Is a pro bono job worth it for the resume?
January 9, 2023 7:39 AM Subscribe
I have a job interview for a non-profit that focuses on international development and the job is considered a career but it is pro bono work.
The job is a programme officer position for 15 hours a week and remote work from the UK and I’m Canadian. Just not sure if it’s worth it if it’s pro bono but it will help build my resume.
The job is a programme officer position for 15 hours a week and remote work from the UK and I’m Canadian. Just not sure if it’s worth it if it’s pro bono but it will help build my resume.
I can't speak to the legal profession, and I am crap at negotiating salaries and in my 50s look back at all sorts of career decisions with regret, but my experience has been that having free work on my resume demonstrates to potential employers that I'm willing to work for free, and that I value my time less than they value my time.
And that employers who think that having free work on my resume is a good thing are employers I shouldn't work for.
posted by straw at 9:03 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
And that employers who think that having free work on my resume is a good thing are employers I shouldn't work for.
posted by straw at 9:03 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Life advice from the Joker:
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
posted by Hatashran at 9:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
posted by Hatashran at 9:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
I am head of a nonprofit and agree with the above advice on working for free in general, but it looks from your other questions like you are a very recent grad. In your case, I think doing some high-level volunteer work could be worth it to build your resume and show a commitment to your career, but there are some pitfalls to watch out for.
First of all, don't kid yourself that this is not volunteer work. If it's the organization that is using the term "pro bono" for this position, that could be a yellow flag for unrealistic expectations and even exploitation. Fifteen hours a week is a lot to ask from a volunteer without something concrete in return. If they get to the point of offering you a position, I'd ask them questions along the lines of what has happened to the careers of others who have done this work, what networking and/or training opportunities are associated with the position, etc.. If they balk at the idea that this should be an enriching experience for you, it is not a good sign. If they act like they're doing you a huge favour by "hiring" you, I'd give it a hard pass.
Secondly, it would be a good idea to frame your commitment around one or two specific projects or deliverables. If they are asking you to be available for a certain number of hours each week, then they should be able to tell you which specific days and times. It will be important to clarify that you will not be on call at all hours of the day or night, and that you want to have something to show for the time you're giving them. If you don't seem to value your own time, chances are they won't either.
Finally, be honest with them about your other priorities and the amount of time you have available. Don't apologize for having other things going on, and don't promise more than you can give.
My organization works with volunteers and we do our best to make sure everyone has a good experience, in terms of accomplishment, connection, etc., but not everyone works this way. I hope this one does, and that you have a good experience.
posted by rpfields at 9:40 AM on January 9, 2023 [9 favorites]
First of all, don't kid yourself that this is not volunteer work. If it's the organization that is using the term "pro bono" for this position, that could be a yellow flag for unrealistic expectations and even exploitation. Fifteen hours a week is a lot to ask from a volunteer without something concrete in return. If they get to the point of offering you a position, I'd ask them questions along the lines of what has happened to the careers of others who have done this work, what networking and/or training opportunities are associated with the position, etc.. If they balk at the idea that this should be an enriching experience for you, it is not a good sign. If they act like they're doing you a huge favour by "hiring" you, I'd give it a hard pass.
Secondly, it would be a good idea to frame your commitment around one or two specific projects or deliverables. If they are asking you to be available for a certain number of hours each week, then they should be able to tell you which specific days and times. It will be important to clarify that you will not be on call at all hours of the day or night, and that you want to have something to show for the time you're giving them. If you don't seem to value your own time, chances are they won't either.
Finally, be honest with them about your other priorities and the amount of time you have available. Don't apologize for having other things going on, and don't promise more than you can give.
My organization works with volunteers and we do our best to make sure everyone has a good experience, in terms of accomplishment, connection, etc., but not everyone works this way. I hope this one does, and that you have a good experience.
posted by rpfields at 9:40 AM on January 9, 2023 [9 favorites]
I work for a US-based nonprofit with a national footprint. We are well funded and pay market-rate salaries. None of our jobs are "pro bono."
Many nonprofits rely on volunteers to support their work, and volunteer work can definitely support a person's career goals, but there's something about the way you're presenting this that sounds sketchy.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 9:44 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Many nonprofits rely on volunteers to support their work, and volunteer work can definitely support a person's career goals, but there's something about the way you're presenting this that sounds sketchy.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 9:44 AM on January 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Yeah that's way too many hours if you actually need a full-time salary to keep a roof over your head. If you don't - if you have freelancing or whatever that's actually paying the bills and you have time on your hands - then it might be worth it, but more than a third of a full-time job for free really will cut into your ability to, you know, actually have a full-time job.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:01 AM on January 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 10:01 AM on January 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
In my experience, it can be helpful to do something like this so that it's on your resume as what you are doing currently. It makes it easier to find a job especially as a fresh grad. Also keeps you busy and stops you from going crazy (at least that's my experience). As soon as you find a paying job, you quit this. There are situations like this one, except they are 40 hours a week, and that would find getting a paying job a lot harder. If you need to pay the bills at the same time, you have enough hours left to do something else part-time.
