Internships vs. Free Labor

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I have embarked on the challenging journey of searching for internships across various platforms, and the process has proven to be exceptionally difficult. Internships are seen as a stepping stone to employment and are supposed to expose students to the realities of their future profession. However, there are remarkably few internships that truly serve the mutual interests of both the student and the employer.

With only a handful of prerequisites in mind — namely, a paid position, a collaborative work environment, and a full-time commitment — I began my internship quest on LinkedIn. What I discovered was a startling pattern within graphic design internship opportunities. While some meet all my criteria, offering full-time positions with compensation and a collaborative setting, a significant majority tend to be unpaid and part-time. This not only raises concerns for graphic designers but also casts a shadow over the creative community as a whole. Exploiting the creativity community as free labor. 

Reflecting on last semester, I took an entrepreneurship class in which we talked about Intellectual Property Rights, and I began wondering why such rights are not extended to graphic designers. These rights protect the creator's unique work for a certain period of time. So why does this not apply to designers? After all, we create unique solutions to any request given. So shouldn’t our designs be illegal to publish without accreditation or pay? 


The abuse of graphic design students is evident in internships as it is a mandatory prerequisite for graduation. Companies using unique designs without adequate compensation are not only ethically questionable but also raise concerns about Intellectual Property Rights. Designs emerge as a result of an individual's personal solution to a problem. Therefore the design would not exist without the designer's creativity. Because of this, the work students are doing throughout the duration of an unpaid internship should rightfully be considered their intellectual property — warranting fair pay. 


In essence, the current landscape of graphic design internships prompts a critical examination of the ethical and legal aspects surrounding Intellectual Property Rights, challenging the status quo and advocating for fair treatment of creative individuals in a professional environment.


Comments

  1. Brianna MorrisonJanuary 24, 2024 at 9:10 PM

    Also being a graphic designer that was looking for an internship last year I found it very difficult to find a paid full time position as well. Learning about the reason why we as designers should not be working for free would be like any other profession working for free so I am not sure why as designer it is expected for us to do an internship unpaid. From my internship searching experience I also found that many graphic design firms do not create internships that are posted, but are likely to hire an intern with shown interest.

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  2. Rileigh GlassburnJanuary 24, 2024 at 10:06 PM

    Even though I'm a Communications and Marketing major I still find it difficult to find internships. Last Summer I was looking for some and at that point, I was still only a CAMS major, and when I tell you there was little to nothing. Most of the spots had age limits that were far older than college, and others I had to be available in person almost all year round which wouldn't have been feasible while being at school. I think that the lack of internships and flexible employers is something that needs to be discussed and brought to more people's attention because, in the end, it's hurting future generations.

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