By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Why are more young foreigners coming to China to do unpaid internships?
This is definitely something that I am increasingly beginning to see, with it usually being fresh college graduates and postgraduates or students interning for the summer. In some cases, the intern even pays the company or an organization to help secure them the work placement.
How did it come to this? Having previously interned for companies in non-English teaching posts in China, payment of some kind (normally a stipend of at least 3000 rmb pcm. Bearing in mind that this was about four to five years ago in first tier cities) is always expected. This is reasonable, given that the foreign intern usually needs to pony up the funds to cover flight, visa and possibly medical related fees incurred as a result of them undertaking the internship. Therefore, why is it that this next wave of foreign interns seem to have warmed up to the idea of unpaid work? I find it frustrating because it's contributing to having us engage in a race to the bottom while unfairly slanting the markets towards those who are better off.
Why pay or offer to work unpaid, is the potential experience, skills or contacts gained from the experience really worth that much?
For any of you who are thinking about going down this road, I'd strongly urge you to ask yourself a few questions before taking things any further:
What do I have to gain from this, and are the skills, experience, contacts etc gained really of that much value in themselves? I mean so what, you know a bit more about Chinese culture than the average person back home, but can you speak Chinese? Are you able to distinguish and work with the cultural differences observed between the East and West? If not, then why shouldn't a company just hire a Chinese person from your home country to do the job instead?
What will my internship consist of? Will you actually be doing anything of importance that's worthwhile putting on your CV?
How are you going to get by? It's difficult to explore a culture and genuinely forge relationships with your colleagues and other work associates if you don't have enough money to occasionally go out and get some drinks.
Please think carefully about it all, and always be sceptical of unpaid work.
8 years 28 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
Because they are stupid, China is all about money, once you understand this, everything becomes clear and so smooth.
Yesterday there was a "charity" collecting donations at my local Aeon, yeah right, I didn't give anything because I know China.
"slanting the markets towards those who are better off." I totally agree with you, it's exclusive experience that's only available to people with parents willing to fund them. Totally unfair to people from poor backgrounds. Some people have to spend their summers earning money to get through the next school year, then they are at a disadvantage come Graduation, straight out of the gate!
And the kind of companies offering unpaid internships are usually well established and could totally afford to pay minimum wage at least.
The other big scam is that some universities require you to do an internship to get your degree. "Wait? So I pay you tuition, you don't teach me anything for six months, and I work for free? When did this become ok?"
kasuka91:
Yep, completely agree with you mate. I guess it's just a sign of the times, people are becoming more desperate. Can't blame them, it's becoming tough for young graduates to find entry-level work back home in the West, need anything they can get to help themselves stand out in the job market.
Because they haven't yet realised that it is all a big scam and that their bosses will treat them like slaves when they get here.
If someone is prepared to work for you for nothing - and pay their own expenses to get here - why shouldn't you take advantage? Maybe the interns get enough out of it. Who knows?
If I am really in a position where an unpaid intern straight out of a Western University has the same value as me, it is time for me to find something else to do.
Because they are stupid, China is all about money, once you understand this, everything becomes clear and so smooth.
Yesterday there was a "charity" collecting donations at my local Aeon, yeah right, I didn't give anything because I know China.
Because there's a "grass is always greener" element to it. The western job market has become so competitive that graduates look further afield for opportunities. China has been perceived as the big, developing market economy.
The misconception is that, to come across to China, gain experience in a company then doors will unlock. For the select few, it may indeed come to fruition. For the overwhelming majority, it will just end up in disappointment. The quality of internships in Chinese companies is generally poor with little thought put into a worthwhile training structure.
Very Simple - You can Ask those Foreigners directly..
This sort of thing is not only done in China, but all over the world. Thailand is also notorious for such activities. I remember meeting a hogwon owner in South Korea, and he wanted me to help him use the internet to lure good hearted christians to come do volunteer work (mormons in particular I think) as teachers. at the time I was saying to myself "wow...their greed, unprofessionalism, and sneakyness knows no bounds".
