Why Creative Agencies Needs To Fix Up And Stop With Unpaid Internships

For anyone wanting to work within a creative industry, unpaid internships seem a necessary evil.  Whether you want to be a designer, a music producer, a writer, or a filmmaker, it appears you can’t get anywhere unless you’ve gotten coffee for the boss.

This subject is particularly close to my heart; I’ve spent most of my adult life not being compensated for my work, and done my fair share of due paying.

I was in my early twenties and like many young women my age, I was eager to please and hoping to work in the television industry. Thus beginning a long and pointless relationship with working for free. From coffee runs to mindless admin, I did it all – I even cleaned a toilet at one point and pretty much thanked my bosses for the pleasure. These experiences did little for my professional development, they left me frustrated, bored and broke. But there is a much darker side of dancing with the internship devil.

Yes, they can be stressful, tedious and wildly unglamourous, but what is the real damage of unpaid internships? And is there a way of gaining valid experience without them?

Unpaid internships perpetuate the class system

When undertaking my internship (otherwise known as my temporary stint as a TV studio custodian) I also worked evenings and weekends in a bar to help pay for my rent and the occasional packet of Monster Munch. However, this unsustainable method of income was very much backed up by my parents’ pockets.

Luckily for me, I had a support system that helped keep my lights on and my fridge somewhat full — a privilege not shared by many young people living in the UK. With some full-time internships lasting over a year and offering little more than travel expenses, only those with an independent income, free housing and wealthy parents are able to take the opportunity, leaving those from lower income families out of the loop.

So, poorer graduates don’t get to spend their time queuing in Starbucks, is that such a loss? Well, with many employers stating that a candidate without relevant work experience has no chance of getting a job offer, those from wealthy families are getting an unfair leg-up in their careers, causing a class bubble in creative industries.

Working for free in London?!

It should come as no surprise that plenty of the best, most impressive internship opportunities are based in London. London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, where you can pay £10 for a pint and not expect change, is teaming with unpaid internships and young ambitious people are flocking to them, soon to find they cannot eat willpower.

With the average monthly rent of a London home currently standing at £1,593, unpaid internships are only available to a privileged few. Those without the bank of mum and dad are in danger of missing out or falling into dangerous levels of debt in the hopes of getting their foot in the door.

Enter Mentioned.io

Mentioned.io is a new blogging platform helping to connect creative young people with brands and companies that will… wait for it…. pay them!

Yes, it’s a bit of a mad idea: paying people for hard work, we know, but we believe that there is a better way to gain valuable work experience without resorting to eating the crumbs found within your sofa cushions.

Better yet, Mentioned.io is a platform for everyone. We don’t really care who your mom or dad is, we’re sure they’re lovely, but we’re more interested in your blog posts and what you can write for our clients.

Build a Portfolio

Building a portfolio of work is crucial if your aim is to work in a creative industry. When starting my career as a professional writer, I spent years writing for free in order to build a portfolio to be proud of. The beauty of Mentioned.io is your work (which you will be paid for, did I mention that?) could be featured on professional sites and will make perfect content for your portfolio.

Your work for Mentioned.io will be flexible; perfect to fit around uni and other projects. And you’ll work remotely, meaning you won’t have to fork out for a bus fare.

If you have an interest in creative writing, journalism, digital marketing or just fancy the idea of getting paid to blog, get involved with Mentioned.io. We have a range of paid opportunities just waiting for you – no toilet cleaning required.