Am I being taken advantage of?

numnumcake

Hi All,

I recently graduated last summer with a Bachelor of Business Studies. I was delighted to get a position as a HR Intern in a multinational and thought it would be great experience. My contract was initially for 6 months.

When I started, I realized that all the other interns in other departments were undergraduate students. My manager basically told me they couldn't get approval for another employee in the department so they hired an intern as a way of getting someone else in. I am being paid for it but it is really crappy in comparison to what they pay the rest of the employees.

My manager extended my contract before Christmas for a year which I was happy about but she said it will still be an intern contract because they can't afford to pay me any more. I didn't mind being an intern for 6 months but I think being one for 18 months is a bit ridiculous. My confidence is really low because I am just seen as someone to do all the work no one else wants to do and I am introduced at meetings as an intern and people still think I'm a student so I have very little confidence in contributing. I have worked as an intern while I was a student and didn't mind but I thought once I graduated, things would be different.

I can even complain to HR because ironically I work in the HR Department. Am I a fool for accepting this or am I overreacting to the whole thing?

Thanks in advance.

seamus

Yes, you are being taken advantage of. Employers will pay you as little as you will accept, and often HR departments are bad for this - as you say, the person you want to complain about is often the head of HR.

Tbh, if they're telling you now that they can't afford to pay you any more, then that's the same tune you're going to hear the entire time you're working there. Even if you convince them to instate you as a full-time permanent employee, when you go seeking a pay rise in two years time they'll play the poor mouth and tell you there's no money in the kitty for you, but hold on and they'll see what they can do for you. A year later you'll get a pathetic 2% and wonder what the hell you're doing there.

If there are opportunities for training and certification, grab them with both hands and milk the company for all the non-cash benefits you can find. Then move on.
If there are no training opportunities available to you, then polish up your CV. Don't put "Intern" on it, just say you're a contract junior HR and you're moving on.

sillysmiles

Have you signed the new contract?

If not, then the minimum I would insist on is a title change, something concrete that you can use in the future. Then I would use any training going and start interviewing for as many positions as possible.

People will treat you as cheaply as you let then.

sillysmiles

Have you signed the new contract?

If not, then the minimum I would insist on is a title change, something concrete that you can use in the future. Then I would use any training going and start interviewing for as many positions as possible.

People will treat you as cheaply as you let then.

numnumcake

I have not signed the new contract yet. I have expressed interest in a lot of training but they don't want to sponsor me so it's just the basic experience I'm getting.

I'm afraid to speak up in case they think "who does she think she is she's only a graduate with no experience what more does she expect?"

numnumcake

I have not signed the new contract yet. I have expressed interest in a lot of training but they don't want to sponsor me so it's just the basic experience I'm getting.

I'm afraid to speak up in case they think "who does she think she is she's only a graduate with no experience what more does she expect?"

sillysmiles

Have you looked for another job? What's the job market in your area and skills like?

numnumcake

sillysmiles wrote: »

Have you looked for another job? What's the job market in your area and skills like?

I have been looking for other jobs for about two months now. It's just really hard to get a job in HR with less than two years experience. Most of the jobs advertised are manager and director level jobs.

BizzyC

Get out of there OP, find something else.

You may be getting some basic experience, but an 18-month internship on a CV isn't much more impressive than a 6-month internship, and actually would raise some warning flags for me.

TG1

numnumcake wrote: »

I have been looking for other jobs for about two months now. It's just really hard to get a job in HR with less than two years experience. Most of the jobs advertised are manager and director level jobs.

If you register with the recruitment agencies they often have roles for HR admin and recruitment admin that don't crop up on the jobs boards. I got my last two roles from popping CVs into agencies. If you took an admin role for a while it's all experience and will put you on the path towards HR officer type roles.

questionmark?

numnumcake wrote: »

I have been looking for other jobs for about two months now. It's just really hard to get a job in HR with less than two years experience. Most of the jobs advertised are manager and director level jobs.

Don't let that stop you. I work in financial services, my first job was under paid so I left, my second job if based on the job advert alone I shouldn't have got but I chanced it, did a good interview, subsequent jobs were easier to get and as they say the rest is history.

STB.

numnumcake wrote: »

Hi All,

I am being paid for it but it is really crappy in comparison to what they pay the rest of the employees.

My manager extended my contract before Christmas for a year which I was happy about but she said it will still be an intern contract because they can't afford to pay me any more. I didn't mind being an intern for 6 months but I think being one for 18 months is a bit ridiculous. ......

I canT even complain to HR because ironically I work in the HR Department. Am I a fool for accepting this or am I overreacting to the whole thing?

Thanks in advance.

You seem to have it your mind that an internship should only last six months.

You also seem to believe that your internship should have secured you a full time job after six months with the same pay as full time employees.

You are looking at this the wrong way, there is nothing wrong with being frustrated. Unfortunately, experience requires time, sometime for poor money, but we all have to start somewhere!.

If you do not believe that you are gaining the necessary experience then speak up! You can only get out of it what you put into it. In time, you will have the requisite experience to apply for the jobs you desire. Its a catch 22 in the short term.

Paully D

With 6 months HR experience in a multinational and a business degree you'll pick up some paid contract work as a HR Administrator which can very quickly turn into a permanent role or worst case scenario will add a lot of value to your CV.

Send your CV off (with your current position as HR Administrator or whatever it is as opposed to just "Intern") to every recruitment agency around or even better still if you can, drop into them on your lunch break/day off. No harm in telling them you're currently working as an intern in your position, have gained a lot of value/experience from same but you feel ready to move on and secure paid employment.

Knowing that sector, I'd be very confident you'd get something.

numnumcake

numnumcake wrote: »

Hi All,

I recently graduated last summer with a Bachelor of Business Studies. I was delighted to get a position as a HR Intern in a multinational and thought it would be great experience. My contract was initially for 6 months.

When I started, I realized that all the other interns in other departments were undergraduate students. My manager basically told me they couldn't get approval for another employee in the department so they hired an intern as a way of getting someone else in. I am being paid for it but it is really crappy in comparison to what they pay the rest of the employees.

My manager extended my contract before Christmas for a year which I was happy about but she said it will still be an intern contract because they can't afford to pay me any more. I didn't mind being an intern for 6 months but I think being one for 18 months is a bit ridiculous. My confidence is really low because I am just seen as someone to do all the work no one else wants to do and I am introduced at meetings as an intern and people still think I'm a student so I have very little confidence in contributing. I have worked as an intern while I was a student and didn't mind but I thought once I graduated, things would be different.

I can even complain to HR because ironically I work in the HR Department. Am I a fool for accepting this or am I overreacting to the whole thing?

Thanks in advance.

I think maybe its just procedure also i think your manager must believe you're doing a very good job otherwise she wouldn't extend your contract for another year, as for meetings if you have something to say base on bettering production then be vocal and if need be, very vocal.

Read to me like your manager is just following procedure.