In today’s limping economy, is the rule “don’t work for free” an absolute commandment? Not necessarily – sometimes volunteering, interning and doing great work gratis can pay off in the end. The key is recognizing the difference between non-paying gigs that offer advantage and those that merely take advantage.
Below, employment and business experts share the five (and only five) reasons a job seeker should consider working for something other than a paycheck… and some good advice for those that do.
1. To Make Coveted Contacts
When looking for a job, who you know (and who knows you) is as important as what you know, and those connections don’t happen by accident. “By working for free, you can build relationships with more accomplished people in the industry,” says Andrew Schrage, who runs the personal finance blog Money Crashers. “These people may very well become your future employer, or, if you impress them enough, they may be willing to go to bat for you and recommend you for a vacant position they know.”
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Career coach Cheryl Palmer, owner of calltocareer.com, agrees with this strategy even if it doesn’t lead to a job right away. “Even if you’re not hired by the firm that you volunteer for,” she says, “You will at least have a reference when you apply for positions in other organizations.”
Volunteering at industry events and conferences in particular is a great way to make contacts fast — just remember to collect business cards while you’re there and to bring your own.
2. To Build Your Portfolio
If your career hinges on visuals, it may be advantageous to fill your portfolio with free work, like designs for a friend’s website, copy for a neighborhood brochure, articles on The Huffington Post or posts for your community blog.
“For certain services, you would never hire someone unless he or she was able to prove their talents and abilities,” says Schrage. “For those professions, it may be necessary to work for clients for free to build up a portfolio.” Like your resume, a portfolio doesn’t indicate how much you got paid for each project — and you don’t have to say.
| “By working for free, you can build relationships with more accomplished people in the industry.” |
3. To Avoid Gaps in Your Resume
You don’t want craters in your resume: gobs of time during which it seems like you were doing nothing of significance. Free work can help fill those gaps, and you don’t even have to be cagey about it. Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, recommends including a sub-category under “Work Experience” called “Pro Bono Assignments.”
“You can say to a recruiter or HR manager, ‘I’m not the type of person who can sit around all day doing nothing, so, while I’ve been looking, I’ve been helping out a charity/friend/taking the opportunity to try something new,'” says Hurwitz.
4. To Acquire Relevant Skills
Relevant experience is a must even if those experiences don’t always come with a paycheck. “The number one thing employers are looking for are people with experience in the industry,” says Schrage. “No matter how impressive your resume, work experience is invaluable to a potential employer.”
But that doesn’t mean it can’t help your resume too. “You may want to consider working for free initially just to have some recent, relevant experience on your resume,” says Palmer. “If you’ve been out of the paid labor force for some time, volunteering can make you a more attractive candidate because it shows that your skills are not dated.”
Of course, working for free isn’t anyone’s first choice, but Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, says it’s possible to make a nice return on the investment. “There is an opportunity cost, but the payoff has the potential to be infinite,” he says. “In an extremely competitive market, how else to distinguish yourself from other candidates?”
| “If you’ve been out of the paid labor force for some time, volunteering can make you a more attractive candidate because it shows that your skills are not dated.” |
5. To Barter for Needed Services
Bartering has always been a traditional way to get important business done. A blacksmith, for example, might create some iron tools in exchange for his neighbor repairing his cottage roof. Even in modern times, bartering for goods and services – like design work, copywriting, Web services, even doing taxes — can still be a good idea, particularly in today’s down economy when it can be hard to stretch budgets any further.
“If you have a useful skill, and you know someone else who has a good or service you would like, it makes sense to offer up your services for free,” says Schrage, who recommends looking local first, but also using sites like barterquest.com and favorpals.com.
The Bottom Line
Lynn Taylor, workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant
, says that even if your non-paying job seems to hold promise, it pays to be extra careful. She recommends asking important questions upfront and getting the details of the arrangement in writing to make sure you and your boss are on the same page. She also advises volunteers to proactively ask for feedback. “Getting a read on your performance is one more data point as to whether this is a good, longer term match,” she says.
As long as you choose wisely, taking unpaid positions doesn’t have to be an act of desperation; it’s a choice of ambition, strategy, and building a bridge to somewhere your income will ultimately match your output.
NEXT >> How Freelancers Can Avoid Not Getting Paid
Joel Schwartzberg is a nationally-published essayist and author who was modestly paid for this article.
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