In the April 27 feature, “Unpaid in Full, ” the writer describes the issues surrounding unpaid internships. The CDC recognizes that there has been an increase in the number of questionable unpaid internships and we appreciate the Daily helping raise student awareness about these issues.

There are two points in the article that I want to correct. First, the job market is beginning to rebound and the number of paid internships is increasing significantly. While there are always a few internships that are extremely competitive, many of the internships being posted are not experiencing a high number of applicants. This is contrary to the image described in the article and I want to be sure that students are not discouraged about internship prospects for the summer.

Second, when students raise concerns about the appropriateness of employer activity, the CDC vigorously pursues the students’ concerns. If an employer is posting jobs illegally, the CDC will have the employer remove the posting. While staffing limitations prevent us from screening the job postings, I would encourage students to notify the CDC of any concerns they have with employers who recruit at Stanford University.

Sincerely,

Lance Choy
Director, Career Development Center