Now is around the time some recruiters will get back to you about that summer internship you applied for last year. Receiving a response that you have been selected will undoubtedly have you bursting with excitement, but set that excitement aside for a moment if your desired internship is unpaid. Before you accept a position as an unpaid intern, look out for these red flags to make sure that the internship is worthwhile and, more importantly, legal, with advice from Central Connecticut Career Success Center’s Advising and Career Specialist Montez Johnson.

Are you receiving some form of compensation experience-wise?

Even though an unpaid internship does not fill your pockets with cash, it should be paying you in another way, whether that be through credit that can be applied at CCSU or by providing a substantial learning experience that will benefit you in the long-run.

“[You] wanna make sure that it is something that is relevant to [your] major. One of the biggest things is if it is truly an unpaid internship, [it should be] something that can actually go on [your] resume,” Johnson said. “It’s making sure you’re not going out to get cheesecake or are in charge of the coffee machine – that you’re actually doing something.”

Is the company even legitimate?

Sometimes an unpaid internship sounds too good to be true, the proposed experience outlined to sound so amazing that it outweighs the fact that you will not be walking away with a filled wallet. So…is it actually too good to be true? Doing your research and confirming the company is actually a company, Johnson explained, is imperative.

“Making sure that they’re a legitimate company, LLC or if they’re an organization that’s been around for 20, 30 years, making sure that it’s not just a posting that doesn’t have true backing, [is important]. You can go on the internet and check the Better Business Bureau, you can check that they have a legitimate website and you can check and see if they have references of folks that actually worked there. If you do your extensive research, that’s important,” Johnson elaborated.

Is the experience even relevant and enriching?

Sure, an unpaid internship is meant to give your resume an extra layer of shine, but are you actually getting something out of it? Does it relate to your major? Johnson suggested that you make sure you are receiving mentorship or are able to participate in certain cases that let you have a “feel for the job.” Bottom line: you should be allowed to apply the skills you have learned from CCSU in the area that you want.

“You’re following your actual emphasis,” Johnson said. “You can then actually say, ‘Hey, this is something that will help me in my degree program.’ If it’s not paid, it’s worthy only if it’s relevant.”

Does it meet all six legal prongs?

The United States Department of Labor has a six-part test to determine whether an unpaid internship is legal. Make sure that your internship meets all six of these requirements, which are:

1. You and your employer mutually agree you are not receiving any form of monetary compensation.
2. You are receiving training similar to that of in an educational environment, like hands-on work.
3. The experience is tied to your education program either through integrated coursework or credit.
4. Your academic commitments are being accommodated by corresponding to the academic calendar.
5. The internship lasts for as long as you’re receiving a beneficial learning experience.
6. You are not displacing any actual employees.

If you run into any problems, Johnson said to remember that CCSU’s Career Success Center in Willard-DiLoreto Room 101 is here to help, whether you got the internship through the university or on your own.

“Before you talk to the company person, the person who helped you get that job will coach you on how to approach them. They can be like a liaison or a middle man before you actually either stop working the job or approach the people you have the issue with,” Johnson said. “[If you found it on your own], we’d give you as much information and resources to try to figure out how to make it better for [you].”