When I was an underclassman, I asked every graduating senior the same question: What does it feel like to be moving on to real life? I rarely got the same answer.
Now that I’m graduating in a month, here is the definitive answer on how it feels to graduate (at least with a journalism degree): terrifying.
My problem, shared by many other near-graduates, I’m sure, is a lack of prospects. In my case, that lack of prospects comes from a lack of experience.
I blamed myself for a while for my lackluster resume. But then I realized it wasn’t all that lackluster — I have experience with known publications. I’ve had a column appearing here every Thursday this entire academic year, and I’m getting a journalism degree.
I have clips, contacts and conviction — but no internships.
It seems like a problem with an easy solution. For other majors, maybe it is: The internships actually pay. It took all my self-control not to throw myself out of the nearest window when my engineering friend talked about his internship with Lockheed Martin, complete with a furnished luxury apartment and salary. It must be nice.
Most journalism internships don’t pay. Naturally, the ones that do are far more competitive and typically require — you guessed it — a previous internship.
Unfortunately, many college students are unable to work a full-time job for free and still pay for food and a place to stay in an unfamiliar city. It doesn’t help when the internship is in a place like New York City, where the cost of living is astronomical.
My family lived paycheck to paycheck growing up. Since I’ve been at school, their financial outlook hasn’t changed. They can’t afford to give me much, let alone foot the bill for my semester in NYC. That means I can either find a part-time job that somehow covers all my expenses while still working full time for free, or I just can’t go. A loan may be an option, but considering I’m already graduating $15,000 in debt despite having Florida Prepaid, Bright Futures, Pell Grants and a job, I’m not too keen on that plan.
And my story is only one among multitudes. I’m lucky as far as debt goes: The average graduate has $29,400 of loans. Without necessary experience to get a job, paying it back won’t be easy.
People in this situation get left behind despite their best efforts. More privileged members of society don’t have to worry about this problem.
They can afford to work for free while someone else foots the bill. This ensures that the cycle of privilege continues: Coming from privilege, you have the contacts to get you in the door and the money to keep yourself there.
An internship shouldn’t be something you have to buy. By paying interns, organizations would be making an investment in the future and giving less-privileged students the same shot at getting experience as they give to those who are better off.
Until then, students unable to afford an internship will continue to be left behind without the experience necessary to get a job. Student debt will continue to grow. Graduates will continue to be forced into underpaying jobs they don’t want, and those who had privilege in the first place will keep getting further ahead.
It’s too late for me, though. I’ll make good use of my journalism degree by doing the same job I’ve been doing for two years to sustain myself — transcribing dictations from financial advisers.
Graduation never looked so promising.
[Justin Jones is a UF journalism senior. His columns appear on Thursdays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 4/3/2014 under the headline "Unpaid internships create cycle of privilege"]
