There is always a dilemma when it comes to accepting an unpaid internship. Before committing or denying the proposal a lot of thinking should be put in to it.

 

Though there is no hard and fast rule to come to a conclusion, an article in blog.livecareer.com lists out a few hints that can be useful.

 

Though this may seem a little flimsy, the first thing to look in an unpaid internship is the course credit. Calculate whether taking it up will be helpful in building your career and also find out how much it will cost as tuition fee to learn the same outside. 

 

Next on the list is to see whether the company is capable of paying you the money. Your labour and time is valuable and if the company is a for-profit organisation, one can just walk away. On the other hand if its is a non-profit organisation you can to look past the money.   

 

The struggle is real when evaluating the job offered by a start-up. It is certain that they can provide good learning opportunities. Before committing rethink if you believe in the company and their product. 'Do you want to see them succeed, even if you don’t get a job after your unpaid internship? Be cautious and protect your own interests, but don’t say no outright,' the article points out.

 

The one last thing that really matters is whether this internship will provide new opportunities for you in the future. When the company says that their recommendations will open doors for you, only you can evaluate how far true it is, if the answer is positive then go ahead with it.