Who Is Kinjil Mathur? Indian-Origin Executive Says Gen Z Should Work 'Any Hours, At Any Pay'; Trolled
An Indian-origin executive, Kinjil Mathur, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of New York-based Squarespace, faced severe backlash online after advising Gen Z job seekers to accept "any hours, any pay, any type of job" during an interview with Fortune. Her comments sparked a heated debate on social media platforms.
In the interview, Mathur emphasized the importance of staying open to various job opportunities, regardless of the conditions. She shared her own experience as a job seeker, revealing that she secured her first job by cold-calling firms listed in the phonebook. “Every single summer I was trying to find some internship,” Mathur explained. “I just wanted to get experience. I went to the business listings and I just started calling up companies and asking them if they had internships available and that I would be willing to work for free.”
Mathur’s career journey through the tech and fashion industries is indeed notable, with her having worked for several prestigious companies, including Squarespace. However, her recent advice did not sit well with many, leading to widespread criticism on social media.
A screenshot of the interview shared by X user Alan MacLeod quickly went viral, garnering around 9 million views. MacLeod captioned the post: "What stage of capitalism is this?” In the comments section, numerous users accused Mathur of promoting the exploitation of unpaid labor instead of using her influential position to advocate for fair compensation.
One user expressed their frustration, stating, "My labor was exploited and now that I'm in a position to make a change, I want to force that same barrier of entry to the workforce because I'm a complete ghoul." Another user, entrepreneur Gary Clueit, added, "I've always insisted that interns should be paid at least the living wage where many companies not only pay them nothing but charge them for the ‘privilege’ of being an intern at their company."
Despite the backlash, some users agreed with Mathur, viewing her advice as part of the necessary "learning" and "experience-gaining" process. This division highlights the ongoing debate about fair labor practices and the value of unpaid internships in today's job market.
