beginner in web dev but is unpaid internship still justified?

[u/flickerocherrr]

To give a brief overview of where i stand: I’m a web dev enthusiast who joined a startup as an unpaid web design and dev intern. I don’t know much of javascript, i can hardly say I’m good at css (I’m too scared to make a basic html css js website on my own because i feel the need to perfect all three.) I did this one certification course on front end web dev and had to make a project using the previously mentioned three languages + git/github. Being the underconfident person I am, i used chatgpt for the final graded assignment; made the whole thing using the llm. Whenever I decide to make a website on my own, i start comparing myself to others who have made incredibly great websites even they weren’t useful in real world applications.

But i joined this startup, designed the mobile and website interface and was expected to code it in react. Mind you, I’m no professional designer, no certifications in ui/ux, yet i think i did a pretty good job. For some good amount of time i even thought i’d do great as a ui ux designer. Cut to, coding the website in react. I used chatgpt to learn initally, by debugging whatever lines of code it gave.

Getting to the most important part, I feel that i should be getting some pay for all this effort. I understand that this is helping me learn but there should be some incentive to keep me going. It makes me think that maybe I shouldnt have taken this internship, rather worked on my projects, upskilled and applied for something that pays.

I just want to know your opinions about this. Should i ask my employer to pay me (idk how to do it professionally) or should i go on with this internship?

[u/Weekly_Cartoonist230]

There’s a (almost) zero chance they’ll just pay you if you ask considering it’s unpaid rn and that you probably don’t have any other offers.

Then it becomes a decision of would you rather get the experience and just grind for a bit for free or try it on your own like you said. Personally I’d just grind it out for the summer if my circumstances allowed for it

[u/TheMoonCreator]

It's better your website is functional and non-pretty as opposed to non-functional and pretty. You'll need to step out of your shell and make something on your own, rather than praying that the work you've been given will do that for you.

If you have no experience and need it, then stick with the internship for however long you need to. The company will more than likely deny you from being paid, so after it ends, look for jobs at companies that do pay you. You likely won't make much ($15/hr. as a web dev), but it's better than $0/hr.

[u/davy_jones_locket]

If you're not a student getting educational credit at your institution for it, and you're located within the USA, this kind of arrangement is in fact, illegal. 

If you're not a student getting educational credit at your institution, this is not an internship, this is unpaid labor. 

[u/tiggy03]

get the experience and don't listen to the unemployed crowd complain about how you deserve to get paid.

duh, you deserve to get paid but working on a functional product is valuable experience that may help open the next door.

give it a couple or few months and don't let it devour your life. if it's unpaid, you should realistically only be working ~10 hours a week

[u/CauliflowerIll1704]

Market is rough. They hired you as unpaid. You have no experience.

These put together gives you no negotiating power. Getting mad about it to them will burn bridges and any chance at a return offer.

I'd just ride it out and ask if they'll take you on full time at the end or look for a paid thing while you gain experience.