A widely heated debate about whether the merits of participating in short-term jobs in school programs outweigh the demerits has received increasing attention from the public. As for my perspective, I hold an opposite view of this statement, and the reasons will be thoroughly elaborated on as follows.
An array of reasons may explain why there are substantial advantages to having a period of internships without salaries. To begin with, working as an assistant or as part of a team helps pupils integrate into society more easily in the future. That is to say, working environments create more realistic and practical settings, which enhance their resilience and mindset whenever they encounter challenges as employees. Furthermore, unpaid work encourages students to focus more on the importance of collaboration, communication, and other soft skills that contribute to the development of positive qualities. To be more specific, participating in the workplace in advance can not only teach them how to apply their academic knowledge in practice, but also broaden their perspective and equip them with practical skills, which further expand their social network.
On the contrary, the disadvantages of unpaid work can completely outweigh the benefits. Firstly, once students start working in companies while taking responsibility for academic assessments, they might burn out or become easily unmotivated. To be more specific, pupils have to complete their dissertations and presentations; however, they are also expected to work hard in enterprises, which can lead to exhaustion and make it difficult for them to fully concentrate on their studies, as they are often distracted by work tasks. Secondly, if they have a negative impression of their working experience, it may discourage them from developing strong career prospects and aspirations. For example, imagine a scenario where a stressful working environment imposes strict discipline or harsh criticism, placing students under pressure and making them unwilling to pursue jobs or compete with other applicants in the future, as they may be traumatized by their previous experiences.
In conclusion, the drawbacks of working short-term unpaid jobs may outweigh the benefits due to the possibility of becoming unmotivated, as well as a lower willingness to pursue employment when entering the workforce.