Why it pays to work for free
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 9, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 9, 1996
Book charts job market for lost college graduates
By Cheryl Klein
Daily Bruin Contributor
It’s an infuriating catch-22. When hiring employees, companies
demand experience. But in order to get experience, potential
employees need to be hired.
In "I’ll Work for Free: A Short-term Strategy for a Long-term
Payoff," Bob Weinstein offers a creative solution to this problem.
He proposes just what the title says: working for free until the
given business deems you worthy of a paycheck.
To those familiar with the sage advice of college counselors,
this may sound suspiciously like an internship. Students were
taking advantage of internships long before nifty $12.95 paperbacks
were telling them to do so.
Weinstein assures us that there is a difference between
traditional internships and working for free, but his book never
clarifies what that difference is.
Essentially, working for free is a more casual arrangement
between boss and worker. Its main advantage seems to be the ability
to catch the employer’s attention by saying, "Hey look! I love your
company so much that I don’t even want money to work for you.
Aren’t I eager and original?"
Working for free may be a fine solution for the independently
wealthy, but most people endure four (five? six?) years of college
so they can earn a solid living when they graduate. But Weinstein
makes the valid point that finding an enjoyable, decent-salaried
job fresh out of college may be a fantasy in today’s market.
The bright ideas in "I’ll Work for Free" lie less in the concept
of not getting paid than in Weinstein’s other insights into the
business world.
Even in a large public school like UCLA, students are frequently
sheltered from the realities of the "real" world. When they step
blinking into the harsh light of the work force, it is easy to feel
lost and overwhelmed. Here’s where Weinstein’s book comes in
handy.
"I’ll Work for Free" takes readers beyond browsing the want ads
in a futile search for the job of your dreams. Weinstein gives
detailed descriptions of other avenues for finding employment.
For example, he recommends seeking out start-up companies, or
even companies whose futures are on the rocks. It’s risky, of
course, but those who weather the struggle are rewarded for taking
a chance. Here he cites Microsoft as an example. Bill Gates’
associates from the early days are now millionaires in their own
right.
Another interesting alternative to traditional industries is
working for a nonprofit organization. Weinstein stresses that the
nonprofit company of the ’90s is looking to streamline their
management and hire people with a good mind for business.
Weinstein’s book also abounds with ways to apply, network and
sell yourself. Some of these tips make sense, such as sending out a
friendly letter rather than an impersonal resume.
Others smack of the well-intentioned but totally impractical
advice parents give their kids for making friends on the first day
of school.
When networking, for example, he advises building up a strong
relationship before disclosing your business motives. While there
is definitely such a thing as being too blunt, isn’t it a little
unethical (not to mention time-consuming) to make someone a close
friend for the sole purpose of working your way into his or her
field?
But overall, Weinstein’s voice is one of experience. He shares
with his readers such valuable insights as the "corporate culture"
of a few major corporations (IBM’s workers trudge around in somber
suits and ties, while the folks at Ben and Jerry’s sport jeans and
T-shirts).
He gives a brief explanation of the reasoning behind working for
free, but does not dwell excessively on philosophical matters. The
book relies on concrete examples and simple dos and don’ts to make
its point.
Written in a style that is at times goofy and overly
adjective-friendly but always colorful, "I’ll Work for Free" is
easy to read and probably worth the time.
Even though students may not put much weight in the benefits of
fetching coffee for free, it can’t hurt to have an edge up on
information when entering the scary world that is life after
college.
BOOK: "I’ll Work for Free: A Short-term Strategy for a Long-term
Payoff" by Bob Weinstein. Published by Henry Holt and Company,
$12.95.
