Graduate Reveals, “A Prestigious Company Asked Me To Pay For My Internship”

By Elizabeth Benu,

What happens after you graduate? It’s time to look for that internship for the most needed experience before diving into the corporate world to handle ‘the real business’ on your own.

Most graduates will be delighted to find a cost free internship but some come across internships where you have to pay to get in, good examples being Kenya News Agency (KNA) and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

In an emotional email Emmanuel Thuita expresses his sentiments about an internship the he unfortunately has to pay for.

“I am interning at a company that requires you pay for an internship. I recently graduated from college and it was hard landing that internship. The thing is that I come from a poor background and my school fee was settled from well wishers. In addition to all that, I have not paid my HELB loan and the fare from home (Kikuyu) to my workplace (Rongai) is overwhelming my finances.”

he also mentions that, at times the fares hike and she has no lunch money left.

“I feel disappointed. I however paid for the internship using money I had made from selling hand-made jewellery in campus. A friend had advised me to do so because it is a prestigious company. With the financial strain, I do not feel inspired to start my career at all.” the email continues.

But is it fair for companies reputable or not to ask graduates who can barely make ends meet to pay for an internship opportunity?

Speaking to Alex Mulwa, Operations/HR Manager at Palbina Tours and Travel, he opines that such internships are fair because what one is taught in class is different from what one learns in the work place.

“Consider someone with a master’s degree who has no experience and an undergraduate with 9 months experience? Who would get hired?” he poses.

I ask him if it’s fair for companies to charge interns for their internship and he says it should be charged because internships are a way of merging what someone was taught in class and the office life.

“It balances the two. It happens because employers want to see serious candidates for internships. When they are free there are many jokers and they will just come to fill a desk and then get a recommendation letter,” Mr. Mulwa adds.

He also highlights on the advantages of paying for an internship.

“A paid for internship cultivates on commitment especially in young graduates. In this kind of an opportunity, someone will think hard before committing to it. Such an internship brings forth good people into the  job market,” Mr. Mulwa states.

He also notes that, “It is important to note that internship vacancies are not many.” For this he advices job seekers to take up such internships as they help bridge the gap between class work and the work place.

“In such a program there is someone guiding you throughout the internship period as opposed to the unpaid for where you just sit around and wait for the period to be over and there is no supervision,” he concludes.

How much would you pay to make yourself stand out after an internship? Where would you draw the line?

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