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'forced' internships

mountsky

Seriously contemplating making a complaint to the ombudsman re:fas person contacting me practically forcing internships down my throat,as it is I am actively seeking work,I have my degree.I have had interviews,in fact I have another one this week,I am doing my utmost to find a job,I feel under serious pressure from the person who contacted me when in fact all they want to do is massage the figures.
When questioned as regards what the internship was I was told the details were "confidential", I mean they expect me to forward CV for something that I don't even know what it is
I am furious, any useful advice would be much appreciated, thanks!

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SoSheSaid

The_Captain wrote: »

You can hardly expect much sympathy for not having a job when your degree could be something like Communications from an IT

Why's that then? There are TONS of jobs you can apply for using skills from a Communications qualification. Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Recruitment... In fact recruitment would be a great one to go for as they take on grads and train them up. Plus the commission adds on to the lower basic (which is still usually at least 23k). Granted it's tough work, but you can build careers out of all of those position and everyone needs a starting point. There are also tons of 'add on' courses he could do to complement a Comms BA, such as digital marketing or web design; many of which I'm sure he can get funded.

The_Captain

SoSheSaid wrote: »

Why's that then? There are TONS of jobs you can apply for using skills from a Communications qualification. Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Recruitment... In fact recruitment would be a great one to go for as they take on grads and train them up. Plus the commission adds on to the lower basic (which is still usually at least 23k). Granted it's tough work, but you can build careers out of all of those position and everyone needs a starting point. There are also tons of 'add on' courses he could do to complement a Comms BA, such as digital marketing or web design; many of which I'm sure he can get funded.

Apply for and get are two different things.

Personally I reckon OPs lack of employment may be due more to their piss poor attitude than anything else. If you're unemployed and fresh out of college you shouldn't be refusing an internship right off the bat without even finding out where it's for

mountsky

The_Captain wrote: »

Apply for and get are two different things.

Personally I reckon OPs lack of employment may be due more to their piss poor attitude than anything else. If you're unemployed and fresh out of college you shouldn't be refusing an internship right off the bat without even finding out where it's for

Which part of I do not have any details for said Internship do you not understand?I wouldn't be so quick to judge anyone in fact without knowing the story first,ya

shruikan2553

In my experience of this forum the people who don't say anything about what area their degree is in tend to be the people who have a degree in Irish literature or history of pumpkin farming in north Korea.

Somehow they have no idea why they can't get a job in the area.

RoboRat

pumpkin farming in north Korea

Its a seasonal degree.... but when coupled with indigenous evergreen topping studies and the principals of coco engineering it can be an all year round profession.

Greenmachine

I think there has been quite a few nasty post directed towards the op. That I think are a little unwarranted. I must admit I would be reluctant to submit my cv, for a job, neigh an internship, I know nothing about. How the hell are you supposed to market yourself. The demands I see for job applicants these days are outrageous, deli assistant, minimum 3 years experience.
We don't know yet how long ago the op has graduated.
Maybe we should make it a legal requirement that one must do an intership, before they can legally do any paid work, that would surely please, all the condescending high horse brigade.

SoSheSaid

OP, work out what it is you want to do. Then work your way down the chain to where you have a chance of getting a foot in the door, and apply, and apply, and apply. In the meantime, take whatever job you can get that will give you a bit of cash; you'll know it's not forever because you'll be applying for other positions, it's just to keep you going. No sense in taking an internship for something you've no interest in forging a career in, so I agree with you on that one. But there's no harm in taking an old job for the interim, once you have a plan in place to get to where you want to be.

Warper

They should treat people with dignity and at least pay them the minimum wage, its called minimum for a reason

Zillah

Carter Silly Pinto wrote: »

Your attitude is diplorable. I wouldn't hire you at all with that kind of thinking.

You expect to come out of college with a degree and the world will just throw jobs at you?

Unless you have a degree in computer science or the likes, you are going to find it very difficult to get a paid job.

Get off your high horse and work to get a paid job. What have you actually done apart from earning your degree to get a job?

FAS, Solas, whatever they are called now, should tell you what is involved in the internship. If they do not, tell them you are not interested and look for something else.

It's one thing to concede that in the current environment that people might end up having to do unpaid work to get their CV up a bit, it's another thing entirely to wade in with the smug, dismissive attitude declaring that working for free to have a chance at a job is perfectly normal and respectable.

