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Aug 4, 2021Liked by Paul Bowers

My first internship experiences were with nonprofits and with every job I thought-- this is something a full-time person should be paid to do.

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Aug 4, 2021Liked by Paul Bowers

Eerie timing, I was just thinking about my own experiences interning at the Post & Courier back in the summer of 2010. I can very distinctly recall listening to a call-in show on NPR on my way to or from work about whether interns should be paid for their labor and at that moment I started to realize the value of my work. I had my photos printed full color, front page, above the fold that summer. And I was constantly crossing my fingers that I wouldn't overdraft my debit card trying to buy lunch. There was sometimes very little thought given to the assignments I was put on either. Like when I was sent out on a boat offshore near Beaufort to photograph artificial reefs being installed and lost my breakfast over the side because I did not plan to get violently seasick when I went to work that day. After I graduated, I begged for a job there so I wouldn't have to leave Charleston. Still waiting to hear back on that position 9 years later.

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You did great work that summer and it's their loss for not snapping you up after college! In spite of it all, I'm glad we got to work together.

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Very thought-provoking, especially since I am now retired. I can reflect on what I gave and what I missed during my working years.

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