As the economy struggles, businesses also struggle to find ways to get work done at the lowest cost possible. Job cuts leave gaps in the skill sets necessary to operate. Tight budgets create reluctance to hire or commit to a contract. The result is a plethora of jobs where people are given the opportunity to work for free. Most of the so-called opportunities are really exploitation and take advantage of the unemployed–or those nervous that they are next on the chopping block.
Of course, there are legitimate internships which offer college credit or CEUs (continuing education units) in lieu of dollars. In essence, there is a form of payment with ongoing value to the individual. The majority of the situations are jobs for companies that don’t want to spend money. However, they want your skills. You may be reluctant to demand pay or decline because there are dozens of people in the market who will take the chance, regardless how slim, that a paying job might materialize.
Let’s look at where this leaves you though. First, your time and resources are spent without compensation. You can’t look for another job. You can’t spend time with your family. You can’t further your education. And, you spend money out of your pocket for clothes, food, paper, ink, gas, and more. You support their business, but they don’t support you. In addition, you can’t put it on your resume. Why?
If you receive unemployment, it will be viewed as making you unavailable for a real job. You lose the unemployment check if anyone finds out. If you are asked what you made, stating there was no salary makes you look like a fool or devalues your work, depending on the viewpoint of the employer. The other possibility is that a potential employer gets the impression you don’t really need a paying job. Therefore, you won’t have much incentive to work. See how this can backfire?
What about the old school chum or neighbor who wants to start a business and just needs a little help? It sounds like fun. Remember, all of the things I mentioned above apply. You spend time and resources without return. That may be fine in the short term. However, when the time comes to pull out because it’s costing too much or your situation changes, you may find yourself in the position of losing a friend too.
Alternately, you may begin to feel put upon if your business partner assumes you’ll work for free indefinitely. Casual business arrangements often turn into a major headache and develop complications no one expected, like projects that depend on you when you want out, professional bridges burned, lost friendships, and possibly even legal ramifications.
This isn’t high school folks. If you want a hobby, find one. If business is your passion, volunteer for a local non-profit or school business program. If you want to make more money, find a second job that pays. Society is litigious and friendships seldom rise above covering one’s own backside.
In the writers’ world, there are tons of “jobs” that pay only when the work is accepted or want a writer to write hundreds of words for a pittance. The problem is that time is spent producing work that may never earn a dime. Then, there are the job applications with skill tests that send every candidate ten pages to edit. When the “tests” are returned, the project is finished and no one gets hired. It’s an old scam. Spend the time to hone your skills, seek individual writing assignments, and develop a portfolio of high-quality work that fits a market you want to break into.
Other times, a company interviews a well-qualified candidate and offers an “opportunity” to work a few weeks on a special project to see whether it’s a good fit. Everything sounds professional and on the up and up. However, chances are there won’t be enough money to hire you after the time is up. They will be terribly sorry. You’ll be first on the list when they can squeeze it into the budget. They’ll assure you that you have great talent and they’d be happy to provide a recommendation–maybe.
Reread the paragraph above about working for free and how it can backfire. Meanwhile, you may have turned down interview opportunities, spent money for gas, and lost time that should have been spent on your job search. I’m sure someone someplace may have gotten a real job this way, but the odds are much higher that it won’t happen.
There’s no doubt the economic situation is rough, but don’t let desperation overrule common sense whether you are the employer or the employee.
