Why You Should Apply For Unpaid Internships in South Africa
When most of us are job hunting or looking for university stipulated vacation work we are looking for a job that we will enjoy, learn something from and most importantly get paid to do. Unfortunately not all companies can afford to pay you for an internship instead they offer you valued work experience and you get a certificate to give to your university to prove you have worked at a company in your field of study or you get to put it on your cv to stand out from others with no work experience. What that company gets is a free helping hand to assist in their operation and growth.
Why some companies do not pay interns or pay them very little
Most people applying for internships have no real workplace
experience so they have to be trained to do certain tasks and that takes time
and resources from companies. So you can view an internship as them gifting you
with skills you can use to get a job in that company once the internship is
over or you can use the skills attained to get a paying job after.
The companies who do pay for internships often start with
low salaries (if you call R2000 –R3000 a month a salary, more like a stipend),
this is not enough for you to pay rent and buy your monthly groceries but I
think it’s meant to cover your travel costs and lunch money in your internship
period which is essentially a learnership.
What companies essentially want are skilled people capable
of doing tasks assigned to them and excelling at them, people who are able to
work in teams as you will often collaborate with others. These people who stand
out and do more than what is required, are the people who will get job offers
from the company after the internship period. The internship period is the time
to prove your worth. Hiring an unskilled person is like taking a gamble for
companies, unproductive employees cost the company money. That is why some
companies invest so much time in interviews so that they can find the right
people for their company.
How do you benefit from an unpaid internship?
Unpaid internships are beneficial for people with a long
term career goal in mind, they are the entrance level to unlocking your future
career. If you have a certain position in mind in future, you have to plan how
to get there. Imagine searching for the perfect paying job the whole year
without gaining any skills and experience during your unemployment period. That
time would have been better spent doing a 3 to 6 month unpaid internship and
possibly getting a paying position after that period, instead of earning nothing
the whole year because you are waiting. In that period you would have gained
essential skills to get a junior level position at another company looking for
someone with your newly acquired skill set.
Think of it this way, would you rather have a degree but
have no actual work skills and be a waiter, delivery guy or a receptionist for
the next 5 years just because you get paid (not that much), or would you rather
start from the bottom in your career of choice (that you actually have interest
in) and work your way up gaining skill sets that increase your earning
potential exponentially as you move up the ladder? I would choose the second option
every time.
I know of people who do unpaid internships whilst working
part time jobs (e.g. working at night clubs and bars at night time during
weekends) to survive because they have their future planned. Going through life
without a plan is a dangerous thing, learn to plan your future from now onwards
otherwise you will find yourself asking yourself what you have done with your
life in 5 to 10 years’ time.
If you enjoyed this post you will definitely enjoy this post on why you should choose a career in digital marketing in South Africa.
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