The pressure as a college student to achieve more in external achievement, I can say, is more tight than keeping score to academic track. The fenomena is coming from the result of how social and soft skill records are weighted heavily in value for future career rather than a mere number of GPA, which is not entirely wrong, of course. However this modern standard for employment got taken into a wrong turn every time somebody started to think that skill quantities matter more than skill qualities. As a result, many college students are always looking for an opportunity, even the smallest one, to enhance their list of accomplishments while forgetting about the essentials: work welfare and work loads.
Companies always know what the markets want, and with this hustle culture trend coming up, they stretch out their hand to offer skill development in a professional environment through internship programs. On top of that, a small startup company uses this method to reach a larger market of Gen-Z. Here it raises a question: what is the right ethic of students’ internship arrangement? Since we had no official regulation that could keep it under the roof, except for the one that was included in Labor Law (Undang-Undang Ketenagakerjaan) which is meant for civilians who already finished their formal education —not us, apparently.
These unpaid internships are getting out of hand as it becomes a new strategy for small companies to hire free employees without having to endure any cost. Moreover, there are few policies that are clearly unethical applied to these programs: obligation to work from office, fixed working hours, tasks with tight deadlines, and daily supervision regarding the interns’ performance. And what do they offer as a benefit for the exchange? Pretty much a recognition shaped in an internship certificate and Linkedin recommendation. While I also understand that students may not have enough time and standard of ability for a professional job, still, does it have to be the excuse for not treating us fairly?
Besides the company’s zero commitment for its internship program, letting a student do pro bono work under their regulation also shows a lot about how well their employee welfare does in number. That’s why it’s always important to make sure about the internship regulations before you want to embark on a new journey. You can also deny the institution or company’s request if it did not align with the initial agreement they offered. Always know that as an intern, you have full rights to speak about what matters to you and demand for your needs.
Penulis: Alma Dhyan Kinansih
Editor: Ghina Salsabila