YEAH, I WORK FOR FREE
The BENEFITS & Importance of Doing Free Work to MAKE IMPACT
I’ve done a lot of research on this topic and it seems that the view on doing free work for others is very generic and I don’t like it all that much. Most of the Chat GPT articles that I was seeing and Google research stated something along the lines of the following: Job market is competitive & crowded… do all this free work to “stand out“.
While this is true, I don’t like this approach because it’s not authentic. It’s true that it helps you build your portfolio, gets you new connections and can lead to paid opportunities. The problem is how people approach this.
I’ve done some free work for a lot of different brands (especially non-profits), but it was because I was truly passionate about the work they were doing out there in the world.
If this is not the first thing you are thinking about — if your impact is aligned with theirs — then you are thinking about it all wrong.
Here are some *generic, but true benefits of working for free
1 — Offering to help a non-profit will help you build your portfolio
This is a piece of advice I always give to my 20 year old brother —> you have zero experience and your whole life ahead of you. Instead of playing video games or watching Youtube, do some free work for me. He did this and now has The New School, WERULE, sundays and many other brands in his portfolio. Some of this work I was able to pay him for, but the point is that he now has a huge competitive edge over everyone else his age.
2 — You gain real life experience without risking your career
Think about this. If you work with someone on something small and they’re paying you $1K, but you have no real experience. Chances are you can mess up in a big way and burn a bridge. If you offer 2-3 nonprofits to rebuild their websites on Squarespace, you automatically have 3 “clients“ you worked for that you can show to prospecting paid clients. On top of that you gained the experience on how it is to project manage building a website, managed expectation and delivered something excellent.
You get to expand your network
When you offer to get some stuff done for free you automatically seem more genuine especially that you should work with people who’s work you truly believe in. They will be grateful and there is no telling on what they will do for you in the future. All good vibes (including free work) comes back to you, multiplied.
Here is how you can approach finding free work
Networking is always everything
Ask people you already know such as family, friends, former co-workers and see who they know. Be honest and say you want to become a creative director and you’re looking for opportunities to flex that muscle. You need know who they know. Warm intro is always better than a cold email.
Check out local volunteer opportunities
The best opportunities are created not from cold emailing someone, but from being out there as your true self and generating these opportunities for yourself. There are so many non-profits out there with bad marketing, ugly websites, no social strategy and boring everything. Reach out to one of these and change the trajectory of their business. Why not?
PS: Talk to your accountant as this is just random advice, but doing pro-bono work could earn you a tax write-off
Offer pro-bono work on your website
If you have a website, advertise yourself as an impact designer and create a space where people can reach out to you. It’s a great way to always be out there because you would never know who is looking at your work.
There are some thing you should also keep in mind
1 — Only work on things you love aka be selective
Doing free work is already a lot, so make sure it’s something you love and can deliver with passion. Sometimes the invoice is what keeps us going (for projects we have to do), so for free work I truly recommend doing them from your heart. Honestly, so fulfilling.
2 — Set expectations
Be sure to set them up early. When you give something for free, people sometimes enjoy it and they want more or they can easily persuade you to keep giving. Be sure to draw lines and only deliver what you promised and what you are comfortable with.
Never get stuck in an endless pro-bono situation that people don’t appreciate. I’ve been there, even recently! It’s not fun.
3 — Do your best work, live your best life
You are not getting paid for this. This is a project or a collaboration you are doing to move your work forward. All good! Ensure you do your best work either way. No future client will ask to give your tax return to them and analyze which work was paid, which wasn’t. They’ll only see the quality of your work, so do it with passion and pride.
Do your best work. Even though you're not getting paid, it's important to do your best work on free projects. This will show the client that you're a valuable asset and that you're worth paying for in the future.
Doing free work for various people around the world has been my favorite. You give back, you get to build your portfolio and perfect your skills. It’s a win-win not only for your career, but also for the world.
Just remember: do it with passion or not at all.
Interested in working together? Email me: justyna@newschool.edu
