If you want to learn to write copy, pay me £130 a day and I'll give you all the work you want

"We have positions with amazing companies"

Say's Etsio the company based in Wedmore, Somerset, England behind this.

If these companies are so 'amazing' according to the tagline on the Contact Us page (Etsio dot com), you'd think they could offer the interns a no-charge placement. But ahhh therein lies the contradiction...

According to Etsio(dot)com/cost these are smaller companies who cannot afford to pay their interns. Yeah right. Of course. And I was born yesterday. Now why didn't think of that? Silly old me.

'Amazing companies' but you know what, we'll charge interns money upfront and on an ongoing basis, ranging from £50-£200 ($78-$311 USD) per day to receive the practical hands on training they desperately want and need.

It's exploitation plain and simple. Taking advantage of young people leaving university and finding it almost impossible to get the hands on the training they're desperately looking for.

So, on top of their already massive student debts (already a very hot topic in the UK) they now get saddled with yet more fees in the 'hope' that giving away what little money they have, they can get a job at the end of it.

The bait and switch... you want a job? Pay for it and we'll give you one. What a blatant rip-off.


Mark Andrews

What a bunch of jokers. The copy on their website blows!

Colm

Colm,

It does, doesn't it?

That's what they get when they "hire" someone and the contractor pays them £130/day to redo their website.

They probably lead with "Yeah, we think you have so much talent, you can redo OUR website. What a showcase piece you'll create! £130, please."

- Rick Duris

Delightful. I have seen the Fiverrs, the upaid this, the crowdsourcing that, the 99bottomfeeders. Not to mention the crown jewel of a college education -- the thing you're doing to avoid flipping burgers at minimum wage: The Unpaid Internship.

And always I knew these people were not taking the idea to the obvious conclusion -- pay to play. The full flowering of an idea.

I can't guess what next. Organ donation?

WHAT!?!? I already had my wallet out too - now I'm disappointed. =/

Sarcasm aside, people seem to never run out of ways to con people out of their money.

Awwwww Rick... you had us at hello

What annoys me most is morons like this probably make decent money, and they'll probably have some poor student end up paying them! Because he/she's been taught in college this is how to write copy!

And of course it will justify the biz owners massive ego. Total fraud, which, if capitalism is allowed do its work, will be exposed eventually. I hope.

Colm

This is the perfect time to announce my new golf company. I'll be taking applications for internships that students pay for.

If accepted into the program, students will be allowed to pay for my green fees, buckets of range balls, and new golf shoes.

During the internship I will be giving them valuable exposure on what not to do on the golf course: hitting nearby buildings and livestock, cursing like a drunken copywriter, and missing the ball completely.

Fees start at 130 pounds per day. Or whatever that is in American money.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

You know what ole PT Barnum said about suckers, as long as that's true, there will always be offers like this.