From the dawn of civilization to the present day, people have been transferring skills from one generation to another in some form of apprenticeship. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi dating back to about 1754 BC provided that artisans teach their crafts to the young. Without this process, the art and culture of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations would never have flourished for thousands of years. The practice of indenture and the master-apprentice relationship has evolved since the Industrial Revolution. As our society progressed, apprenticeship evolved as well into traineeship and internship. Here before Masters became managers and mentors.
The focus of our article is internship and whether it should be paid or unpaid.
“Paid vs Unpaid” internship, continues to be a hotly debated issue in the US, UK, and European countries. Whether an intern must be paid depends on the exact nature of the work he or she is doing. According to the legal guidelines of U.S Department of Labor; one must adhere to roughly six criteria for an unpaid internship:
1. The internship experience must be for the benefit of the intern.
2. Interns must not displace existing employees, but work under the close supervision of existing staff.
3. The internship is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment.
4. Interns are not necessarily entitled to a job at the internship’s end.
5. Both employer and intern understand that the intern won’t be paid.
6. The employer must derive no immediate advantage from the intern’s activities, and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted a survey that questioned the correlation between - full time employment upon graduation, and internships carried out during graduation. The findings were astonishing in terms of future prospects of securing full time employment and better pay scale (i.e. starting salary). A paid internship showed a clear advantage over an unpaid one.
However, we maintain that doing an unpaid internship is more often in one’s best interests. We respect a professional’s right to maintain their set of career principles and do what’s right by them. But one should at least consider the possibility. Unpaid internships can be easier to find and can have a lot to offer. The following are some opportunities that one should look out for when considering an unpaid internship:
1. Love your work: It’s simple. If you love the work then would you trade it for a stipend? If your answer is yes: then you do not love it. Being true to oneself is super critical. In the past, I did unpaid internships at Max-Planck Institute and Forschungszentrum Juelich (Juelich Research Center) and am better for it. Even now I would gladly take up an unpaid internship in the field of computational sciences or data sciences, over a lucrative opportunity falling outside of my interests. 100% commitment to your field of interest is how you get to be the best at it… eventually. And then resources will manage to find their way to you.
2. Birds of a feather…: A lot of academic work lands this way. And no matter what you do, having a strong network always provides someone with a better and broader range of opportunities. I have worked with a number of research groups in Europe and have realized that the knowledge and experience gained, therein, was invaluable. And you never know who will end up doing what but if you pick the best, you will be exposed to the best. And will, inevitably, be the best. The next revolutionary thinker, brilliant innovator or long-term collaborator may be sitting right next to you, in the cafeteria. I still fondly recall my mentor, the Head of Modeling and Simulation at Juelich (FZJ), and our walks before lunch. On these walks, he often asked me whether I would continue with my internship, inspite of it being unpaid. A candid conversation would pursue. “Pay me with your knowledge and let me in on challenging problems,” I would say by the end of it. That would always crack him up.
3. Skills and training don’t come cheap or easy: When learning your craft, you often get the best out of your mentors and environment when there is no money involved. It allows for a more easy-going and rewarding relationship. It helps foster belonging and team-spirit. One of our dearest friends, Arun Samrah, wanted to learn drawing. It was a passion that he simply had to pursue and make into a career. Hailing from Golaghat, Assam, a somewhat remote city in Northeast India; he hadn’t the access to the right resources, exposure or guidance- necessary to pursue his dreams. Not that something like that would ever daunt him. He came down to New Delhi and joined an animation studio, as an unpaid intern for close to a year before they offered him a job. Presently, he is the cofounder of Brainpan Studio, an animation studio. Visit his portfolio and see for yourself what one can make of a good opportunity.
4. For those brave individuals who crave a sense of adventure: That coding job just not doing it for you? Want to see if you really are as a good at sales as you think you are? Most of us would like to explore new possibilities but are often too scared to make that move because of the fear of failure and looking stupid. Here an unpaid internship is a god-sent opportunity with low expectations and high returns. No one really thinks anything of you except as someone eager to learn. It gives you a fresh start. And since it is unpaid there is no pressure on you to be good or up to the task. If you are good, great. If you decide it isn’t for you, great. Nothing lost, and you are wiser for it. So many engineering students in India tend to pursue business development. With no prior marketing or sales experience an unpaid internship is an effective way for them to discover their niche, and link their unique offerings to their desired field or domain.
5. Where’s the humanity?: Be it the industry, academics, or the NGO space, if you believe that the tasks you will perform during internship will eventually help humanity then don’t even second-guess the chance to make a real difference. No effort towards improving our world is ever a wasted effort.
