What I wish was different
This is the worst kind of unpaid internship: the kind that doesn't teach you anything. Most of the interns were "hired" because they could produce high quality work without training or supervision. There was no training or supervision.
The position ran 60-70 hours a week, leaving no time for academics. Roughly 30-50 hours a week comprised manual labor (hanging signs, doing field maintenance, running concessions tills, etc.), which is a no-no for unpaid internships. Despite expectations of expertise in individual areas (field operations, team management, hospitality, media and public relations), all interns are expected to master and participate in sales, essentially providing the organization with a free sales force thinly disguised as interns.
Part of the justification for making unpaid interns work from 9 am until 11 pm six days a week was the promise of free concession stand food. This promise was understandably reliant on the busyness of the concession stand and the accessibility of your station during the game, meaning that this was by no means a guarantee on any given night.
While some equipment was provided, any deficiencies were expected to be supplied by the interns themselves. Personal computers, microphones, personal cell phone data plans and even a broadcast camera supplied by unpaid interns were integral to gameday operations. This is--to my understanding--a no-no for Emerson College.
While I made an early exit to preserve my academic standing, my colleagues weren't as lucky. Since the internship ended, requests for letters of recommendations or even emailed acknowledgements of participation have gone unanswered.
It's worth noting that, during my exit, the owner of the team got into a heated exchange with an Emerson College professor that included expletives and a request that I "never put him down as a reference" while still depending on me to stay in my role through the next day's game.
