program (formerly IRI). Diverse Marketing Scholars is an internship and mentorship program and Circana is a leader in the Market Research industry. The program teaches career development skills and utilizes Unify, a visualization platform to improve ROI. Students learn through a simulation case brief. Jocelyn said, “I’ve always thought that marketing was just simply...marketing - you try to sell a product to someone, and if they buy it, then it’s a success. Well, it’s not like that at all. There’s a lot of preparation, research, and thought put into it before you can actually convince your clients to develop and market a new product.”
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There are internships of all types. Whether you require specific criteria for an internship or you are simply looking to build your experience, UIC offers many resources for meeting your needs. Career Services, your specific colleges and your fellow students are a great place to start. Don’t overlook an unpaid internship just because they do not provide compensation, with opportunities like the Flames Internship Grant, even unpaid internships can be more appealing. Watch for red flags while searching, and enjoy the process. UIClife is rooting for you.