This research contributes to debates on intern labour, particularly preparing young workers for careers in the culture industries and exploitative experiences that may hinder their success. The purpose of this study is to enrich our understanding of the skillsets required by young practitioners and how creative autonomy can be a fruitful conceptual tool to shift the internship debate from meaningful or (self-)exploitative, paid and unpaid, professional experiences. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with current students and recent college graduates, the analysis shows participants earn creative autonomy by understanding the implicit and explicit expectations of the role and responsibilities of culture industry positions. Interviewees who understand these institutional practices and their role within corporate governance structures shed the status of interns and provide value by contributing meaningful work at the internship site. However, young workers who lack awareness of these industry dynamics of working conditions are typically neglected by site supervisors and assigned exploitative tasks. The findings describe how these individuals would benefit from structured internship programmes with site supervisors who help develop their skillset and learn industry norms through shadowing and observation to pursue more ideal career paths or professionally rewarding experiential learning experiences.