{"id":12097,"date":"2023-12-15T04:14:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T10:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/?p=12097"},"modified":"2026-01-29T17:10:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T23:10:32","slug":"are-unpaid-internships-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bbstage.mcdpartners.dev\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/are-unpaid-internships-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Should you do an unpaid internship? Read this before you decide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you\u2019re fresh out of college or looking to make a midcareer transition, internships can get you closer to your dream job\u2014but not all internships are equal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid and unpaid internships offer you the chance to gain work experience, but only paid internships, as the name implies, provide the benefit of a paycheck. Before accepting an unpaid internship you\u2019ll need to review your finances and carefully consider the pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about unpaid internships to help you decide: Are unpaid internships worth it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid vs. unpaid internships: What sets them apart?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To help you decide whether to take an unpaid internship, it\u2019s helpful to understand the difference between paid vs. unpaid internships. It might seem like there\u2019s an obvious answer: the paycheck (or lack thereof). But in reality, money isn\u2019t the only thing that sets paid vs. unpaid internships apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A major difference between paid vs. unpaid internships can be the level of autonomy you experience, says Brooke McCord, certified career coach at Ama La Vida, a personal and career coaching firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you think of paid internships, they are often pretty set in stone,\u201d McCord says, adding that this is especially true at large companies. \u201cYou are going into an already set field. You know what you\u2019re doing, and you know what you\u2019re getting.\u201d As a result, paid interns tend to make their way through a rigidly structured internship program that doesn\u2019t allow a lot of say in what they get to do because they\u2019re being hired for a specific role or objective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an unpaid internship, because you\u2019re working for free, you may have more leverage to ask to work on specific projects of interest to you, McCord adds. Of course, your request has to fall within the scope of your internship, she notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both paid and unpaid internships can allow you to demonstrate your initiative, creativity and work ethic, but keeping these differences in mind can help you decide whether an unpaid internship is worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long should you stay at an unpaid internship?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Internships shouldn\u2019t be considered permanent roles, says Ray Giese, owner of career coaching firm Career & Financial Pathways. For that reason, he adds, you\u2019ll want to understand exactly how long the internship commitment is before considering the role. This will help you know how to budget for this unpaid internship period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will vary depending on your situation, but internships\u2014whether paid or unpaid\u2014typically range between two to four months, McCord says, but can last as long as six months, adds Giese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting into the flow of a workplace is going to take at least a month or two, both in terms of roles and responsibilities,\u201d Giese says. During those first couple of months, you\u2019ll also get a sense of whether you\u2019re passionate enough about the line of work to make it your lifelong career, he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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“Even if an internship is not paid, you can put that experience on your resume. That’s really important. Other than just saying I have a degree and I want a job, you have a little bit of a track record.\u201d<\/p>\n