Dreams degrees, and no pay cheques

Ahmed, a student at a university in Islamabad, thought getting an internship in Islamabad would finally open the door to a better future. But the excitement faded when he found out the internship was unpaid.

Living in a hostel as a bachelor’s student, Ahmed was already struggling with his monthly expenses. Rent, food, transport, and daily necessities in Islamabad were difficult to afford without an income. Still, he accepted the internship because he felt he had little choice.

He chose an unpaid internship instead of waiting for a paid job, because there were very few vacancies in the job market. Unpaid positions often have a higher chance of selection, and young graduates are often obliged to accept them in order to gain experience and build a stronger profile for future opportunities. He also says it is frustrating and exhausting for young people looking for entry-level jobs.

“Several companies take interns for granted,” Ahmad points out. Instead of properly guiding or training them, organisations often focus only on getting their work done. According to him, interns are treated more like regular workers than learners, even though they receive little or no financial compensation.

Sara Ali, a recent university graduate, shared a similar experience during her online internship with a marketing company. Although working remotely saved her transportation expenses, she said the internship became exhausting because of the workload and lack of guidance.

“We were given daily tasks and strict deadlines, but there was very little training or communication from supervisors,” she explained. “Most of the time, it felt like the company only wanted random work done for free from interns.”

Sara added that despite spending several hours each day creating content and managing assignments, she did not receive any stipend or job offer at the end of the internship. However, like many students, she continued because she believed the experience would strengthen her CV and improve her chances of future employment.

Like many young graduates in Pakistan, Ahmed and Sara worked full office hours without receiving a salary or even a small stipend. While companies call it “experience,” for many students it becomes a daily struggle for survival. Their stories reflect the reality faced by thousands of educated young people who are willing to work hard, yet are expected to work for free just to enter the professional world.

Although, internships have now become an important part of academic life in Pakistan. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) requires students in many degree programmes to complete at least one internship related to their field of study before graduation. In Pakistan, corporate internship policies are guided by HEC-mandatory frameworks and the corporate sector's compliance with labour laws. While many internships are unpaid, leading organisations generally offer paid stipends, structured 6- to 12-week placements, and formal training curricula.

Core Corporate Internship typically ranges from 6 to 12 weeks, often during summer or winter breaks, with a minimum requirement of 360 hours for certain associate degrees. HEC guidelines make internships a mandatory component for undergraduate degrees.

Internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the company's budget and policies. Major corporations like the State Bank of Pakistan offer stipends, while smaller businesses may offer unpaid or expense-reimbursed roles. Interns generally receive one permissible day of leave per month. Contracts can typically be terminated by either party with a short notice period, e.g., two to seven days. Companies require interns to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to protect proprietary information. Upon successful completion and performance review, the Human Resources department issues an official Internship Certificate.

For instance, the State Bank offers a highly competitive six-week summer programme with specific CGPA and degree requirements. Companies in the oil and petroleum sector offer four- to six-week projects that combine field or head office experience. Interns are not considered permanent employees and do not accrue standard employee benefits or a legal guarantee of a full-time position upon completion.

In reality, every year, thousands of graduates across Pakistan step into offices full of hope, ambition, and dreams for a better future. Armed with degrees, polished CVs, and endless determination, they enter the professional world expecting an opportunity to learn and grow. Instead, many are welcomed into a culture of unpaid internships where their labour is valued, but their survival is ignored.

Unpaid internships have quietly become normalised across media houses, NGOs, private companies, educational institutions, marketing agencies, and even corporate firms. Young graduates are routinely expected to work full-time for months without any financial compensation under the promise of “experience” and “exposure.” What is presented as a learning opportunity often becomes a system of economic exploitation.

For students from financially stable backgrounds, unpaid internships may appear manageable. But for middle-class and lower-income youth, especially those coming from small towns and rural areas, this system creates inequality from the very beginning of their careers. Transportation expenses, meals, accommodation, internet costs, and professional dressing all require money. A graduate working eight hours daily without pay is not simply “gaining experience”; they are sacrificing financial stability and personal dignity to remain competitive in a shrinking job market.

For middle- and lower-class students, accepting an unpaid internship is often not an easy choice but a compulsion shaped by economic realities and limited opportunities. While internships are generally presented as learning experiences, depending on organisational demands, often without any financial support.

Recent workplace statistics highlight the harsh reality faced by interns in Pakistan. Reports show that the average intern stipend is around 15,000 rupees per month, while large numbers of interns receive between 0 to 10,000 rupees despite working full-time hours.

In major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad where the estimated monthly living cost for basic survival exceeds 50,000 rupees, such compensation is far from enough to meet even essential expenses.

