I Charged You to Work for Me; Now I’m Going to Charge You for a Reference!

College can be a struggle for some, especially after graduation. You’re left with crippling debt and no real work experience. And no, that one summer as a Disney mascot does not count as “reputable” experience (unless you can find a good way to spin it)! So, what is a college grad to do? Well, for starters, he or she can contact the place he or she interned at for a reference. But, for one London company, it’ll cost you!

According to The Guardian, this company is a private foundation that is committed to promoting peace, dialogue, and cooperation between nations and civilizations. The company felt that the British universities were not doing a great job at preparing students for the real world. So, they created their own program to give students life skills to secure jobs in the political careers.

The junior associates program (as it was called) cost students roughly $2,400 (USD) and lasted for 3 months. The program did not offer a recognized qualification upon completion, nor did it secure the students a job within the company. Students can also pay an extra $600 to $900 (USD) to become private members of a club for “future leaders.” In return, the students got experience, no cash; no credits; no nothing!

The real kicker is that after attending the program (unpaid) for 3 months, when the junior associates want to use the company as a reference, it charges them $350 (USD), per reference! A graduate careers blogger has been quoted as saying; “Employing unpaid interns is bad enough, but charging them for a reference when they leave is appalling … this case shows that there are still dark corners of it (graduate job market) where unscrupulous employers find they can take advantage of young jobseekers’ desperation and naivety.”

This isn’t the first company to think of this idea either! Charging interns looks like it will become a time-honored college tradition, right up there with putting “Hi mom!” on your graduation cap! So, if you want to save your company money, and maybe make a little on the side, start charging for interns! It’s all the rage!