Hot Take: Is there such a thing as ‘too many internships’? To each their own but don’t burn out before real race begins

Is more always better?

Eating too much food could give you a bad stomachache. Buying too many clothes means having less to spend or save. Taking on too much work is a one-way road to burnout. So is there such a thing as "too many" internships?

A growing number of students have joined the internship arms race, with some taking as many as 10 internships in two years, reported TODAY reported on Friday (June 14).

This phenomenon sparked some debate online, with many wondering if young people are launching themselves into the rat race too early.

FEAR OF FALLING BEHIND

In TODAY's latest Big Read penned by yours truly, the young people said that they had taken on multiple internships for various reasons, such as to increase their chances of landing a better job or to gain more real-world experience — but largely because they're worried about standing out with the intense competition in the job market.

Their concerns had some readers lamenting the situation and wondering if the young are falling victim to peer pressure.

Someone on online forum Reddit, for example, wrote about having two interns who took on multiple internships during their school term but each still had plans for another internship once their summer break started.

"The whole team tried to convince them to chill and take it easy during (university) like we did," this Reddit user said, "but I guess this arms race mentality is hard to break cause of fomo (fear of missing out)."

Another online user, who implied that he or she is now studying at a university, pointed out that most young people don't have much of a choice when it comes to that sense of fomo, because taking on internships is a requirement to graduate in most institutes of higher learning.

"I would love for nothing more than to actually travel for extended periods during my summer breaks, but I have to intern for the credits and for the resume," the online user said.

Several said that, left unchecked, this intensifying sense of pressure and competition could send young people down a never-ending spiral, eventually playing an active role in worsening mental health struggles for this generation. 

QUALITY MATTERS MORE

On the other hand, another camp of responders said that the real winners of young Singaporeans' growing internship addiction are corporations that benefit from their cheap labour. 

After all, though not all firms are paying peanuts — some investment banking firms have reportedly offered internship salaries of up to S$10,000 — interns are generally paid less than their full-time counterparts.

The National University of Singapore recommends an allowance of at least S$800 to S$1,000, for example. This is a fraction of the median gross monthly salary for fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment of S$4,313, based on the 2023 Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey.

Pay aside, several people said it is more important that students have a quality internship experience rather than allowing themselves to be roped into an endless grind. 

One online user said: "Employers, 'success' influencers and bigwigs are 100 per cent snickering with glee at what they've created — a race for youngsters to be taken advantage o... If you get an internship make sure you're getting something out of it."

Another online user said that internships are not like Pokemon in that you don't need to catch 'em all: "Spamming low-value (internships) only serve to dilute your real achievements instead." 

A RACE TO NOWHERE?

Most readers, though, acknowledged that internships do have their benefits: They help the youth discover their interests, strengths and working styles while gaining hands-on experience in real workplaces.

Third-party opinions aside, perhaps the real crux of the internship arms race is that many Singaporean youth seem to be missing the point of internships.

Instead of learning opportunities, a growing number of the young appear to be taking these as a way to one-up their peers in the job hunt by lengthening their resumes, rather than strengthening them.

This mindset speaks to an overblown ideal of what a first job should be: High-paying position in a reputable company with countless work benefits, perhaps a fully stocked pantry and a Herman Miller chair at a desk in a building that forms part of Singapore's iconic skyline.

However, realistically, a first job isn't the last job for most of these young people. There is still plenty of time and opportunity for them to work their way up the corporate ladder after they start their first full-time job, or even their second. 

Most schools have a mandatory graduation requirement of at least one internship, and that experience can be enough if it is fruitful.

Beyond this, if young people want to take on multiple internship stints to explore their preferences and prospects, that's totally up to them.

However, internships shouldn't be an internment — people should do it for reasons that will truly help them grow and find their way, and not just because they feel trapped by external or perceived pressures.

If there's anything I have learnt from my own experience in the working world, preparing for any race is just as important as running the race itself — you shouldn't exhaust yourself before you graduate and join the rat race.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Loraine Lee is a journalist at TODAY.