The situation becomes more concerning when interns are expected to work over 40 hours a week, often performing the same responsibilities as regular employees without overtime or proper benefits. Estimates further suggest that nearly 70 percent of internships in Pakistan are unpaid and offered only “for experience,” while paid opportunities remain limited. These figures expose the growing gap between the value interns provide to organisations and the financial support they actually receive, raising serious concerns about exploitation and the absence of legal protection for young workers.

Internships in our job market remain largely unregulated, because labour laws such as the Factories Act of 1934 do not clearly address the status or rights of interns, leaving them without proper legal protection. This situation sharply contrasts with countries like France, where laws require employers to pay interns for internships lasting more than two months and provide rights such as sick leave and transport support.

Employers, however, are given broad freedom regarding compensation, workload, and working conditions. The issue is further intensified by the country’s employment crisis. With rising numbers of graduates and limited white-collar job opportunities, competition for every position has increased significantly.

According to reports, Pakistan’s youth unemployment rate remains alarmingly high, forcing many young people to accept unpaid roles simply to gain experience and improve their chances of future employment. As one student explained, today almost everyone holds a degree, but the competition in the job market has become tougher than ever, leaving graduates under immense pressure to accept whatever opportunity they can find, whether paid or unpaid.

The most stressing aspect of this culture is how companies often misuse interns as permanent staff substitutes. Interns are assigned professional tasks, office responsibilities, report writing, content creation, social media management, training duties, and administrative work identical to their employees. Yet they receive neither salaries nor employee protections. In many cases, internships are repeatedly extended without any promise of employment. Young people spend months serving organisations only to receive a certificate and a polite rejection email.

This practice raises serious ethical questions. If an intern’s work contributes to an organisation’s productivity, revenue, or daily operations, why should that labour remain unpaid? The argument that interns are merely “learning” becomes weak when companies depend heavily on their output. Learning and compensation are not opposites. Around the world, many organisations successfully provide structured internships while also offering stipends that respect the intern’s time and contribution.

In a country where a large portion of the population already struggles to live below the poverty line, expecting young people to work for free is deeply unfair. Many students can barely manage their education and daily expenses, making unpaid internships a burden rather than an opportunity. For countless graduates, survival comes before experience, yet the system forces them to choose between financial hardship and career growth.

The issue also reflects a deeper class divide in Pakistani society. Internships favour privileged youth who can afford to work without income because their families support them financially. Talented students from low-income backgrounds often reject valuable opportunities simply because they cannot afford daily commuting expenses. As a result, professional spaces increasingly become accessible only to those with economic privilege rather than merit alone.

Women face additional challenges in this system. Many young women interns in urban centres spend significant amounts on safe transportation and workplace preparation while receiving no financial support. Families already hesitant about women working may become even more reluctant when internships offer no economic return. These internships indirectly reduce workforce participation for many capable young women.

Another dangerous consequence is the psychological impact on youth. Working without pay creates feelings of worthlessness, exhaustion, and hopelessness. Many graduates begin questioning the value of their education after spending years earning degrees only to work for free afterward. The phrase “gain experience first” has become a burden repeatedly placed upon young people while employers avoid responsibility.

Universities also share part of the blame. Many institutions make internships compulsory for graduation but fail to ensure fair treatment for students. Instead of building partnerships that guarantee stipends or ethical workplace standards, some universities simply push students into exploitative environments to fulfill academic requirements. Educational institutions must recognise that professional training should not come at the cost of financial humiliation.

The government should revise and revisit policies around internships, as not every young person can rely on funds provided by their parents for financial support. Pakistan lacks strong regulations defining fair internship practices in the private sector. Clear policies should ensure that internships have fixed durations, learning objectives, and minimum financial compensation. Even modest stipends can help reduce exploitation and create more equal opportunities for deserving students.

At the same time, companies must understand that investing in young talent is not charity; it is a long-term investment in the country’s future workforce. Organisations that genuinely value youth development should create paid internship programs, mentorship opportunities, and transparent hiring pathways. Respecting interns financially also improves motivation, productivity, and loyalty.

The culture of glorifying struggle must also end. Young people are repeatedly told that suffering without pay is a necessary rite of passage for success. While hard work and patience are important, exploitation should not be romanticised. Experience alone cannot pay utility bills, transport fares, or family responsibilities.

Our youth represent one of the country’s greatest strengths. They are educated, ambitious, creative, and eager to contribute. However, expecting them to build the future while denying them basic financial dignity is deeply unfair. Internships should serve as bridges toward professional growth, not traps of unpaid labour.

Until internships are challenged through policy reforms, ethical hiring practices, and public awareness, countless graduates will continue working tirelessly for opportunities that may never truly arrive.

The question Pakistan must ask is simple: if work has value, why are young people still expected to do it for free?

 

The writer is a teacher and freelance contributor and can be reached at rabiayousufzai26@gmail.com

All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer