Freeloaders no longer slide into my DMs with the old ‘working for free’ patter. (Must be my terrifying aura.) But not that long ago, it did happen. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Or is it? Not always. Realising after an event that it was an FBI (Fucking Bad Idea) is pretty useless. “If I hadn’t drunk that tenth rum and coke, I wouldn’t have fallen down the stairs, severing my spinal cord.” A harsh lesson learned, but not one prevented with hindsight.
Don’t rely on hindsight to teach you about the perils of working for free. Allow my mistakes in the guise of these 4 lies to teach you.
Lie number 1: think of all that experience.
Running a business is exciting. But often you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. So keen are you to learn, you accept some ‘working for free’ work experience. Your lack of confidence is showing. When you receive a lame, pitiful internship-style offer, you’re stoked; you cannot believe someone thinks you’re worthy of unpaid labour. And wouldn’t it be great practice?
No. It would not.
Haley Joel Osment saw dead people. Others can see vulnerability. They sense insecurity and capitalise on it. If you get flattered by a ‘working for free’ DM, you’re primed for manipulation. These psychos can taste your inexperience. And if you’re wearing your new to business status like a shiny gold badge, they’ll seize the opportunity to take advantage.
Working for free might seem innocent. If you’re convinced that clients won’t pay until you’ve slogged yourself silly for at least ten years. That’s another lie. You’re either qualified for the job, or you’re not.
Lie number 2: suffer for your art.
Maybe you get to use crayons; if so, your job is fun. Everyone knows work should feel terrible; payment is the compensation. Creatives are especially prone to cheeky bastards asking for freebies. Musicians, photographers, writers, designers (and SEOers) don’t need to eat, apparently.
Doing a favour for family and friends is one thing, it’s quite another when strangers expect it coz, in their view, you’re living the dream. Truth is, you won’t be living much longer if you can’t support yourself.
Lie number 3: exposure will bring work.
Do you remember that time you called a plumber and said, hi, I wonder if you can fix a leak in my bathroom? I won’t be able to pay you, but I’ll tell my friend about your services. Nope. Of course you don’t. You wouldn’t dare, mainly because you’d expect them to tell you to fuck off.
BREAKING: Business Owner Found Frozen To Death Trying To Heat Home With Exposure.
If I had a pair of Christian Louboutins for every time I heard the line you’ll get lots of exposure, I’d be Imelda Marcos (A politician who loved shoes and vote rigging).
If the audience is not your audience, people won’t buy from you. Exposure to folks other than your ideal client is utter shit. And if the douche in question, offering exposure as payment, has no influence or reputation, it’ll do nothing to showcase your expertise.
Lie number 4: the dangling carrot of paid work.
“If you do this thing for free now, it’ll lead to paid work in the future.” Nah, mate, that’s bollocks, you unscrupulous piece of shit.
In my youth (a very long time ago), I was a wannabe singer-songwriter. I played many an open mic night. Performers at open mics are on a sliding scale of ability. Quality and talent are not prerequisites. You get up and give it your best shot for the experience of performing to a live audience (three people watching football).
Playing free acoustic sets to disinterested punters didn’t lead to financial reward. I just got more unpaid offers. And that’s working for free for you. It’s a never-ending cycle of exploitation.
And finally.
Cheapskates asking you to work for free know how good you are. But they don’t value it enough to pay cash. Free gigs only benefit them. And they know that. That’s why they appeal to your vanity to hook you in, butter you up so you’ll be too blindsided to resist.
Don’t fall for faux admiration. Don’t even fall if it’s genuine. The price is the price is the price. You’re not damaging a future relationship that might/maybe/possibly lead to paid work. This is a relationship you don’t want to nurture.
If you’re running a business for profit, you’re not obliged to work for free, especially if you’re not making ends meet. Focus instead on the clients willing to pay the asking price because a job without a salary is slavery.
Think about this when you next get a begging email/DM:
- Is it furthering my career?
- Is it boosting my profile?
- Is it opening up influential doors?
If it isn’t doing any of that, just say no. And if you find yourself working for free, like all the damn time, you might want to ask yourself this: do I value the work I do?
Article first published, 28th April 2024.
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