Paid vs Unpaid Interior Design Internships: What You Need to Know

Introduction

Internships have now become a buzzword among the student community. Irrespective of the nature of the professional course, internships are seen as a gateway to a dream career. The case of an interior design internship is no different. Interior design internships can be the perfect starting point for your interior design career. If an aspirant searches for interior design internships on Google, they’ll either come across paid internships or unpaid. One might wonder which one would be the best for them. Here is all you should know about these interior design internships.

Paid Interior Design Internships

As the name suggests, in paid interior design internships, the interns are paid for their services. Interns are paid a stipend for their services in the company. Typically, the stipend of interior design interns in India ranges between INR 6,000 and INR 12,000.

Paid interior design internships are preferred primarily due to the monetary benefit associated with them. The key benefits of paid interior design internships are:

1. Financial Support

As mentioned above, monetary benefit is the prime aspect of a paid interior design internship. The high cost of living in major cities like Bangalore can be partially dealt with through the internship stipend.

2. Helps to Build Credibility

On any day of the week, paid interior design internships have greater value than their unpaid counterparts. Recruiters of top interior design companies assign more weight to interns who have done paid internships.

3. Better Work Performance

 If you do a paid interior design internship, then you would not have to care about your room rent. This will allow you to focus more on your. It can lead to greater work efficiency and productivity.

Cons of Paid Interior Design Internship

1. Highly Competitive

The demand for paid interior design internships is the highest in cities like Bangalore. Getting a paid interior design internship can be a challenging task if you don’t have an impressive resume.

2. Lesser Flexibility

Paid interior design internships in Bangalore often come with strict work timings. Usually, interns have to meet daily targets in paid internships. It can take a toll on the bodies of newbies

3. Budget Issues

Many small interior design companies in Bangalore do not have the requisite budget to pay the interns. Even if they are paid often, the amount of the stipend is too small to make a difference.

Unpaid Interior Design Internships

Most of the small interior design firms provide unpaid interior design internships. Companies often go for unpaid interior design internships as a desperate measure to cut down their financial costs. Unpaid interns can only benefit from experience.

Pros of Unpaid Interior Design Internships

1. Easy To Secure

Unpaid interior design internships in Bangalore are the easiest to secure. This is because as compared to paid ones, less applicants apply for unpaid interior design internships.

2. It does Not Affect the Resume Much

Though paid interior design internships add the highest value to your resume, unpaid internships do not negatively affect your resume much. This is because skills are valued more.

3. Academic Credit

Many top interior design institutes in Bangalore attach a lot of credit points to students who complete an internship within the duration of the course. A good academic record can again add value to your resume.

Cons of Unpaid Interior Design Internship

1. Potential Source of Exploitation

Most interior design firms that hire unpaid interns already have some financial constraints. These firms can make interns do overtime to regain some lost ground.

2. Difficult to manage finances

If you are doing an unpaid interior design internship in Bangalore or any other major city, managing finances from an unpaid internship can be an uphill task.

3. Lower Motivation

Unpaid interior design interns often have less motivation than paid interns. This can negatively affect their work morale and result in lesser work productivity.

The Final Note

This blog gave a complete overview of paid and unpaid interior design internships. Though a paid interior design internship gives financial assistance, securing a paid interior design internship in Bangalore can be a tougher task due to higher competition. On the other hand, unpaid interior design internships can turn out to be a great learning curve for beginners. Unpaid interior design internships can also add great value to your resume.

Frequently Asked Questions