The Tough-Love Approach to Career Guidance

Internships are often touted as a key to future career success. But working internships can be made infinitely more difficult for students whose parents can’t afford to supplement their living expenses while they build their resume. That’s because many internships remain unpaid. In fact, reports show that of the 61 percent of students who interned during college, over half worked unpaid positions.

Opening up access to internships allows people to tap into the networks and mentors that can set them up for entry-level opportunities. Before a professional relationship evolves into a mentorship, the mentor and mentee need a “genuine” familiarity with each other, so internships can serve as a foundation for that guidance.

Launched last year, Pay Our Interns, that oftens rewards young professionals from wealthy, connected backgrounds and leaves low-income, people of color out of the running for opportunities in their respective fields.