An Internship Is A Professional Program

Many young people think that obtaining a college degree is the best way—perhaps the only way—to get a good job anymore. So is it still possible to get a good job without one? According to Professor Blanche D. Blank, attaining a college degree doesn’t always guarantee success. In his published article “Degrees: Who Needs Them?”, he argues that American college is not teaching young adults the actual skills they need for the workforce, instead the education system is becoming a jumble of generalized credits that amount to a degree. College is becoming a mold for one to fit in the technological culture, rather than to release one to actively engage in the pursuit of knowledge. Blank begins building his credibility with personal experiences and

An internship can also heighten the awareness of community issues, motivates to create opportunities, embrace new ideas, and give direction to positive change. A successful internship can provide valuable information in making decisions about the direction of future studies or employment. An internship is an opportunity to not only use and develop industry-related knowledge and skills, but also to enhance some of the skills that are transferable to any professional work setting. For some people, the internship is the first introduction to the world of work. No matter where the skills and understanding of professionalism lie, internship is a chance to develop them even further.

Schlosser illuminates how companies use the inexperience of a youthful workforce for financial gains and control through an appeal to ethos. The industry’s priorities revolve around the idea of personal gain, “[t]eenagers have been the perfect candidates for these jobs, not only because they are less expensive to hire than adults, but also because their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control” (Schlosser 68). With inexperience comes lack of knowledge, therefore, teens do not necessarily know what they should be paid, making it easier for companies to pay them whatever they like. In doing this, companies are able to keep more money for themselves without worrying about giving raises to employees, giving them

A student named Andrew Braaksma wrote an article in a newspaper called, “Lessons from the Assembly Line”, explaining his story about his summer occupancy while being on vacation away from college. The author writes about the lessons, experiences, and knowledge he had gained from his summer job away from his college campus. Andrew Braaksma explains both roles as a student and as an employee sharing these lessons he learned about the value of an education. Andrew shows his audience the benefits of working and why valuing an education is so vital to an individual’s future. The author’s goal is to inspire young college students to value their education, explore the workforce, and appreciate how employment can benefit them by sharing his own experiences. Being employed or working while attending school is very valuable because it teaches you the concept of financial obligation, gives you a strong worth ethic, and teaches you many lessons about the real world, and how important an education is.

Getting a “good” job is not straightforward as it used to be. In past generations, someone in an entry-level position could work their way up the ladder simply through hard work and determination; whether or not one had credentials or a diploma mattered very little. This is not the case today. Higher education is now critical to obtaining a better job because the demand for skilled labor is rising. For this reason, the value that a degree offers is higher than that of one’s actual intelligence or merit. Furthermore, workers without college degrees will quickly be outpaced in position and salary by degree

As of 2015, the average amount of student loan debt in America alone was 1.2 trillion dollars and the average balance for each of the roughly 40 million borrowers still paying back loans was $29,000 (Holland 2015). John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight” makes a point that student loan debt exceeds that of both credit card and auto loans. However, despite the negative financial effects, achieving a college degree is vital to the National Economy and the job market. According to studies by the Hamilton Project, “The cost of not going to college is rising just as much as the cost of going,” (Greenstone & Looney, 2012). This is because employers are increasing the credentials of future employees which, in turn poses two issues. First, it is

Young people who agree to college in favor of an internship. In the article “ Actually, college is very much worth it” by Andrew S. Rotheram, on page 86 paragraph 1, states that college is in need for everyone to go to get a better job after you graduate college and get a lot of money because

Many recent college graduates have faced record levels of unemployment. This situation has lead people to question what they value about higher education. Some high school students and their parents are wondering if a college education is worth the cost. Others, however, believe that a college prepares students for more than just a job or career. Many people then present the counter argument that people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg did not have a college degree, but unlike them most people are not geniuses and do not have the same entrepreneurial opportunities available to them, let alone the innovative ideas and proper timing. A college education is worth the cost because it is a requirement for many jobs, college graduates make substantially more than high school graduates, and college provides more opportunities for personal growth and networking.

