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Most of the people I know who have interned in the city are already from the metro area. They’re usually the children of upper-middle class professionals (doctors, bankers, lawyers) in places like Fairfield and Westchester counties. Their families are affluent, but not crazy wealthy. Their secret is that they know how the system works.
They know the extreme advantage that going to the right (preferably Ivy) college affords. They have social contacts in different industries. And they know they the huge career boost you can get from the right internship. Supporting a child through it isn’t decadent coddling, but a strategic investment.
On the other hand, it is possible for an unusually ambitious person of modest means to have multiple roommates in Bushwick, live on instant ramen and wait tables on weekends while interning at HBO, Ralph Lauren or Conde Nast. It takes a lot of sacrifice, but people do it.
Unpaid internships should be illegal--they get around the labor laws because in theory it's "education" for the intern, but in practice it's just free labor for the company.
There are a number of class action lawsuits against companies offering unpaid internships in creative fields.
Some companies have already settled out of court on this, while others have lost court cases. Conde Nast and NBC Universal are ENDING their unpaid internship programs. Others are following suit.
Just point out the courts have recognize this is a violation of the country's labor laws. The department of labor is now getting involved in this, as well.
I had a paid internship in 2010, I feel like living in Manhattan is overrated unless you can afford a house/mansion in Manhattan, have places to park your cars, have underlings run errands for you, and have the means to leave the city by your own private high speed boat or helicopter if necessary in a city-wide emergency.
No way I'd pay thousands of dollars to live in a box with paper thin walls and be crowded in cattle subway cars,crowded gyms, restaurants with hours of waiting time and long lines, among other things...to work for free.
I might have another paid summer project in Manhattan, but this time I will be sure to live far, far away in a commutable suburb...if I get an offer and choose to go there for the summer at all.
So onto my question bred out of curiosity:
If that is the feeling I got as a paid intern, being an unpaid intern has got to be at least ten billion times worse. How do unpaid interns survive in the city? Why would anyone work for free in such an expensive city?
I've heard horror stories of people losing 25 pounds of weight during their unpaid internship and being in poor health near the end of it.
its personal preference, which is really what choosing to live in NYC is all about. some people love it so much they sacrifice everything else.. others don't care for it.
I've done unpaid internships (for college credit) and I didn't mind, because I'm from here so i still had all the comforts of home and my parent's support. I know people who are also from here, but did not have much support from their parents or anyone else, and struggled for a looong time making little or no money but are now living so large its almost ridiculous. Most people take unpaid internships because they almost always result in a paid position in the future. The internships I've done and am familiar with are those in fashion or entertainment. Honestly if you want to work in either of those industries NYC is truly the best place. The networking is amazing and if you can get your foot in the door and make the right connections you will be set for the most part. It does take a lot of grunt work tho. An unpaid intern is the mightiest force to be reckoned with in NYC - they're so hungry and determined that nothing will stop them. i know a girl who interned for the most awful woman back in 2010. she cried her head off every night because this lady was so awful to her. Now she's a successful celebrity stylist.
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