This research aimed to understand how the acceptance of work precarization is influenced and legitimized through dysfunctional internship activities in public organizations. It examines the impact of capitalist transformations on the labor system, the academic environment, and the entry of young people into the job market. Considering internships as a period of learning and integration, this study questions how experiences in public institutions, which differ significantly from private companies, might guide students toward practices that deviate from educational objectives, constituting a form of precarious employment. The research, based on interviews with interns working at CREA-RJ and TRF2 and analyzed using the Content Analysis methodology (Richardson, 1999), explores students perceptions of internship dynamics, the learning process, and the reasons behind their acceptance of these conditions. It was found that, although internships are intended to have an educational focus, many students are exposed to dysfunctional and sometimes precarious practices. Furthermore, interns often justify their continued engagement in such activities based on factors such as valuing autonomy, practical learning, expectations of future employment, financial needs, institutional prestige, and passion for the work. The study concludes that, while internships provide professional experience, they may also serve as a gateway to precarized labor practices, deviating from their formative purpose and legitimizing the precarization of youth labor.