Moving forward, there is another facet to this question. It is from the employer’s end and an important question for startups, in particular. Should fledgling startups offer paid or unpaid internships? We believe that some of the insights from our own experience can help answer the question.
In the beginning we had selected a number of paid interns from top Indian and European universities. Unfortunately the promise of potentials would never manifest and we found two key ingredient missing - Passion and Purpose. To get past the interview stages candidates never failed to feign interest and passion. And we didn’t think to question it. Why else would they be interning? We will admit that was naïve of us. Another issue arises when one considers that most candidates applying for internships are in their 2nd or 3rd year of graduation, so there often is not much to go by as far as gauging the interest or dedication of the candidate goes. As first-time entrepreneurs, we had to learn some of ‘The Art, Science and Labour of Recruiting’ the hard way (We would like to thank our favorite VC Mr. Vinod Khosla for writing the paper ‘The Art, Science and Labor of Recruiting’).
Learning from these insights we have changed our strategy for intern-placement, offering only ‘unpaid internships’. We must admit the talent pool has definitely gone down. But it has become stronger (i.e. in passion and in purpose) — smaller but better. This also gives us time to properly assess each candidate through a more rigorous and piercing interview process. Fewer candidates means less time wasted and more quality time spent on each. The satisfaction is mutual. We get the best out of the intern and the intern gets the best out of us. As a fledgling startup, this strategy has helped us save every cent for our startup marathon. Most of all, you connect with not just interns but with genuine people who are driven not by money but by their thirst for knowledge, love for humanity and desire for change. The connections now formed are not just for three/six months but are relationships build for life.
And for any company, especially startups, attracting this kind of crowd and fostering such relationships should be the foremost priority. People make all the difference.
We would like to thank Aditya Choudary for helping us out with this article.
Tangu mwanzo wa ustaarabu hadi leo, watu wamekuwa wakipitisha ujuzi kutoka kizazi kimoja hadi kingine katika aina fulani ya mafunzo. Sheria ya Hammurabi ya Babeli ya mwaka 1754 KK iliwaagiza watengenezaji wa kazi za mikono kuwafundisha vijana kazi zao. Bila mchakato huu, sanaa na utamaduni wa ustaarabu wa Misri, Ugiriki na Roma haungekuwa umesitawi kwa maelfu ya miaka. Mazoezi ya mkataba na uhusiano wa bwana-mwanafunzi imebadilika tangu Mapinduzi ya Viwanda. Kadiri jamii yetu ilivyokua, mafunzo yalibadilika pia kuwa mafunzo na mazoezi. Hapa kabla ya Masters kuwa wasimamizi na washauri. Lengo la makala yetu ni internship na kama ni lazima kulipwa au unpaid. "Paid vs Unpaid" internship, inaendelea kuwa suala la mjadala mkali katika Marekani, Uingereza, na nchi za Ulaya. Ikiwa mwanafunzi wa kawaida anapaswa kulipwa inategemea hali halisi ya kazi anayofanya. Kulingana na kanuni za kisheria za Idara ya Kazi ya Marekani, mtu lazima afuatie vigezo sita kwa ajili ya mafunzo yasiyo na malipo: Uzoefu wa mafunzo lazima uwe kwa manufaa ya intern. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Wanafunzi wa kawaida hawapaswi kuondoa wafanyakazi wa sasa, lakini hufanya kazi chini ya usimamizi wa karibu wa wafanyakazi wa sasa. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Internship ni sawa na mafunzo ambayo ingekuwa kutolewa katika mazingira ya elimu. 4. Uwe na uhakika Wanafunzi wa mazoezi hawana haki ya kupata kazi mwishoni mwa mafunzo. