By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CENTRAL HARLEM — Sylvia’s, the world-famous soul food restaurant, is looking to hire an unpaid intern, raising the eyebrows of some students who wonder if the practice has gone too far.
The ad, posted on Columbia University's job site Monday, calls for an intern in the restaurant's Catering & Banquet Division.
The intern would help out with a host of administrative tasks, including processing orders and taking inventory as well as helping to implement new order-tracking software, according to Sylvia’s Breanna Williams, who posted the ad.
While unpaid internships are standard practice in publishing, journalism and other industries, restaurant internships are relatively rare.
Williams said she hadn't heard of any other restaurants in the city that are currently doing the same.
But she said her staff is stretched, and instead of hiring a paid employee, “I thought it would probably be best to hire an intern who could learn and go on to make something of their own one day.”
Unpaid internships have come under growing scrutiny in recent months, with some questioning whether hiring people to work for free violates labor laws.
Officials in Oregon, California and other states have begun investigations, and M. Patricia Smith, a former State labor commissioner who now heads the federal Labor Department's enforcement team, is stepping up its efforts, the New York Times reported last month.
Williams said she hopes the internship will prove valuable for students looking to break into the business.
"They can really see what it takes," she said.
But not everyone is buying the experience argument.
Nutrition student Muhammad Mansour, 22, doesn't like the idea of unpaid internships, period. But this, he said, goes too far.
"That's ridiculous. We're already in debt — hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt,” he said. “It shouldn't be unpaid."
Others, like Teacher's College student Josh Goldblatt, 28, said the internship could provide valuable training for the right person.
"If someone's interested and feels like that could help them get their foot in the door, then that's fine," he said.
The Columbia University Center for Career Education did not return calls for comment.
The Center’s website says that internships give students the chance to explore career interests, develop skills, and gain experience.
It adds, “Internships should be substantive learning experiences that provide you with a better understanding of an industry, a position and of yourself."
