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Offering your skills for free in return for the chance to enhance your experience is the single best way to add a worthwhile contribution to your CV, whilst keeping you sane.

 

The past eighteen months or so have seen many companies adopt this reciprocal approach to work and whilst the relationship may appear to favour the business end of the deal, the altruistic flexibility of the jobseeker is more than just admirable.

 

Voluntary work/internships are worth seeking out.

Daytime TV sucks

Anyone who takes a break at home for more than two days on the trot will attest that whilst a man’s home may be his castle, no court-jester in the land provides entertainment sustainable enough to not consider the daily trudge to the office to be somewhat of a blessing. Even the jollity that follows latest TV darling, Holly Willoughby, becomes soporific eventually. This, then, is the reason we must leave the house. Daytime TV sucks. Working is far more beneficial – even if is for free.

Bridging gaps on your CV

There isn’t a recruiter anywhere in the world who likes having to explain to his client why their candidate hasn’t worked for the past six months. Okay, so currently there is likely to be a plausible reason behind this but all the same, gaps are gaps and with gaps come questions, doubts. The fewer doubts you present in your application the more likely you are to succeed in obtaining an interview. Being an unpaid intern plugs gaps. The thing here is that you don’t even have to be working eight hours a day five days a week for it to count as viable experience. By offering your services for a couple of days a week you adding new skills whilst all the while showing prospective fulltime employers that someone else feels you are a credible employee.

It doesn’t have to cost you anything

Working for free and having to pay to work are, of course, two entirely different prospects. You wouldn’t find too many people enthused by the latter. Most internships will be supported by the reimbursement of any expenses and if self-motivation will allow, there is always the option of working from home; something that in the digital age is becoming increasingly prevalent, in any event.

Adding value

Finding a company willing to take on an [unpaid] intern can be a challenge. Whilst in many sectors the jobs market is recovering it is a long way from rediscovering its mojo. The trouble with any period of economic caution is that the back-office bean-counters of corporate businesses look at more than just the salary cost. There are the intangibles such as phone bills, rates, utility increases etc. There is also the time it takes to incorporate someone new into a business, if only for a couple of days a week. So you need to offer the company you approach something they need.

During the past eighteen months or so many businesses have been forced to downsize, despite retaining the same level of work – if not for the comparable fiscal return. Therefore, by showing you can save the company time, which in turn allows existing staff members the chance to more of their ‘day job’ you are offering an instantly beneficial proposition.

Approach with enthusiastic caution

Whilst landing an intern post should benefit both parties make sure you aren’t about to be shackled and pimped out as a slave. Positions advertised as full-time roles with paid salaries are to be avoided (unless you’ve got the skills to do the role, of course(!) – in which case apply) because whilst it might seem clever to ‘undercut’ the opposition with a free product, you’ll be expected to do just the same amount of work as a paid employee otherwise you won’t have the job. What you should be doing is approaching companies in which you already have some history: perhaps you know already employed there; maybe there were once a competitor of yours at your last place of work; or you might be very local.

Look for empathetic reasons to get in touch. Once these have been identified, sell your idea with gusto. An enthusiastic – unpaid – worker is gold dust.

Doing stuff for charities needn’t be rattling a tin

Not-for-profit organisations are notorious for enticing eager hopefuls into unpaid work and they do a damn good job of it, too. Many areas of the charity sector are developing their digital engagement and are now social media savvy. Charities also offer a unique challenge for marketers since historically they have struggled to entwine new initiatives with old-school protocol so they welcome individuals with innovative ideas and the skills to implement them. As a result many marketing jobs open within the charity spectrum.

Charlotte Beckett, senior communications officer at Camden Council used her recent redundancy as an opportunity to re-focus her career. Having spotted an opportunity posted via micro-blogging service, Twitter, she worked in a voluntary role with the Fairtrade London campaign.

“I used my skills to do more than just add to the bottom line,” Charlotte says. “Having had nearly 10 years digital experience, I joined the Fairtrade London campaign to develop their digital communications strategy. Despite it being a voluntary role I still joined an interview list of 7 others but it was worth it. The experience was invaluable, as I had the space to really focus on building an online community for one client. I also took care of ‘Brand* Beckett’ during that period; networking online and in person as often as I could. Combining these definitely helped me decide on what the next move should be, and helped me get my current freelance position with Camden Council.”

As a result of her foresight Charlotte is now a freelance digital communications specialist currently working on a social media project for Camden Council.

A career-changing adventure

Deciding on a path of industry benevolence will set you apart from your competitors. There are no guarantees is this fickle world but opting a ‘back-scratching’ attitude to the way you find a job could change your life, as well as your career. So turn off the goggle-box, get off the sofa and do something more worthwhile, instead.

 

You may also be interested to read How Being Creative Will Get You a Job in Marketing And What to do With Your Degree and How to Get Yourself Noticed

 

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

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