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Unpaid Internships

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Unpaid Internships- A way into the industry, or a way to work yourself into the ground?

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“Unpaid internships should be made illegal. What I’m doing is essentially slave labour.”

For many, the opportunity to move to London and work in the music industry sounds like a dream come true. But Tom Johnston, 21, is currently on a yearlong unpaid internship in London and is struggling.

“Unpaid internships should be made illegal,” He says. “What I’m doing is essentially slave labour.” Tom, from Kingsbridge, Devon receives just £125 a month to cover travel costs for his work at a music events management company in Ladbroke Grove. But he says that doesn’t ever cover the price of travelling. “It costs me between £6 and £7 each day to use public transport. I walk every day for about 40 minutes instead, to save money and spend it more appropriately on food.”

A study by King’s College London estimates that for a student to live comfortably in London, they must have around £1200-£1500 per month.

Often over 45 hours every week, Tom not only has little time to find a second job, he also can’t go out and have fun like a normal student. “I work around 14 to 15 hours five days a week, at weekends I’m at gigs, which is part of the job. I don’t even get paid for that.” Tom has to work such long hours because the company organise gigs for bands to show their talent and bring in revenue.

It may sound glamorous, but the reality isn’t. “I essentially work in a call centre, calling bands that we work with, and making sure they are aware of everything that is going on in regards to upcoming shows.”

“This industry isn’t about music anymore, it’s just about money.”

Not only has the internship left Tom struggling financially, he admits it has also cost him £11,000, as he had to pay his University a £1000 fee, and then had to pay around £7,000 in rent for a room in a house-share, and will have to pay back his maintenance £3,500 loan.

Before starting the internship, Tom worked all summer at a local pub in Kingsbridge “I knew I had to make as much money as possible. Our house was being renovated at the time, so I camped in sweltering summer heat in a caravan park for two weeks, it was really difficult.”

Moving to London was also mentally difficult.  “It was a very anxious and overwhelming experience when I first moved to London. Nothing can really prepare you for it.” Tom lives in a house-share with a friend from his childhood and other students in New Cross Gate.

Unfortunately, many businesses in the creative and arts industry are either based in London or Manchester. “London is very glorified. It’s not everything it’s made out to be that’s for sure, but it’s where I need to be to try and progress in this industry.”

He’s always had an avid interest in music, having started playing the drums at aged 11.

“Growing up I loved The Smiths, Jamie T and The Cure. But grassroots music isn’t what it once was, which I think is what attracted me to this industry; I want to help bands get their big break. I want to help bands get noticed and have more people appreciate their music.” Tom has worked with bands such as Palma Violets, and is currently working with their ex front-man Chilli Jesson’s new band, which is currently un-named.

Many students still rely on financial support from their parents when they go to University, as the normal loan amount of £3,500 just about covers annual, without taking into account maintenance and living costs are taken into account. “I hate asking my parents for help because I’d never really be getting anywhere if I did that. So I tend to refuse if they do offer anything.”  

Luckily, Tom is using his savings to help him financially, and shops weekly to save money, preparing meals for the week.

But there is a positive side to the unpaid internship. “It’s going to help my career and that’s enough motivation for me. I just want to make my family proud.”

FEATURE 2

Unpaid Internships- A way into the industry, or a way to work yourself into the ground?

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“A fellow interns mum died, and he was too scared to take the day off.”

For many, working at your favourite fashion designer’s head office in central London would be a dream come true. But all is not what it may seem, especially when some internships are unpaid and lead many aspiring young professionals to exhaust themselves both physically and mentally.

Harriet Mann, 26, waited for nine months to receive an interview from the head office of iconic British fashion designer Alexander McQueen.  After a series of interviews, she was chosen as one of five interns to learn about the fashion industry from the inside out.

“The internship started in September 2011, and ended at the start of March 2012. I wasn’t paid at all for my internship so it was a massive struggle.”

The Alexander McQueen offices were located in Farringdon, central London, but Harriet had to commute daily from Coalville, Leicestershire. “I wouldn’t have survived if I chose to live in London over the course of the internship” She says- “because I wasn’t getting paid. And I worked too many hours so it would have been impossible to get another job. I was working in a shoe shop back home in at this point.”

She soon discovered the fashion industry; especially in couture and high-end fashion brands aren’t how it is portrayed in the films and magazines. “My manager during the internship was never allowed to turn her work phone off. She always had to have it on her at all times.

“I would often work Thursday to Saturday at the offices. I would get the earliest train at 5am, and arrive in London at 8am, and get to work just before 9am. Then I’d get home around 10pm most nights. It was so expensive, it cost around £60 a day.”

Over the course of her time at the business, she was mainly based in the archives. Her job was to ensure that all of the brands past collections were kept in immaculate condition and up to date, ready to be used in high-profile events such as fashion shoots, runway events and celebrity parties.

“Working in the archives was such a surreal experience, it’s like a library, everything has a place where it needs to be and it’s all organised by category. Everything was organised in bin bags before we came.” Harriet and her four fellow interns then catalogued all previous outfits and items of clothing from past seasons and collections.

“On my first day, we had to gather outfits for Naomi Campbell, the former supermodel, to wear to an event. That was mind-blowing.” 

Not all of it was as glamorous as she’d hoped. None of the couture directors, who were all Italian, showed any interest in speaking to the interns. Luckily, the director of the archive treated her and her fellow interns very well.

Although she describes it as a very difficult and stressful period in her life, Harriet is also grateful for the opportunity it provided. “Although the pressure fell on the interns, and it was at times so stressful, it made me aware that I actually didn’t want to work in that side of the Industry.” Harriet is now an assistant manager at The Dr Martens store in Leeds, and is hoping to progress to a more senior role within Dr Martens, such as design.

“Unless you’re prepared to give up your social life, alongside your mental and physical health, it isn’t for you. We were all worked into the ground.”

Harriet doesn’t think unpaid internships should stop, saying, “Everybody should do one to see what it’s like. Looking back, it’s the best thing I could have done at the time, because I came out of it knowing what I actually wanted to do, which was go into retail and work in fashion on the side.”