FIVE “OLYMPICS MEDIA HANDLING INTERNS” MUST WORK NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS – FOR NO MONEY
An advert has been posted for five “Olympic media handling interns” who must be available for six-hour shifts between 6am and midnight, throughout the Olympic games. Despite working “full time”, and being responsible for “marshalling media pens” and “escorting foreign TV news crews” the interns will receive travel expenses only, as well as “food and drink during shifts”. (Wow, thanks for at least making sure they don’t die).
If you think that sounds like a raw deal, rest assured that these organisers of these internships feel they offer “a great, close up view of how media operate and the ‘news function'” as well as “a chance to say you were part of an Olympic media operation during London 2012.” How this helps these interns pay their rent (in London) is anybody’s guess. Here is the advert in full, posted by PR firm Place PR / High Speed 1 on media job board Gorkana on 6 July:
Olympic Media Handling Internship with PR Agency at Major London 2012 Hotspot
Recruiter: Place PR
Posted: 06 July 2012
Location: St Pancras International
Job Industry: PR, Journalist
Discipline: Broadcast, Media Training / Event, PR Agency, Press / Media Relations, TV / Radio
Function: Interns / Work Experience, Junior Press Officer, PR / Copywriter
Contract Type: Contract
Hours: Full Time
Salary: expenses only for travel between London zones 1-6, as well as food and drink during shifts.Further information
St Pancras International will be the departing point for the high speed rail Olympic Javelin train and as such Place PR and HS1 are expecting not only high volumes of passengers but also a significant media presence from a range of both national and international broadcast crews.
We need five interns to assist in the following duties:
– General media handling
– Escorting media (particularly foreign TV news crews)
– Marshalling media ‘pens’
– General assistance to the Place PR / HS1 media teamsThe Media Handling rota runs from 0600 – 0000 (6am to midnight) every day from 26 July – 13 August 2012. These timings have been split into 6 hour shifts but will mean some evening work and work at weekends.
It will be a busy time with a high level of demand on everyone’s resources. However, it will also be a great, close up view of how media operate and the ‘news function’ as well as a chance to say you were part of an Olympic media operation during London 2012.It is an internship offer with Place PR / HS1 covering expenses only for travel between London zones 1-6, as well as food and drink during shifts.
Application prodecure: Applicants should send a CV and short covering email to: rob@placepr.co.uk
Closing date for applications is 1200 on Friday 22nd June (some posts may be filled before that date)
Regular readers of Graduate Fog will know that this kind of thing makes our blood boil – especially the bit where they ‘sell’ the value of the experience, because they know deep down they should be paying a proper wage but they’re too tight to cough up. It should also be noted that even though these interns’ work is related to the Olympics, they are not Olympic volunteers. A large number of private companies are making huge sums of money from the Olympics – and having unpaid interns means they can maximise their profits, as they don’t have to trouble themselves with pesky things like wages for their junior staff. So we wrote to Place PR to demand an explanation:
To: Place PR
From: Graduate Fog
Re: Your Olympics internship – press query
Date: Monday 23 July, 4.32pmHi Rob,
I run Graduate Fog, the careers website for job-hunting graduates.
One of my readers has brought to my attention an advertisement for five interns to work six-hour shifts for your company (some at very unsocial hours of the day), being paid travel expenses only. Can you explain to me why these roles do not pay a salary – and exactly how you feel they fits with the national minimum wage law? It is clear from the job description that these positions involve real work – and not just work shadowing.
My users feel strongly that unpaid internships exploit those who do them and exclude those who can’t afford to do them. We are also concerned that rather than leading to junior, paid jobs, unpaid internships now seem to be replacing junior, paid jobs. Increasingly, the only people who benefit from them are the employers, who continue to get something for nothing.
I will be blogging about this tomorrow so would appreciate a swift response.
With thanks
Tanya
Last night, we heard back from a representative at Place PR who assured us that our enquiry had been passed on to the Director of Media at High Speed 1. We have not heard anything since but will keep you updated.
*SHOULD THESE OLYMPICS INTERN BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK?
Is it fair that this PR company is making money – but not passing any of that on to their junior staff? Have you heard of other Olympics-related internships? Are private companies taking advantage of graduates’ desperation to gain experience – and convincing them that working for them free is a brilliant opportunity to boost their CV?
**TURN YOUR UNPAID INTERNSHIP INTO A PAID JOB!**
Our new book How to Get a Graduate Job in a Recession is out now, crammed with tips and advice that every job-hunting graduate needs to know in 2012. The first chapter is free and if you don’t get a job after reading it, we’ll give you your money back – no joke!
Tanya
I am sorry this reply has taken a little over 24 hours, with the Games starting this week, I have not found a great deal of time to be in the office. I am seconded from Place PR as the Director of Communications for High Speed 1, the company that owns St Pancras International.
I am sorry you feel the way you do about our offering to those wanting to get a taste of PR as they embark on their careers. In my earlier days (frankly, many years ago!), I would have been very keen to have this sort of opportunity. Indeed, I did shadow a family friend who worked for a PR agency and greatly appreciated the insight.