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Wote mwajiri na intern kuelewa kwamba intern si kulipwa. 6. Uwe na uhakika Mwajiri lazima kupata hakuna faida ya haraka kutoka kwa shughuli za intern, na wakati mwingine shughuli zake inaweza kweli kuwa kuzuia. Chama cha Taifa cha Vyuo na Waajiri kilifanya uchunguzi ambao ulihoji uhusiano kati ya - ajira ya wakati wote baada ya kuhitimu, na mafunzo yaliyofanywa wakati wa kuhitimu. Matokeo yalikuwa ya kushangaza katika suala la matarajio ya baadaye ya kupata ajira ya wakati wote na kiwango bora cha mshahara (yaani. mshahara wa kuanza). Mazoezi ya kulipwa yalionyesha faida ya wazi juu ya moja isiyo na malipo. Hata hivyo, sisi kudumisha kwamba kufanya internship unpaid ni mara nyingi zaidi katika maslahi ya mtu. Tunaheshimu haki ya mtaalamu kudumisha seti yao ya kanuni za kazi na kufanya kile kilicho sawa na wao. Lakini angalau mtu anapaswa kufikiria uwezekano huo. Unpaid internships inaweza kuwa rahisi kupata na inaweza kuwa na mengi ya kutoa. Hapa chini ni baadhi ya fursa ambazo mtu anapaswa kuangalia nje kwa wakati kuzingatia internship unpaid: 1. Ninapenda kazi yako: Ni rahisi. Kama unapenda kazi hiyo basi je, ungeibadilisha kwa ajili ya mshahara? Ikiwa jibu lako ni ndiyo: basi huipendi. Kuwa mnyoofu kwa nafsi yako ni muhimu sana. Katika miaka ya hivi karibuni, nimefanya mafunzo ya ufundi katika Taasisi ya Max Planck na Kituo cha Utafiti cha JWL (Julich Research Center) na nimefanikiwa sana. Hata sasa ningependa kuchukua mafunzo yasiyolipwa katika uwanja wa sayansi ya kompyuta au sayansi ya data, juu ya fursa ya faida inayoanguka nje ya maslahi yangu. 100% kujitolea kwa uwanja wako wa maslahi ni jinsi unavyopata kuwa bora katika hilo. Na kisha rasilimali zitaweza kupata njia yao kwako. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Ndege wa manyoya...: Kazi nyingi za kitaaluma huanguka kwa njia hii. Haijalishi unafanya nini, kuwa na mtandao mzuri daima hutoa mtu na aina bora na pana ya fursa. Nimefanya kazi na makundi kadhaa ya utafiti katika Ulaya na nimeona kwamba maarifa na uzoefu uliopatikana, katika hiyo, ulikuwa wa thamani. Huwezi kujua ni nani atakayefanya nini, lakini ukimchagua yule bora, utapata yule bora. Na, bila shaka, watakuwa bora zaidi. Mtaalamu wa teknolojia, mwanzilishi wa ubunifu, au mshirika wa muda mrefu anaweza kuwa ameketi karibu na wewe katika mkahawa. Bado ninakumbuka kwa shauku mwalimu wangu, Mkuu wa Modeling na Simulation katika Juelich (FZJ), na matembezi yetu kabla ya chakula cha mchana. Katika matembezi hayo, mara nyingi aliniuliza ikiwa ningeendelea na mazoezi yangu, ingawa hayakuwa na mshahara. Mazungumzo ya wazi yangeendelea. "Nilipe kwa maarifa yako na uniruhusu katika matatizo ya changamoto", ningesema mwishoni mwa hilo. Sikuzote hilo lilimfurahisha sana. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Ujuzi na mafunzo si kuja nafuu au rahisi: Wakati wa kujifunza ufundi wako, mara nyingi kupata bora nje ya washauri wako na mazingira wakati hakuna fedha kushiriki. Inawezesha uhusiano wenye urahisi zaidi na wenye kuthawabisha. Inasaidia kukuza ushirikiano na roho ya timu. Mmoja wa marafiki wetu wapendwa zaidi, Arun Samrah, alitaka kujifunza kuchora. Ilikuwa shauku ambayo alipaswa tu kufuatia na kuifanya iwe kazi-maisha. Kutoka Golaghat, Assam, mji kidogo ya mbali katika Kaskazini Mashariki mwa India; hakuwa na upatikanaji wa rasilimali sahihi, mfiduo au mwongozo - muhimu kufuatia ndoto zake. Si kwamba jambo kama hilo lingemtia hofu. Alihamia New Delhi na kujiunga na studio ya uhuishaji, kama intern asiye na mshahara kwa karibu mwaka kabla ya kumtolea kazi. Hivi sasa, yeye ni mwanzilishi mwenza wa Brainpan Studio, studio ya uhuishaji. Tembelea kwingineko yake na uone mwenyewe kile mtu anaweza kufanya ya fursa nzuri. 