While some internship programmes are accessible, fair and fee paying and many companies actively encourage applications from minority or underprivileged backgrounds, often internships are elitist and exclusive. Many students gain experience working with top companies through family connections or by paying to join expensive schemes. Furthermore, most internships are unpaid, meaning only students with strong financial stability can afford to spend their time completing them.
This exclusivity is worsening the chronic lack of diversity in academic and creative industries and widening the wealth gap. 80% of journalists come from elite backgrounds while only 27% of professionals working in STEM are women. This has a hugely detrimental impact both on professionals trying to find work and on the wider world.
So often, the media we consume and the companies we buy from are dominated by wealthy white males and thus depict a very one sided perspective on life. The damage caused by exclusive internships often goes unreported. If you are struggling to find an internship thankfully there are plenty of more accessible ways to build your experience and open doors to careers.
1. Freelancing
If you are eager to break into a creative industry such as journalism, art, music, design or creative writing, submitting your work to collections, journals and open calls is a great way to gain experience exposure and often money whilst building a network.
2. Joining a committee for a university society
There are hundreds of societies at university and one of them is sure to catch your eye. Whether you are keen to find a career in finance, marketing, politics or anything else really, you can become a treasurer, president, social secretary, social media manager or charity secretary as part of a society and gain valuable experience and friends without giving up too much time.
3. Volunteering or short work experience placements
Though like many internships, volunteering and work experience is usually unpaid, the hours should be shorter and more flexible so that you can fit it in around your studies or work. Often if you take on an unpaid placement through your university, they can offer grants funding and bursaries up ensure money doesn’t become a barrier to you taking part.
4. Part-time work
Though it can be difficult to find jobs related to your career, part time work is a great way to gain relevant skills and employability set yourself up financially for the future. Some Universities offer well paid roles giving campus tours to visitors, mentoring prospective students and helping to run open days.