The Value of Paid Internships

Greetings,
Finding an internship or summer work has many benefits.  That said, the benefits of landing a paid internship can be greater than a paycheck.  According to this recent Wall Street Journal article, a paid internship is more likely to lead to both a job offer for full-time work as well as higher pay in that position:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/07/06/paid-interns-get-more-job-offers-higher-salaries-than-unpaid-peers/

Apparently, it's more than who you know when it comes to locating work.  It's also how you know them.  An unpaid intern may be viewed in a different context by an employer than a paid intern.  Essentially, paid internships are about more than a paycheck.  While getting a paycheck has financial rewards, it also sends a message as to how a company or organisation values the work of the intern.  A while back an interesting article on unpaid/underpaid media interns was published:
http://www.vice.com/read/the-exploited-laborers-of-the-liberal-media

In effect, you have some media outlets who champion a living wage while failing to follow through on their putatively high-minded rhetoric when it comes to their own interns.  Besides, it's interesting to watch the media report on the working conditions of interns within their own field.  That said, there are internships in a variety of industries and some pay better than others.  Some internships offer incredible opportunities for professional growth.  Other internships may not be the most exciting but offer other rewards.  The key is to consider your options and hopefully locate some valuable summer work.