Summary
Highlights
Antonia, with a Master's in English, lives in her parents' flat and commutes to an unpaid internship at Modus, a top PR company for the fashion industry. Of 70 employees, 20 are unpaid interns, often working for three months. She acknowledges the need to start at the bottom to gain recognition in the industry, even if it means doing basic, sometimes unglamorous, tasks like cleaning after events. Another intern, Sarah, was lucky to get a paid position after 15 months, emphasizing internships as a prerequisite for professional roles. However, post-recession, competition has intensified, leading companies to prefer free labor.
During London Fashion Week, Modus utilizes multiple interns for a major show. The boss defends internships as a vital resource in competitive industries, providing newcomers a chance to get a foot in the door. He acknowledges that interns do "proper work" but avoids directly answering if unpaid internships contribute to the company's profitability. Interns like Antonia work long hours; she details being up since 5 AM and working until late evening, managing seating and press releases. She views it as an opportunity to network and gain contacts for future employment.
The documentary raises concerns about unpaid internships favoring those with financial privilege, as not everyone can afford to work for free. While the Modus boss mentions some interns supplement their income with evening jobs, the reality is that one internship is rarely enough to secure a career. Many top companies are based in London, making unpaid work and un-reimbursed travel costs a significant barrier for those outside the affluent few. The video suggests internships have become the currency for entry into prestigious professions, making it harder for individuals without financial backing.
The situation is similar in journalism, an industry once accessible after school, but now often requiring a degree and often located in London. Girish Gupta, with a physics degree, pursued journalism through four unpaid internships, three at national dailies and one at a top news agency, all in London. He stayed in hostels and people's houses, spending thousands of pounds, funded by his student loan. Initially motivated by the excitement of seeing his work published, he later realized newspapers were profiting from his unpaid articles.
Girish had 32 articles published across various papers. During his final internship at 'The Independent,' he noted he was doing the same work as paid staff. He requested minimum wage for his shifts, leading to a heated phone call where a high-ranking official screamed at him and refused to discuss it, eventually hanging up. 'The Independent' stated he was warned his two-week placement would be unpaid. Ultimately, Girish ran out of money, concluding that not living in London was too great a barrier. The documentary concludes that working for free in London makes these jobs inaccessible to many.