Whoever tells you an unpaid internship is easy is a liar. Or one of those people that are just so good that you are afraid to speak to them in fear that even the sound of your voice may burn their pure ears. Working for free sucks. One day sucks and 20 days sucks a little bit more.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed my internship and met two cool staff out of the possible two in the office but being surrounded by friends who work full-time and wear fresh season corporate flares while you sit in Valleygirl pencil skirts is a little bit sucky.

If I were to play the role of the wise Semester 1 post-intern woman, I would tell the fresh-faced Semester 2 student to be selective and strategic when choosing a placement. You are giving up a significant chunk of your free-time this Semester for the business, please make sure it is worth your while.

My internship placement was a small agency which sat within a slightly larger accounting firm. Going into the internship I knew I was not cut out for an office of silence and an eternity of weekday lunches at my desk. But a decision of convenience over career practicality saw me become a lean-cuisine desk eater.

With graduation so close, we are all standing on the edge only moments away from being flung into a pit of fiery competition between each other and all of the nation’s 2018 Communication graduates. I really do believe that internships and work placements provide leverage over students who are predominately theory based learners.

Bon Voyage to those escaping Perth for the winter and the very best of luck to all us nervous graduates.

Let the games begin and the odds be ever in your favour.