Are Unpaid Software Internships in Pakistan Exploitative? A Student’s Viewpoint | Abdullah Rasheed | Software Engineer
Pakistan Tech Scene
Are Unpaid Software Internships in Pakistan Exploitative? A Student’s Viewpoint
Pakistani tech companies offer valuable exposure, but some of them require CS students to build software for their client free of cost. Where does mentorship end and uncompensated labor begin? A software engineering student examines the fine line between skill-building and exploitation.
Abdullah Rasheed | Software Engineer· 7 min read
As a final-year software-engineering student in Pakistan, I have started noticing a pattern. An internship post appears on LinkedIn or in a university WhatsApp group. The company is looking for a frontend developer, backend developer or UI/UX intern. The requirements mention React, Next.js, databases, Git and sometimes even deployment experience.
The working hours look like a regular job. The intern may have to come to the office five days a week, attend meetings, complete assigned tasks and meet deadlines. Then, somewhere near the bottom, there is one line:
This is an unpaid internship.
The corporation promises “real-world experience,” a certification and even a full-time job. But we students are applying because most of us are stuck in this vicious cycle – corporations want experience, but we need someone who will give us an opportunity to get this experience.
This is why I do not consider the problem solvable through this simplistic statement – “all internships are scams.” Internships do teach students sometimes. But I also noticed how this word was abused by corporations to make free labor sound educational.
And the truth is very simple: is this company teaching the student or taking advantage of unpaid work?
The experience problem facing Pakistani students
When students start looking for internships, they find out rather soon that being able to program is not always sufficient. One may be knowledgeable about JavaScript, React or databases but nevertheless not considered due to absence of work experience. The employer will require an individual who has worked before in a team, knows how to use Git, understands an existing codebase and implements new features in time.
Universities can provide us with basic knowledge but university cannot provide all the experience of professional software development process. What we need is just an opportunity to gain experience among senior programmers. And this is exactly what an internship is for. The problem begins as soon as companies take advantage of the necessity of experience by students. They know that having a certificate and working experience in a company makes a huge difference to one's CV when looking for one's first job.
A student often feels as if:
Maybe I should accept it for now. At least I will gain experience.
That thought is understandable. I have seen students become more concerned about having an empty CV than about what they will actually learn during the internship. LinkedIn also intensifies this pressure. When classmates announce new internships, it can feel as though everyone is moving forward except you. Under that pressure, even a weak offer starts to look like an opportunity that should not be questioned.
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What a real software internship should look like
I do not want an intern to be seen as a senior developer. An intern is bound to make mistakes and ask some basic questions. It is for this reason that an internship must have a proper learning program.
A genuine software internship should tell the student:
What they are expected to learn
Which technologies they will use
Who will supervise them
What type of project they will work on
How often their work will be reviewed
How long the internship will last
How their performance will be evaluated
The intern can still contribute to a real product, but that contribution should happen with guidance. There should be code reviews, explanations and room to make mistakes.
The International Labor Organization has also expressed reservations about internships that do not adhere to the principle of education. A good internship should provide proper training, rather than being a means to substitute interns for permanent staff members. Research published through the ILO Research Repository also suggests that unpaid internships do not consistently provide the same employment and salary benefits as paid internships.
Why companies say they cannot pay interns
An experienced developer spends hours on explaining the entire codebase, verifying even simple tasks, and correcting mistakes. During the first two weeks of work, an intern will spend more time on useless activities than creating anything. Moreover, the budget of a small software company or startup can be restricted, so that although they want to educate students, they cannot pay enough.
If the company provides the proper mentoring and fulfills their promises, then I would be able to understand the above-explained situation. On the one hand, the internship itself is short-term and partial; on the other hand, forcing the student to work nine hours a day in the office is completely different. What I cannot accept is that the company claims that the intern is completely useless but makes him work on clients, sets the deadline and puts full responsibility on him.
Red flags I would check before accepting
1. Interns directly handle client projects
Working on a real project can be valuable, but it becomes questionable when the company charges the client while providing no compensation or proper supervision to the intern doing the work.
2. The company cannot explain what I will learn
“Industry exposure” does not constitute a learning program. The organization should be able to identify the technologies, processes, and skill set involved in the internship program.
3. It requires full-time office hours
A week of five or six days with long working hours is more like being employed. It also incurs transportation costs and lunch money for the student.
4. There is no dedicated mentor
If no one is accountable to review my work and respond to questions, it means that I’m being hired for my output, not for learning purposes.
5. The company continuously replaces interns
In case an organization usually has many unpaid internships open but very few chances for hiring new employees, then free interns can form part of the organization’s staffing strategy.
6. The permanent job is only a verbal promise
“We might hire you later” sounds attractive, but it means little without a timeline, evaluation process and clear conditions.
7. Previous interns avoid recommending it
I would attempt to reach out to somebody who had already been there for an internship prior to applying to join. Personal interaction gives one much more information than just the postings on social media.
9. The company asks the student to pay
They must be very careful whenever a company requires money from them for training, registration, or certificates along with doing company work.
Questions I would ask in the interview
Students are normally prepared to answer questions during an interview, but we should also question the company.
I would ask:
Who will supervise me?
Will I receive code reviews?
How long will the internship last?
What will I learn during the first month?
What type of project will I work on?
How many hours per week are required?
Is there a stipend or expense allowance?
Have previous interns received permanent positions?
What happens if the role is different from what was advertised?
Can I contact a former intern?
Questions should not offend a good organization. Answers will show if the internship was created genuinely or if the organization just needs help finishing some work. In addition, I would ask for a written offer that would state the period of time, schedule, and duties involved. It is very easy to change verbal agreements after the student starts working.
remarks
I know why students take part in unpaid software internships. If you are going to join the software industry, then even no experience becomes something better than nothing and specially the new HEC policy for 2026 requires you to perform an internship. They have made it mandatory to perform and have included in the syllabus of universities with 3 credit hours. If you are not able to meet this requirement, then you can pass out easily.
Every unpaid software internship in Pakistan is not a fraud, but students should stop believing that all opportunities are grateful. Putting the company logo on a certificate does not mean that the months of hard work without money will suddenly become important. Value can only be found in mentoring, feedback and future growth.
Before joining the company, I will analyze what they want from me and what they offer me. If the company takes production work from me and offers me only exposure and certificate, then there is imbalance.
