Condé Nast puts an end to internships
Condé Nast, the publisher behind Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and many more powerhouse magazines, has officially shut down their internship program. As of 2014 the media house will shut its doors on interns.
The decision for Condé Nast to discontinue their internship program comes amidst a pending lawsuit started in June by two previous interns. Former W Magazine intern Lauren Ballinger and former New Yorker intern Matthew Leib, claim that the structure of their internship and the pay they received as interns violated federal labor laws.
The unfair pay that they say violated these laws was a stipend that amounted to just about $12 per day for the interns.
Condé Nast isn’t the only media company that has faced legal trouble with interns recently. In 2012, Hearst Corporation was in a similar situation, facing a lawsuit by a former Harper’s Bazaar intern who said they worked up to 55 hours per week without being paid. Fox Searchlight Pictures lost a lawsuit in June against a former intern who worked on the production of the film, “Black Swan,” and was unpaid.
Since that time, Women’s Wear Daily, one of Condé Nast’s magazines, reported that the publisher had decided to do away with internships entirely for next year. But why?
First of all, most students would still be willing to accept unpaid internships in exchange for such a valuable experience. From advertising agencies, to world-renowned magazines, many companies in the industry have always gotten away with not paying their interns. No matter the lawsuit, Condé Nast would surely still get a flood of applications from many willing candidates across the country.
Second, working for a Condé Nast publication is one of the best resume builders in the industry. Regardless of the salary, working for one of the best publications can open the doors to endless opportunities. Intern at Vogue and your fashion career is on the fast track to success. Intern at The New Yorkerand the doors are open for a successful career in journalism. If you earn nothing else than a recognizable name in the top spot on your resume, a Condé Nast internship is surely worth it.
Third, many of Condé Nast’s competing publishers and media organizations still offer student internship programs, many with salaries similar to the ones that began the Condé Nast lawsuit. Hears Corporation, Seventeen Magazine and Cosmopolitan are just a few examples of magazine companies that are still offering internships. Although Condé Nast won’t be hiring anymore interns, there are still many to choose from.
College students have constantly been vying for these competitive internships, hoping for a glimpse into the cutthroat world of fashion and media. The desirable experience of interning for a well-known magazine is something that many college students can only dream of.
From stomping around the city in 5-inch heels looking for your boss’ favorite coffee stand; to organizing the fashion closet, it’s not easy. But is it worth it? For future interns who looked forward to getting the real-world experience of working at their favorite magazine, it’s worth the price.
Lost would be the lessons learned by working with the magazine industry’s most well respected names. Gone are the relationships and networks that come from having direct access to some of the best in the business. And most importantly, gone would be the invaluable, irreplaceable, and most importantly, priceless experience of working at one of the most respected, read and well-known magazine in the world.
The decision of Condé Nast to end their internship program comes with shock value, and many are still left wondering “why?”
But intern hopefuls, keep your heads up and your eyes open, there’s still so many opportunities out there!
What do you think about Condé Nast’s decision to end their internship program?