This is an opportunity to see at first hand how St Pancras International’s PR function will operate during the Games. It’s also a great chance to be part of the wider Olympics experience. Our interns will be very well supported and will be shadowing, though there is also some opportunity to take initiative and operate with some more independence.
I should also add that while the interns’ roles are extremely helpful, they are not core or, indeed, essential and we have offered this chance to gain experience out of choice rather than necessity.
We do not want people to be out of pocket and we have already adjusted hours to suit particular person circumstances. We will pay for travel and lunches, etc.
I close by saying that if you add up Travel Ambassadors, City Ambassadors, Travel Champions, Musicians, entertainers, etc there are thousands upon thousands of volunteers who are willing to help and gain experience during the Games. I hope this provides a wonderful opportunity.
Indeed, even the athletes are not paid to take part in the Games!
Having said the above, I do not disagree entirely that internships can be used as a replacement for paid work, particularly on a long term basis. Nevertheless, I don’t agree that our opportunities fall into this category.
Kindly
Ben
Thanks for taking the time to reply Ben. I’m sure Graduate Fog’s users will respond in due course.
I just have one question: do you get paid to do your job?
Wow Mr Ruse!,
you give absolutely no indication that you understand what constitutes ‘work’ and ‘workers’ under the terms of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and as Head of PR (and not HR). You make no reference whatsoever to the law and I’m absolutely astonished that you don’t appear to have run this job by your HR dept.
You do have an HR department that understands the law don’t you?
Mr. Ruse must be quite good at his job if he can fill so much space with fluff about the amazingness of his company while evading the question. He says the internship entails shadowing, which would make it not “work”, but the advert doesn’t mention it. Surely that is the crucial issue here and Mr. Ruse could resolve this in one sentence instead of telling us how the Olympics are wonderful.
If this is such a great opportunity, should it not be available to everyone rather than just those from backgrounds that enable them to work for free? Unpaid internships are discriminatory, and are irrecoverably damaging the careers and lives of many promising young people trying to make a start in the world. You are part of that discrimination, well done.
Point 1. I am seconded from Place PR as the Director of Communications for High Speed 1, the company that owns St Pancras International.
You can’t be seconded from an external company – be upfront they are your client and you work for Place PR.
Point 2. Actually you founded and run Place PR, it seems to have 2 employees Ben and Kate – their mobiles can be found on this website …http://www.placepr.co.uk/#2
Point 3. Does the client High Speed 1 actually know? It looks like Place haven’t referred the matter to them. Tanya can I suggest you contact High Speed 1 HR dept.
http://highspeed1.co.uk/Contact
“Indeed, I did shadow a family friend who worked for a PR agency and greatly appreciated the insight.”
Work shadowing is something you do to gain insight into a job. You shouldn’t be given any responsibilities and working that kind of shift is ridiculous. They aren’t doctors on call.
That companies don’t know the difference between work shadowing for free and having a job with responsibilities astounds me.
I’ve been in work for five years and I care about this stuff because it is not only unfair for new graduates but it drives down pay for the rest of us.
Nothing is for free in this world. So, gaining experience is so great, why is it free rather than the same price as, for example a house?
‘We need five interns to assist in the following duties:
– General media handling
– Escorting media (particularly foreign TV news crews)
– Marshalling media ‘pens’
– General assistance to the Place PR / HS1 media teams’
This is a job. It doesn’t say ‘stand around and watch people handle the media’ etc etc which most people would consider to be work shadowing. It’s work being done to help a corporation improve its corporate image not the Olympics so Ben’s point about the Olympic ambassadors is disingenuous.
‘even the athletes are not paid to take part in the Games’ – well, they’re not directly but many of them will receive some kind of financial assistance of some kind or have personal sponsorships which enable them to train and compete. This is their vocation in life and for many of them the highlight of their sporting career. This is just a job.
It is sad to see ‘professional’ people like Ben who wouldn’t want to work for nothing himself yet is quite prepared to exploit young people justifying it by claiming other people are doing things for nothing so why should we pay? It is this sort of nonsense that is destroying the UK economy. People cannot pay rent with ‘experience’. Jobs however temporary need to be paid.
This is a PR failure and both Ben and High Speed 1 ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Usual response isn’t it!
‘I would have appreciated the opportunity myself’
When you were younger and presumably supported by somebody else so you were able to do it? Which… not all or even not many young people are able to do, so you’re helping to create a job market which shuts out the poor.
‘Young people need experience’
As Tanya says, don’t you get paid for your job? If it’s ‘good experience’, why do you need to be paid? You ought to be grateful you have the chance to be part of the Olympics and settle for a train ticket and half a cheese sandwich.
‘The job is shadowing so we don’t need to pay’
Er… no it isn’t. If it is, then why wasn’t this mentioned ANYWHERE in the advert?
You made a few decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue together with found most individuals will accompany with your website.