Is it ok to do an unpaid internship?

We are always encouraging students to do internships. While they can be extremely beneficial, we want to make sure you that employers don't take advantage of students willing to work for free. Below is an excerpt from a great article that explains how an internship should work. You can read the full article here.

The Unpaid Intern, Legal or Not?
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: April 2, 2010

With job openings scarce for young people, the number of unpaid internships has climbed in recent years, leading federal and state regulators to worry that more employers are illegally using such internships for free labor.
Convinced that many unpaid internships violate minimum wage laws, officials in Oregon, California and other states have begun investigations and fined employers. Last year, M. Patricia Smith, then New York’s labor commissioner, ordered investigations into several firms’ internships. Now, as the federal Labor Department’s top law enforcement official, she and the wage and hour division are stepping up enforcement nationwide.
Many regulators say that violations are widespread, but that it is unusually hard to mount a major enforcement effort because interns are often afraid to file complaints. Many fear they will become known as troublemakers in their chosen field, endangering their chances with a potential future employer.
The Labor Department says it is cracking down on firms that fail to pay interns properly and expanding efforts to educate companies, colleges and students...

You can find the full New York Times article here.