Today in a modern day, each new year of hopeful high school graduates rapidly finds there are just not enough job offers for every one of them. The majority of them end up tending to tables at McDonalds or stocking the shelves at local Walmarts. Large portions of them drop out with a huge number of dollars in understudy advance obligations that no one ever cautioned them about. The annual average for college tuition and fees is about twenty-two thousand dollars, thirty thousand dollars

“Take This Internship and Shove It” by Anya Kamenetz is about the declining state of jobs for new college graduates or current college students. Anya Kamenetz is attempting to prove that internships, particularly unpaid internships, are part of the problem of new graduates finding employment in their field of study. Kamenetz is also trying to prove internships are harmful to the job market in general. Kamenetz describes internships as “fake jobs” and states internships cause low wages and decline in young workers being part of a union. When an employer can hire someone for free he or she is more likely to do so instead of spending company money on a paid employee. Employers get away with these practices because with an already

Our present day job market has seen a marked increase in competition among college graduates. Over the past 40 years, we have seen a 20 percent increase in bachelor’s degrees in citizens over the age of 25 (“Fast Facts” 1). This increase in degree holders has exacerbated the competition of our job markets and has forced workers to seek a further competitive edge. According to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an astonishing 95 percent of employers said relevant work experience is a major aspect in hiring decisions, and approximately half of the surveyed employers wanted the experience to come from internships (Hansen 1). Hence, many college students find themselves taking unpaid internships as resume boosters. Although these internship experiences are significant in providing college students with practical skills, their ethicality is highly questionable. Unpaid internships exploit interns, widen socioeconomic disparity, and offer little future benefit to interns. This paper will begin by framing the problem and highlighting the importance of this phenomenon. Following that, the multiple perspectives on this issue will be discussed and an analysis of the pros and cons of unpaid internships will unravel that unpaid internships are inherently flawed. Lastly, the paper will acknowledge that completely abolishing unpaid internships is an

In the competitive world today, having a college degree might not benefit a student as much as before, thus opening up numerous questions concerning its necessity. Not only is the number of students desperately trying to enroll in college increasing, but the tuition shoots up as well. However, will college enrollment necessarily be enough to increase your chances of attaining job security? The answer is hotly debated amongst adults and students alike, which opens up the second option for students, that is, joining the work force. Although this option is generally shunned by the new generation, the tough economy and slow restoration makes it quite a desirable choice at the moment. Joining the work force is a hard decision to make as it

In today’s’ society, success is often measured by academic and professional achievement. Higher education provides more opportunity and freedom. Statistics verify that generally, the more highly educated have higher earnings and there is a significant difference between wages earned by employees with College degrees and those without. Higher education is often perceived as a means to a ‘better life’ .Though many recognize the benefits of higher education, the rate at which students leave in their first year of College is still very high. Students leave their first year of College for

In Robert E. Sullivan, Jr.’s “Greatly Reduced Expectations”, Sullivan discusses the lack of employment available to college graduates. Throughout the essay, testimonials are given by four college graduates who expected more opportunity when they graduated with a four year degree. I sympathize with these men and women who are working in jobs that do promote their ability.

Often times what will happen with an unpaid internship is the exploitation of student workers, sometimes even sexual harassment. For Brigid O’Connor, sexual harassment was a major issue that made her quit the internship at the hospital completely, when managers failed to remedy the situation (Fredericksen). After commencing an action against the hospital, O’Connor discovered that there is no protection against discrimination and harassment in the workplace (Fredericksen). A more well-known unpaid intern who was exploited was Monica Lewinsky. Her case shows that companies and employers who are looking for cheap or even free labor may abuse unpaid interns (Svacina). Since students are worried about their future career success they will tend to not speak up about the exploitation and harassment.