On doing work for free.

I had a conversation quite some time ago with a friend of mine. We’ve got quite different backgrounds and possibilities, which has had impact on our world view and our values.

Quite some time ago, I ran in to a group of people on social media platforms that were talking about improving the quality of life. The, to me, most important of them was Gary Vaynerchuk, who had an immense impact on me. He and the people around him were talking about doing work for free, signing up to do tasks free of charge. I was intrigued by the idea, and realised that’s what I’d been doing for basically all of my life as I’ve constantly been engaged in non-profit organisations since before my teens.

I really liked the idea of not only doing free work in an environment where it’s expected, but also in places where it might lead to money, or where other people have skills that make them money. Me and my friend started talking about that, and he wasn’t all too optimistic about the idea as I was.

He’s had a really rough background financially, and has had to struggle a lot to make rent. I haven’t. And so naturally, I think that my mindset is generally a lot more generous in regard of my time. He’s had to value his time as every minute could be used for making money whereas I’m on student loan so I get what I need every month. I need to get through my exams, but that’s pretty much it.

What I’ve gathered from the conversations with my friend, and from the two perspectives clashing is this:

If you have ambitions, and have possibilities, doing work for free can be incredibly rewarding.

I think that working for free requires a lot of motivation, a role which is quite commonly filled by money. When you have a choice to just walk away from a task or even a job, you need to make sure that the task is worth your time. Of course, you should hold up to any agreements made, but the point is that if you’re not motivated to do the task that you take on for free, it’s probably not the task that brings out the best in you. Anyone can do a fools work if they really need the money to make rent.

I think the possibility part is immensely important, and that’s where my friend and I collide most often in these conversations. He hasn’t seen himself having the opportunity to do free work, as he’s been needing the money. It also comes down to a lot of social factors. I’ve been quite lucky with the kind of network I’ve been able to build up over the past couple of years. I have so much more opportunity than most other people when we talk about these things, as I have people who can help me. The resources I have versus the resources many other people my age have are so vastly different, and I feel like that needs to be recognised.

With all this said, I think that one with ambition and possibility really should do free work. The very least it could teach you is what you don’t want to do. It all comes down to getting to know oneself. The possibilities are so vast and the possible setbacks are so small, it’s an easy equation to me.

Depending on what kind of work it is you want to do, there are different ways to go about getting to do the free work. Internships is one way, offering a specific service for specific people or companies is another. I’ve done both.

I think that what’s most important to acknowledge when doing free work is that as you are simultaneously, hopefully, providing value, you are also being someone who need recourses from the individual or the company. That’s regardless if you’re being an intern or a free freelancer, as someone needs to supervise your work. As you are demanding resources, you are providing value and being an extra resource, and the key is to always provide more value than you are demanding recourses.

The other thing is to know what kind of value you can provide. I’ve done internships where my role and the kind of function I can fill has been very diffuse, which has created a vacuum of responsibility. In those cases where you do take and internship role, make sure that you have very specified tasks, and that you have someone supervising you sufficiently. Setting some kind of goals, most desirably measurable, has been quite important in my experiences. That way you have something to lean back on, and very tangible thoughts on what you want to accomplish.

If you have a service you’d like to offer, you might need to sell it quite thoroughly. I find this super difficult, as I’m not too comfortable reaching out to people just to ask them for something. Be aware of that the path of a freelancer is more often than not a struggle, especially in the beginning. If that’s a path you’d like to pursue, the doing it for free can be a great experience to start with.

To finish this of, I’d like to just point out that doing free work isn’t for everybody, and everybody can’t do it. Think and be clear of what your goals with doing the free work are before starting it. And all you have to lose is time.

If you’re interested in this area, of hustling and doing what you lofe for a living, make sure to look up and follow DRock, Gary Vaynerchuk, Tyler Babin. They’re amazing people doing amazing things.