True – many students will be lining up at studio doors for jobs – when there are very few opportunities. So why not have them work for free and gain experience?

GBC has shifted my perspective (no biases are made thus far! I work at many colleges and I find the best opportunities provided from GBC). Why should students work for free, when we can hire them within the college to develop for companies? So you ask – how is the quality of work? Well we hire faculty to mentor and supervise development and manage production. For the Untold’s, federal and provincial funding might be easier to come across when institutions are partnered – guess who funds the institutions ;)

What about graduates? The most talented and ambitious will find careers in the field. Unfortunately – for the time being – not in Toronto. In a utopian world, I would recommend graduates contract their services for small fees, to gain experience, working knowledge and $. A great opportunity to prove themselves to the world!

I agree that once they graduate and are in the field, they need to get paid… working for free is just not cool after that.

Michael, you forgot the fourth option: consider a career change ;)

Most recent graduates I know stayed with their parents for quite a while, even if they had a job (is this unusual? Perhaps it’s to do with the infamous property ladder), so rent and food wasn’t a big deal. Those without jobs obviously had to keep posting out applications and going to interviews, but on top of that they basically had three other options: work at a supermarket, volunteer, or sit at home and play video games.

Surely any job — even an low-paying or unpaid one — in the industry they want to work in and with the potential to make contacts must be better for their career than those alternatives?

i’m with you – i’m siding with the pay=work school of thought. But – being devil’s advocate – what if you never get to the 10 year mark because no one would give you your break in those first 10 minutes?

If you expect to be paid 10 yrs into your career, why not expect to be paid 10 minutes in?

At my place of employment we generally hire temporary staff through recruitment agencies. The agencies take care of payroll and send us an invoice. Independent contractors are paid just like a vendor, and responsible (contractually) for being honest come tax time.

Paul, not every company is reluctant to hire students – I recently hired a student because she was just a flat-out great person and her portfolio was 10x better than most of the senior-level people that applied – It’s just that in the current climate, companies are under pressure to do more with less, and taking someone under thier wing costs time.

Also, congratulations Ryan on your success! Making it to the two year mark while raising two muppet babies isn’t an easy task. Cheers sir!

However, they (I dont hold it against them) were reluctant to immediately hold onto me as a full time employee. I’m being paid ‘ by cheque’ and requested to do my own taxes.

Same as freelancing.

I don’t understand why people are ever reluctant to hire a student. If they have something to offer – they have something to offer. Hire them, if they’re inexperienced take them under your wing.

Having your own protege is always something fun.