Anyone that expects anyone to work for free is a scumbag in my opinion, and people who hurl the above get off your high horse crap are almost as bad. How on earth is it fair to accuse someone of being on a high horse when they expect to be paid for a days work?

Do we think there should be a bloody peasant class in society?

[Deleted User]

OP if you don't take the internship will they reduce/stop your benefits?

Iwasfrozen

Warper wrote: »

They should treat people with dignity and at least pay them the minimum wage, its called minimum for a reason

Why should a company pay people minimum wage and pay for their training?

If you force them to always pay minimum wage they're going to be reluctant to take anyone on.

ebbsy

mountsky wrote: »

Seriously contemplating making a complaint to the ombudsman re:fas person contacting me practically forcing internships down my throat,as it is I am actively seeking work,I have my degree.I have had interviews,in fact I have another one this week,I am doing my utmost to find a job,I feel under serious pressure from the person who contacted me when in fact all they want to do is massage the figures.
When questioned as regards what the internship was I was told the details were "confidential", I mean they expect me to forward CV for something that I don't even know what it is
I am furious, any useful advice would be much appreciated, thanks!

[Deleted User]

The_Captain wrote: »

In my experience, graduate position means low paying rather than only for fresh out of college young folks.
I have seen one company though (might have been IBM) that specified that anyone finished college for more than 24 months would not be considered for a graduate position.

Graduate pay is often quite good actually and many companies want people within a year out of University when they advertise "graduate" positions. Intel, cisco and many other multinationals to name but a few.

The reason being is they want people fresh people who haven't learned "how its done" in another company and what to train up the person in their company's way of doing things from day one.

RoboRat

Anyone that expects anyone to work for free is a scumbag in my opinion, and people who hurl the above get off your high horse crap are almost as bad. How on earth is it fair to accuse someone of being on a high horse when they expect to be paid for a days work?

Internships are about training. That training is given by the employers, well its supposed to be. The intern gets trained and gets real life work experience. If the employer is doing it right, its no easy job and its not free work but unfortunately some employers are using it as a way to get free labour.

I have trained 2 interns, one was offered a job but declined due to pregnancy, the other is still in training and will probably be offered a job (only here a month and a half). I can tell you that they have learned more in the 6 months they were with me than they learned in the 3 years they were in college and it has taken a lot of my time to do this. I don't consider myself a scumbag.

Greenmachine

RoboRat wrote: »

Internships are about training. That training is given by the employers, well its supposed to be. The intern gets trained and gets real life work experience. If the employer is doing it right, its no easy job and its not free work but unfortunately some employers are using it as a way to get free labour.

I have trained 2 interns, one was offered a job but declined due to pregnancy, the other is still in training and will probably be offered a job (only here a month and a half). I can tell you that they have learned more in the 6 months they were with me than they learned in the 3 years they were in college and it has taken a lot of my time to do this. I don't consider myself a scumbag.

Catching name.

RoboRat

Greenmachine wrote: »

Catching name.

???

playedalive

OP your scenario with Solas sounds really weird. It seems like they are just trying to massage the figures to make it look good (for their Department) that you're doing a course or scambridge. I got the same letters to go to meetings with them via Department of Social Protection and I just had to go to them, one of which was working out how to get employment. On the one hand, it was meant well as I had finished my degree, wanted to say in Dublin and was trying to find something with my languages degree. On the other hand, they weren't that helpful and were a waste of time and money to get to. There's a lot of wastage in Solas imo.

I hope you manage to find something. Maybe next time you're signing on, print and show all the documents of all the interviews you've done. Ask in your signing office if they can give them a call to get them off your back. At the end of the day, it's the Dept of Social Protection that tells Solas/Intreo to get on your back. If you genuinely prove you're working hard and that these internships/courses are just worthless, they might do something about it. when I was unemployed in Dublin and looking, one of the lads down in my office cancelled all this crap because I was genuinely honest about what was going on (receiving letters for silly appointments). I think it should be you to decide if the Internship is for you. From another 20 something to another, I can tell you if you can get any work experience, take it. If there is a good position on Jobbridge, it should be your choice to go for it.

Penny Tration

OP, do you have relevant work experience in your chosen field?

If yes, keep on job hunting.

If no, do an internship.

People don't just walk out of college and into a job anymore.

