Hi network, Question: What’s the norm when talking internships in UK and especially in London. Are they typically paid or not?
Replies7
- Hi Isabella!When I first graduated and was interning in London I managed to get internships that were all paid but unfortuantely there are still a lot of places that expect you to work for free.Personally, I don't agree with that no matter what level you are. This will also not change if people keep accepting unpaid work.Theres this website http://payinterns.london/ which has a list of places that WILL pay you for internships - so reaching out to any of these might be useful!If you know of any other places that pay too you can add them to the list! :D
- If you want the chance of the role paid or unpaid take it!!! There’s always someone who will work for nothing and get the experience, instead of you. Grab the internship with both hands.!!!!
- Help with travel is greatly appreciated too as the minimum wage is very tight and hard to live upon :-)
- As a general rule, internships in the UK should pay UK minimum wage as per the governments employment rights:https://www.gov.uk/employment-rights-for-internsThe sad thing is that there are loopholes as it is depending on what classification your internship comes under. It's worth having a read of the employment rights as it does mean you can clearly see the companies who are bending the rules. Hopefully one day unpaid internships will be a thing of the past but unfortunately there are people still in the industry trying to make profit off of free labour.
- Unfortunately there are still lots of unpaid internships out there. If you do opt for one of these then please please negotiate the terms your working on. Demand more casual hours, flexibility and a learning programme or schedule to help you achieve personal outcomes/goals . If you are offering your services for free it HAS to work around you. I regret that I didn't do this properly at my first internship quite a few years ago.That said, there's a few gems out there that offer a living wage or higher. Why is it you're looking for an internship? If it is anything to do with time commitments and returning to your studies I recommend looking for fixed term projects instead. Or if you're lacking experience in a certain area, maybe consider taking a more realistic paid job part time while you look for opportunities at voluntary organisations where you can do some pro bono work without feeling ripped off?Sorry if that wasn't quite the answer you're looking for, please feel free to ask me anything. I've worked unpaid internships, expenses only internships and fixed term projects in and around London.Good luck!
- Usually not, but the paid ones are out there, especially outside of London. Look for junior level roles too. Just because it’s called an internship doesn’t mean it’s much difference from junior assistant roles, but us more likely to be unpaid
- Sadly I believe most internships are unpaid. Some companies offer to reimurse travel expenses. Personally I belive strongly that people should be paid for the work they do, no matter the level.
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