Is it a good idea to work for free?

intothewild1

Hi,

I am 23, currently in college doing a law degree and I have no prior work experience at all and was wondering would it be a good idea to work for free as there is no hope in me getting paid work any time in the future. Would employers take you on for free so you can impress them? What are your thoughts?

Kind regards

Daqster

Yes, now come round to my house and do my dishes and clean my floors.

I'll let you know after if I'm impressed or not.

Muise...

intothewild1 wrote: »

Hi,

I am 23, currently in college doing a law degree and I have no prior work experience at all and was wondering would it be a good idea to work for free as there is no hope in me getting paid work any time in the future. Would employers take you on for free so you can impress them? What are your thoughts?

Kind regards

Work for money or work for love. Other payments need not apply.

Depends. Do you mean work for free in relation to work with your law degree? Or work for free in Centra down the road?

If I was hiring someone and their past experience was that they worked for free, then I'd know I have someone working for me that I can bully around a bit or not pay as much as the position should pay.

I can understand working for free in certain areas, but in the majority of jobs/internships available in this country, you'd have to be a bit thick to do for free (ie; Driving a van for DPD, Emptying bins for Oxegen, etc.)

If you're in college, are there any paid interships during the summer you could do? Could lead to paid work post college too. It'll make you more employable.

If you go the unpaid/jobbridge route, get some experience and work towards a plan to get something that pays. Go in with a plan.

ardinn

You could set up a website, offering free legal advice for donations, might tide you over!

if that doesnt work - prostitution pays well, unsociable hrs tho!

biko

Unpaid intern = slave

intothewild1

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

Daqster

intothewild1 wrote: »

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

You'll do my dishes and like it.

Call it Pro Bono* if you must, but do 'em you will.

*Doesn't mean he has to listen to The Joshua Tree while he does them.

SEPT 23 1989

intothewild1 wrote: »

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

No

Scortho

Part time work in a bar? Feck no.

Free Part time work for a solicitor or barrister to get you in the door for example and build contacts in the legal profession which you hope to go onto work in, then yes giving a few hours of your time in return for that can be very beneficial.
It's worked for me this year, has got me a paid placement next year and I've learned more in my few weeks than what I learned in the last 4 years of my degree.

intothewild1

Just out of curiosity, why not??

keith16

intothewild1 wrote: »

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

What? Why?

smcgiff

intothewild1 wrote: »

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

Little point unless you eventually want to work in that area to pay your way through college.

I've no problem with the idea of working for free in areas of your ultimate career goal. People don't get paid to go to college. . Same thing. Good luck.

Oh, as this is After Hours. Prostitution etc...

intothewild1

Because there is more chance of employment this route and plus the employer will be able to see that you are motivated to work.

BlurstMonkey

No. Never. That's literally called slavery. Legislation, economic conditions etc. forcing you to work for free is no different from a man with a whip, it's just another more sophisticated way of getting the same thing from you.

Sidetracking myself: Don't ever believe that there aren't interests that would conspire to make conditions worse for workers in order to benefit themselves, it's a heartless profit driven world. Don't work for free, it's a sort of scab thing to do to everyone else who should expect at the least a decent wage in return for their time.

Daqster

It's a slippery slope dude.

First you work for free, then capitalism itself starts looking like the enemy and before you know it you'll be thinking 'You know what, fcuk society' and drive off up into the Dublin mountains to live in an old abandoned bus, with only magic mushrooms for company.

Next thing you know, Eddie Vedder is writing songs about you.

smcgiff

BlurstMonkey wrote: »

No. Never.

Do you mind if I ask what you work at and if you went to college?

snausages

Look at volunteering as well OP.

Knex*

Not a hope in hell.

Join a few societies, get on Promo teams or whatever, then you can go into a pub, saying you have experience working with students, events etc.

If you have a local nearby, go to them and ask could they show you the ropes in terms of pulling pints. Offer to pay for the cost of the alcohol. Shouldn't take much time for them to do and they will probably be happy to do it. Ask owner if they're ever stuck of a night, give you a shout. Can also ask could you pop them down as a reference if you need one for whatever pubs/bars you are actually applying for.

