Internships Decoded: Experience or Exploitation?

Experience matters more than money. This is the phrase numerous Gen Z students have heard while putting themselves through school, side hustling, taking on unpaid internships. But somewhere between resume building and self-worth, we forgot to ask the hard question: Are internships really stepping stones to success? Or just a slick cover up for modern-day exploitation?

Internships have been the golden ticket to post-graduation employment in recent years, especially in high-frequency desired industries like business, finance and marketing. AICTE claims that in India  over 1.5 million internships were arranged on its official portal until 2024 only. Another Internshala survey found that around 72% of college students had done at least one internship during their degree, and that they’d worked on multiple companies and that too usually for free. From virtual summer programs to brand ambassadorships, Gen Z is hustling harder than ever, and more likely than not for free.

While internships aim at mentorship and learning, in most cases, it is just cold-emailing leads, and managing unpaid social media accounts, or sales calls that the interns spend their time on. But, these kinds of jobs that are referred to as “experience,” are often repeated and low-skilled and come with no or very little explanation or acknowledgment. In fact, there are some interns working without any kind of pay, no benefits, and no future opportunities, and thus, end up replacing full-time employees.

 Aanya, a B.Com student from Delhi, reveals, “For an ed-tech startup, I toiled nine hours a day.” “No stipend. No certificate. Just ghosted after two months.” Repeatedly her situation is 

nowhere near a rare case but it has become the norm nowadays.

With unemployment in the 15–29 age group touching 45.4% in urban India, internships are often seen as a buffer zone - a fishy area between learning and employment. But the same buffer is now getting more and more used by startups and corporations as a comfort zone for them to cut costs and scale rapidly without actually hiring staff. Startups often save lakhs by hiring interns instead of paying entry-level employees. Due to the culture of hustle and fear of missing out of Generation Z, there is no shortage of eager students who are willing to work in exchange for "LinkedIn credibility." 

However, this is not only about ethics; it is also about economics. If you count the hours a typical unpaid intern works (let’s say 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 2 months), that comes to 240 hours. Even if we pay them only ₹50/hour - which is almost the price of a cup of tea - the total amount would be ₹12,000. If you think this over thousands of interns and multiplying it across companies, you will be able to understand the scale of this invisible economy.

Why does Gen Z continue to play along?

Partly because of FOMO, and partly because the job market demands experience before offering even the most basic opportunities. Students are caught in a loop - needing experience to get jobs, but needing jobs to gain experience. So, they fill their CVs with internships, no matter how exploitative, hoping that it will add value someday in future. For many, a Linkedin internship line becomes more valuable than the learning itself.

Adding to the pressure are social media and peer comparisons. The average college student today sees internship announcements, company tags, and productivity posts daily. It’s no longer enough to just be in college - you must also be interning, side-hustling and building a “personal brand” too.

But amid this chaos, few stop to ask: Is this sustainable? Is burnout the new standard for ambition?

But it’s not all hopeless. The internship situation can still be fixed - if both students and employers choose better. Students must begin by posing the correct questions like What skills will I learn? Will I be given a feedback? Is there a stipend or a certificate? They should prioritize meaningful learning over quantity and no longer perceive every unpaid role as a resume badge. Simultaneously, companies must ponder over the morality of the way they conduct hiring. Offering even a nominal stipend or basic perks can create a more balanced setup. More importantly, interns should be treated as learners - not cheap replacements for employees.

Platforms like Internshala and LinkedIn must also take responsibility by actively pointing out  exploitative listings and promoting paid opportunities.

The increase of AI, and technology that allows working from home is affecting the way young 

people view employment. However, as we go forward into this new work future, it is very important that we do not make exploitation the new normal in the name of ambition without recognizing it.

So the next time someone offers you “exposure” instead of a stipend, ask yourself if you are truly gaining experience, or you are just being exploited by a system that has made the practice of free labour normal?