The employment scene in Kenya has dramatically changed. The sprouting of small and medium enterprise firms has presented a new reality for the Kenyan labour market.

Interns and new entrants into the job market are contending with non-compliance to labour laws more than well-seasoned employees who can secure employment in more structured and compliant organizations.

Due to the high unemployment rate in Kenya, graduates are usually faced with options to either take a grossly underpaying job or choose to stay at home while looking for meaningful employment-which by the way is not guaranteed due to the skills gap.

However, I am not oblivious to the fact that some employers in fact mean well.I know training newbies is also an extra cost for the company. However, there are certain thresholds an intern should tick to qualify or disqualify an employer.

I have also noticed a trend where grossly underpaying jobs are disguised as internships. So as you deliberate on whether to take on that unpaid internship, these are the questions you should ask yourself:

•Are there more experienced professionals in your department? Ideally, an internship should be training from a better-skilled member of staff.

•What is in it for a you-an internship is an opportunity to learn practical skills.Its importance is to ready you for full-time employment while bridging the knowledge gap between theory and practical skills.

In other words, your internship should help you progress in your career and not divert you. If all you do is run errands and spend all day by the photocopier, it is high time you re-evaluated your options. Let your internships align with your overall career goal.

•Is there room for career progression? it's important to know whether your project is a one-off or whether there is the possibility of you being absorbed full-time. This way you can start preparing yourself psychologically.

•Is your engagement formalized with a contract?-Now this is the elephant in most rooms. Every formal agreement should be formalized in a contract. This obliges both the employer and the employee. Where an employer is elusive about serving you with a contract is a huge red flag.

•What value are you bringing to the table?-You can tell when the job assigned to you is able to generate direct income. That way you can ask for commensurate compensation. Learn how to negotiate based on the value you bring to the table.

According to labour laws, you can only volunteer for six months. Once you pass the six months test you need to be compensated duly.

I also suggest you familiarize yourself with labour laws.