Would go down a load of avenues before I ever considered doing an actual job, like the ones you're mentioning, for free. Madness, Ted.

Edit: Volunteering suggestion above is another good one. Something to build up experience and can be used to get you in the door for a paid job.

gugleguy

I'll let you know after if I'm " impressed"or not.

and conveying your disgust and indignation at the "quality" of his labour.

BlurstMonkey

smcgiff wrote: »

Do you mind if I ask what you work at and if you went to college?

Honestly? I think you have something to say and you're looking for some kind of angle to frame it. I'm not of a mind to indulge people with my personal details which I hope is understandable.

You probably have something you want to follow up an answer from me with, I suggest you just say whatever you want to in a straight up fashion, it is a public forum.

gugleguy

Daqster wrote: »

It's a slippery slope dude.

First you work for free, then capitalism itself starts looking like the enemy and before you know it you'll be thinking 'You know what, fcuk society' and drive off up into the Dublin mountains to live in an old abandoned bus, with only magic mushrooms for company.
,
Next thing you know, Eddie Vedder is writing songs about you.

And re brand yourself "Supertramp" . Might be just a bit funnier than Ross O'Carrol Kelly tho. Just a lil'

AerynSun

Daqster wrote: »

Call it Pro Bono* if you must, but do 'em you will.

*Doesn't mean he has to listen to The Joshua Tree while he does them.

No, nobody should have to listen to The Joshua Tree - but it would be fun to change the terms to mean that everytime someone insults Bono, the Pro Bono worker has to chime in and say something nice about your man

smcgiff

BlurstMonkey wrote: »

Honestly? I think you have something to say and you're looking for some kind of angle to frame it. I'm not of a mind to indulge people with my personal details which I hope is understandable.

You probably have something you want to follow up an answer from me with, I suggest you just say whatever you want to in a straight up fashion, it is a public forum.

It's also an anonymous forum if one wishes.

My name is URL

I could understand why you might want to do some sort of internship which would be useful to your college course, but why on earth would you want to do untrained work for free in a bar? =/

You'd want to be either stupid or insane. No guarantee of any paid work after it and you'd most likely be replacing someone who would have been paid a wage to do the same work. Jesus.. have some sense of self-worth

smcgiff

AerynSun wrote: »

No, nobody should have to listen to The Joshua Tree - but it would be fun to change the terms to mean that everytime someone insults Bono, the Pro Bono worker has to chime in and say something nice about your man

You mean the Anti Bono worker?

BlurstMonkey

smcgiff wrote: »

It's also an anonymous forum if one wishes.

Not once you start giving out details. Ireland isn't a big place. That shouldn't be difficult to understand.

You're not being forthcoming with whatever it is you want to say. Look, since it's anonymous why don't you spit it out.

raze_them_all_

Free work in a bar?? have you ever actually worked in a bar, Do one weekend and you'd never work for free again

AerynSun

smcgiff wrote: »

You mean the Anti Bono worker?

That's hardly work though, now is it? :pac:

intothewild1

I don't mind working for free. But the real question and issue is would employers let you work for free??

smcgiff

BlurstMonkey wrote: »

Not once you start giving out details. Ireland isn't a big place. That shouldn't be difficult to understand.

You're not being forthcoming with whatever it is you want to say. Look, since it's anonymous why don't you spit it out.

Oh, I better not. The MAN might be watching.

Tonto86

intothewild1 wrote: »

No I mean just part time work, bar work etc.

Don't see why you'd do that for free. Working for free in your field would gain you experience making it easier to get a job.

Working for free in a bar is just being a slave

artanevilla

And you start working for free in a bar all of a sudden the paid workers get less hours....

gugleguy

It's ok to work for free if you're like Matt Dillon in 'Factotum'. Actually the employer should still pay you for acting the fool.

smcgiff

artanevilla wrote: »

And you start working for free in a bar all of a sudden the paid workers get less hours....

