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Hello all,

I'm not going to get into a discussion about volunteering and internships
in general, as there is only one word I would use for unpaid work and it
doesn't begin with a V.

But this sort of advertisement is particularly unpalatable for the reasons
noted by Anna—the job description does not seem to me to fit someone trying
to just get into archives/records management, but rather to be looking for
someone who already has experience and qualifications.

Since it is unlikely that anyone would choose to leave paid employment to
do the same kind of job for nothing, one can only assume that such
positions (and I'm not picking on the RCPCH here, but raising it as a
general concern) are hoping to benefit from the glut of qualified,
experienced people 'released' by the recession, people to whom they would
previously have had to pay a professional salary.

Individuals must make their own choices by their own lights, but I really
do think that our professions ought to take a robust position against this
sort of exploitation.

Regards,
Rachel Hardiman

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