4. Uwe na uhakika Kwa wale watu hodari ambao wanatamani hisia ya adventure: Hiyo kazi coding tu si kufanya hivyo kwa ajili yenu? Je, unataka kuona kama wewe ni kweli kama nzuri katika mauzo kama unafikiri wewe ni? Wengi wetu tungependa kugundua uwezekano mpya lakini mara nyingi tunaogopa kufanya hatua hiyo kwa sababu ya hofu ya kushindwa na kuonekana kuwa wapumbavu. Hapa mafunzo yasiyolipwa ni fursa iliyotumwa na Mungu yenye matarajio ya chini na mapato ya juu. Hakuna mtu anayefikiri chochote juu yako isipokuwa kama mtu anayetaka kujifunza. Inakupa mwanzo mpya. Na kwa kuwa hailipwi, hakuna shinikizo juu yako kuwa mzuri au kufikia kazi. Ikiwa wewe ni mzuri, mzuri sana. Kama wewe kuamua si kwa ajili yenu, kubwa. Hakuna kilichopotea, na wewe ni mwenye hekima zaidi kwa hilo. Wanafunzi wengi wa uhandisi nchini India wana mwelekeo wa kufuatilia maendeleo ya biashara. Bila uzoefu wa awali wa uuzaji au mauzo, mafunzo ya bure ni njia bora ya kugundua niche yao na kuunganisha matoleo yao ya kipekee na uwanja wao unaotakiwa. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Ubinadamu uko wapi? Iwe ni sekta, wasomi, au nafasi ya NGOs, ikiwa unaamini kwamba kazi utakazofanya wakati wa mafunzo hatimaye itasaidia ubinadamu basi usidhani hata nafasi ya pili ya kufanya tofauti halisi. Jitihada yoyote ya kuboresha ulimwengu wetu haipaswi kamwe kuwa ya bure. Kwa kuendelea, kuna upande mwingine wa swali hili. Ni kutoka mwisho wa mwajiri na swali muhimu kwa ajili ya kuanza, hasa. Je, startups mpya zinapaswa kutoa mafunzo ya kulipwa au yasiyolipwa? Tunaamini kwamba baadhi ya ufahamu kutoka kwa uzoefu wetu wenyewe unaweza kusaidia kujibu swali hilo. Mwanzoni tulikuwa tumechagua idadi ya wanafunzi waliolipwa kutoka vyuo vikuu vya juu vya India na Ulaya. Kwa bahati mbaya ahadi ya uwezo haingekuwa kamwe kuonekana na tulipata viungo viwili muhimu kukosa - Passion na Lengo. Ili kupita hatua za mahojiano wagombea hawakuwahi kushindwa kudanganya upendezi na shauku. Na hatukufikiria kuitilia shaka. Kwa nini vinginevyo wawe wakifanya mazoezi? Tutakubali kwamba hilo lilikuwa jambo la kipumbavu kwetu. Jambo jingine linatokea wakati mtu anapofikiria kwamba wagombea wengi wanaomba mafunzo ya ufundi wako katika mwaka wao wa pili au wa tatu wa kuhitimu, kwa hivyo mara nyingi hakuna mengi ya kwenda kwa kadiri ya kupima maslahi au kujitolea kwa mgombea. Kama wajasiriamali wa kwanza, tulilazimika kujifunza baadhi ya 'Sanii, Sayansi na Kazi ya Kuajiri' njia ngumu (Tungependa kumshukuru VC wetu mpendwa Mheshimiwa Vinod Khosla kwa kuandika karatasi 'Sanaa, Sayansi na Kazi ya Kuajiri'). Kujifunza kutoka kwa ufahamu huu tumebadilisha mkakati wetu wa uingizaji wa intern, tukitoa tu "upatikanaji wa intern isiyo na malipo". Ni lazima tukiri kwamba idadi ya watu wenye vipaji imepungua kabisa. Lakini imekuwa imara zaidi (yaani katika shauku na katika kusudi) <unk> ndogo lakini bora. Hii pia inatupa muda wa kutathmini vizuri kila mgombea kupitia mchakato wa mahojiano ya kina zaidi na ya kupenya. Wagombea wachache humaanisha muda mdogo uliopotea na wakati bora zaidi uliotumiwa kwa kila mmoja. Tunaridhika kwa njia hiyo. Sisi kupata bora nje ya intern na intern anapata bora nje ya sisi. Kama mwanzoni, mkakati huu umetusaidia kuokoa kila senti kwa ajili ya marathon yetu ya kuanza. Zaidi ya yote, unaunganisha na si tu interns lakini na watu halisi ambao ni inaendeshwa si na fedha lakini na kiu yao kwa maarifa, upendo kwa ubinadamu na hamu ya mabadiliko. Mawasiliano ya sasa si ya miezi mitatu au sita tu bali ni mahusiano ya maisha. Kwa kampuni yoyote, hasa kwa kampuni mpya, kuvutia watu kama hao na kukuza mahusiano kama hayo inapaswa kuwa kipaumbele cha kwanza. Watu hufanya tofauti yote. Tunapenda kumshukuru Aditya Chowdhury kwa kutusaidia na makala hii.