I don't think the OP is looking to make a career out of working for free. He could probably work a few nights for a week in a pub and set himself up to be far more attractive to get paid bar work.

Arawn

smcgiff wrote: »

I don't think the OP is looking to make a career out of working for free. He could probably work a few nights for a week in a pub and set himself up to be far more attractive to get paid bar work.

Will still mean a paid employee will have hours cut

artanevilla

smcgiff wrote: »

I don't think the OP is looking to make a career out of working for free. He could probably work a few nights for a week in a pub and set himself up to be far more attractive to get paid bar work.

What about the part - timers already there scrapping for every hour available, and some chap comes in and starts taking those hours working for nothing. Maybe a few weeks training alongside the staff, but never instead of them.

BlurstMonkey

smcgiff wrote: »

Oh, I better not. The MAN might be watching.

:rolleyes:

smcgiff

artanevilla wrote: »

What about the part - timers already there scrapping for every hour available, and some chap comes in and starts taking those hours working for nothing. Maybe a few weeks training alongside the staff, but never instead of them.

And what about the OP, how is he to get work? Is it okay he has no work? Should he just say, feck it I've no experience and should just leave it to those that already have experience?

smcgiff

BlurstMonkey wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Glad you got it.

Arawn

smcgiff wrote: »

And what about the OP, how is he to get work? Is it okay he has no work? Should he just say, feck it I've no experience and should just leave it to those that already have experience?

op can try and get a paid job like everyone else, not take away paid work from someone

artanevilla

smcgiff wrote: »

And what about the OP, how is he to get work? Is it okay he has no work? Should he just say, feck it I've no experience and should just leave it to those that already have experience?

I'm not saying he shouldn't try and get work, I'm saying it's wrong to work for free when you're taking work away from somebody else. If he can't get a job I'm afraid it's tough, that's just the way it is.

As I said though, if someone was willing to train him alongside staff, where it doesn't take away from their hours, that's fine.

smcgiff

Arawn wrote: »

op can try and get a paid job like everyone else, not take away paid work from someone

If he got, say, 5 hours work three nights for a week he'd deprive someone else of less than €150 before tax. With this experience he would have a better chance of getting a job that could help him pay a few years through college.

It seems fair to me.

intothewild1

It seems to me that anyone with a slight bit of imagination or motivation these days to work are put down for it.

BlurstMonkey

smcgiff wrote: »

Glad you got it.

Lord. It says a lot about you that you ask personal questions of me and then instead of saying whatever it is you want to you choose this kind of behavior. I have no idea where you're coming from and you don't know where I'm coming from because you're refusing to enter into dialog. That's your problem, whatever imaginings you have, I don't know. The immaturity of you is impressive. If you're going to engage someone directly in conversation you would do well to remember manners at the least.
Good luck to you, you child.

Sir Arthur Daley

Don't mods work for free?

My name is URL

intothewild1 wrote: »

It seems to me that anyone with a slight bit of imagination or motivation these days to work are put down for it.

You asked 'is it a good idea to work for free?'

Don't be getting all pissy just because you didn't get the replies you wanted. Of course an employer would be happy to take on some schmuck who is willing to work his ass off for free, and with no obligation to ever pay them a wage.

smcgiff

WikiHow wrote: »

Don't mods work for free?

You'd think, but I couldn't possibly tell. You know, can't give out too much information on this. Boards.ie is a very small place.

stateofflux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYMnAUGFuG0

smcgiff

BlurstMonkey wrote: »

Lord. It says a lot about you that you ask personal questions of me and then instead of saying whatever it is you want to you choose this kind of behavior. I have no idea where you're coming from and you don't know where I'm coming from because you're refusing to enter into dialog. That's your problem, whatever imaginings you have, I don't know. The immaturity of you is impressive. If you're going to engage someone directly in conversation you would do well to remember manners at the least.
Good luck to you, you child.

I tried to engage in conversation. You got paranoid. I've obviously hit a nerve. Apologies.