When I finished college, I walked into a minimum wage retail job!

playedalive

Jingle_Balls wrote: »

When I finished college, I walked into a minimum wage retail job!

This was me as a part timer twice after graduating college last year. Interesting times...

looksee

And as far as I can tell, if you do a minimum wage retail job you are employed and therefore not eligible to do jobbridge which might give you a bit of a step up into your career. The only way to get onto jobbridge is to be unemployed for 6 months, which really goes against the grain for a lot of people.

expectationlost

I have sympathy for the OP but don't you often have to send your cv to recruitment companies without knowing who will see it, they don't tell you who'll they'll send it too, does the person really have particular company in mind, or are they going to try and get you to have internship (jobbridge?) at any old company.

Littlekittylou

Can someone compare the American internship style scheme with the Irish internship Style just for info?

Balagan

looksee wrote: »

And as far as I can tell, if you do a minimum wage retail job you are employed and therefore not eligible to do jobbridge which might give you a bit of a step up into your career. The only way to get onto jobbridge is to be unemployed for 6 months, which really goes against the grain for a lot of people.

Three months. http://www.jobbridge.ie/toolkit/faqintern.pdf

mountsky

[Deleted User] wrote: »

OP if you don't take the internship will they reduce/stop your benefits?[/quo
Not sure,I'll do it regardless whilst looking for a paid job

EganTheMan

IMO Internships should be about constructive experience to help people progress towards full employment IN THEIR CHOSEN SPECIAILTY

In Ireland the system is totally abused . . . No value on people's futures at all

The_Captain

mountsky wrote: »

Which part of I do not have any details for said Internship do you not understand?I wouldn't be so quick to judge anyone in fact without knowing the story first,ya

I read it just fine. You dismissed the internship out of hand without knowing anything about it, and you have nothing better going on.

mountsky

The_Captain wrote: »

I read it just fine. You dismissed the internship out of hand without knowing anything about it, and you have nothing better going on.

"Dismissed",indeed,a very strong word when used

the_syco

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

I am not a grad and I don't have a job, what really annoys me is companys that advertis for graduate positions

Grad positions usually means the employer wants a new qualification with a person that they can mould.

mountsky wrote: »

Im not at liberty to divulge that information your honour!I refuse to give out my details on a public forum

Ah. An arts degree. Most are not worth much anywhere, I'm afraid. Although some are, but in unusual places. For example, a 1:1 in history would probably get you a job in the bank. If you wish to keep it a secret, fair enough, but if you tell us, some people here may have an idea of what careers it's relevant to.

Warper wrote: »

They should treat people with dignity and at least pay them the minimum wage, its called minimum for a reason

Although that's correct, there isn't jobs. As jobs need experience, the slavebridge allows you to get experience with no cost to the employer. A not-so-green grad with a good degree has a better chance of a job, than a grad with no experience.

Zillah wrote: »

Anyone that expects anyone to work for free is a scumbag in my opinion

Anyone who expects a decent job with no experience is naive, and one who prefers no job to a low paying job is a sponger.

Littlekittylou wrote: »

Can someone compare the American internship style scheme with the Irish internship Style just for info?

The American style internship exists in Ireland, but the same very high education requirements and good connections (yours, or the colleges) are still often needed.

EganTheMan wrote: »

IMO Internships should be about constructive experience to help people progress towards full employment IN THEIR CHOSEN SPECIAILTY

Unfortunately a lot of people have done courses in stuff they like, not stuff that will get them employed. Thus said slavebridges either don't exist, or the companies demand a high enough standard for said job that they'll pay money to hire them.

EganTheMan

New phrase in my vocabulary - Spud Interview

I love it

Irishcrx

A Degree is a brilliant qualification to have , but it won't allow you too walk into a high paying job I'm afraid. It'll stand to you more when you have experience along side it. I don't know where the message came across wrong but some grads definitely come out of college under the impression that a degree is all they need and that companies should be falling over backwards to hire them.

I've interviewed people before during which it seemed the only thing they could really tell me about themselves or the job was that they had a degree in X.

That's great lad , but have you ever actually worked in the field? How do you deal with people? Have you ever actually handled a contract , managed a project?? No??....well I'd be more inclined to either A - Hire somebody who has more experience or B Take you on and give you a chance if I like you but on low salary until you gain experience.