It was the summer between my sophomore and junior years in college. I wanted to get a head start toward my career goals and get my foot in the door into a competitive fashion industry. Lucky for me, my aunt works in fashion in New York City and I knew that her company offered an internship program for college students. This would be the perfect way for me to slowly enter into the industry in a position where I was comfortable because I would be working along side my aunt. She warned me that the internship was unpaid but I wasn’t fazed. I couldn’t see past the fact that I had this amazing opportunity right in front of me on a silver platter.
I was looking for experience in a field that I had none in- after all, how could I expect to be paid and in an industry where paid internships are few and far between? I was doing it for the experience, that should be enough (or so I thought).
I didn’t see a problem with it at first, I had my fashion internship and I couldn’t be happier.
Then reality set in…
I was faced with a two-hour commute on the train from my home in Connecticut to Manhattan that I had to pay for it out of my own pocket…that was empty.
I negotiated with the company to let me come in for the minimum 3 days a week so that I could get an actual paying job on the other 4 days. On all the days I wasn’t commuting to the city, I was working to make money.
Summer as I knew it, filled with lazy beach days and freedom, was over. I was moving on and into the real world (aka adulting). It seemed that all I did that summer was work.
I somehow tried to fit a social life between my two jobs, but it wasn’t easy. I saw my friends far less than I would have liked because, unlike me, they only had one job and it didn’t require a long commute.
Despite the struggles, I had a fantastic experience and learned so much that I know will help me in pursuing a future career in the fashion industry.
I truly believe that internships are an invaluable experience that I would do for free, but I shouldn’t have to. I was doing real employees’ work that deserved real pay for me to support myself. It is a horrible feeling when you’re working so hard and can’t even afford your own train pass to get yourself to work.
Unfortunately, many internship opportunities, especially desirable ones, remain unpaid. Although the experiences are priceless in the end, it can be difficult to balance.