Researcher tackles concept of unpaid internships

The legitimacy of unpaid internships is being called into question by Ross Perlin, a researcher at the Himalayan Languages Project, author of the forthcoming "Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy."

According to Publisher's Weekly, Perlin's book explores the "shocking revelation … that many internships are [not just] exploitative but that most are illegal. Companies of all sizes and across industries flout (with no consequences) the requirements outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act to benefit from free labor."

Furthermore, Perlin took his case against unpaid internships in an editorial in the New York Times. He cited a case of a Colgate University student from Augusta, Ga. who interned at an NBC station in New York City last summer. Working full-time and without pay, the young man's case  - Mr. Perlin believes – underscores the problem when a multi-billion dollar corporation like GE, parent of NBC, has interns working for no money in a city like New York where rent is notoriously high.

In a response to an email inquiry, Corey Feraldi, said "the problem with the article is that it is very slanted. To make the case that universities and employers work to get around labor laws is overdoing it. Universities understand how important these types of experiences are for student learning."

He adds: "This article did cause a stir across several of the list serves I am on, but is a rehashing of an issue that has been discussed quite a lot in the past year."