Please, remember that you do not need to write on your resume that it is unpaid. You don't even have to mention it in interviews.
This may not be popular advice, but this strategy has worked for me and others. In my situation, it wasn't even a non-profit. That unpaid job helped me land jobs for years to come, and still helps in very concrete ways as the work I do has some relevance to that organization.
posted by cacao at 10:11 AM on January 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Please, remember that you do not need to write on your resume that it is unpaid. You don't even have to mention it in interviews.
This may not be popular advice, but this strategy has worked for me and others. In my situation, it wasn't even a non-profit. That unpaid job helped me land jobs for years to come, and still helps in very concrete ways as the work I do has some relevance to that organization.
posted by cacao at 10:11 AM on January 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Do you need to say it was free? If you think the experience or clout is worth it, just talk about the role and accomplishments, and never mention the pay. Avoid "I worked for Company" and say "I worked with Company" so it's not a lie. I would try to structure it based on a specific outcome like a report or event, not just X hours per week. You're not a young intern gaining workplace experience, you're a skilled consultant donating your expertise as an in-kind donation to help them achieve a specific goal.
If you at all think you can negotiate making them pay you, DO IT. Most companies have lots of money to spare, and if they're ethical they know that people need to be paid for their time -especially if you're from a historically-excluded population!! (women, racialized people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, etc)
Note that after about age 25, once you've volunteered somewhere, you very likely will never ever be hired there, so be cautious about not "blowing your shot" at an org you'd actually like to work for.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
If you at all think you can negotiate making them pay you, DO IT. Most companies have lots of money to spare, and if they're ethical they know that people need to be paid for their time -especially if you're from a historically-excluded population!! (women, racialized people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, etc)
Note that after about age 25, once you've volunteered somewhere, you very likely will never ever be hired there, so be cautious about not "blowing your shot" at an org you'd actually like to work for.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [3 favorites]
I've spent my whole career in the nonprofit industry. This isn't unheard of and it's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think you should be very clear about what you hope to get out of it, and make those desires clear to the person hiring you. For the most part, people who make that kind of volunteer commitment are either 1. interns (which is actually becoming less and less common as more NPOs pay interns), or 2. people who don't need the money (retirees, SAHPs, independently wealthy people, etc.) who have roles that they find personally fulfilling, because they really enjoy the work and/or they get to have a big impact (say, as an active board member).
Your situation is less common and more likely to fall into a weird grey area. I DO know volunteers who were in their twenties and thirties who have used the role to build experience or pivot to a new career but they were smart and very intentional about it. Always very clear about what they wanted, used their status as a volunteer to get to do the kind of work that would be enriching, were actively networking, etc. You can't just take the role and hope it'll lead to something. You want to be very clear about the end result you want (a portfolio, a successful project to point to, etc.) and very intentional about using this role to build relationships both inside and outside the organization.
posted by lunasol at 11:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Your situation is less common and more likely to fall into a weird grey area. I DO know volunteers who were in their twenties and thirties who have used the role to build experience or pivot to a new career but they were smart and very intentional about it. Always very clear about what they wanted, used their status as a volunteer to get to do the kind of work that would be enriching, were actively networking, etc. You can't just take the role and hope it'll lead to something. You want to be very clear about the end result you want (a portfolio, a successful project to point to, etc.) and very intentional about using this role to build relationships both inside and outside the organization.
posted by lunasol at 11:16 AM on January 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
A few years back, my boss told me people were so desperate to get internships - we're in a field where work experience is required to complete a degree - that he'd had people offer to work for nothing.
I said, "I will, of course, quit."
He assured me that he wouldn't do that.
A lot of places will, even if the cost is minimal - it's a power and status thing for people who are running an organization primarily to be someone's boss.
As a general rule, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth paying for. When people get together and rent offices, there's money somewhere. If it's not going to pay the employees, what exactly is it doing?
I'll add that there's been research done on this, and people who work for free early in their career get paid less later on.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 12:45 PM on January 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
I said, "I will, of course, quit."
He assured me that he wouldn't do that.
A lot of places will, even if the cost is minimal - it's a power and status thing for people who are running an organization primarily to be someone's boss.
As a general rule, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth paying for. When people get together and rent offices, there's money somewhere. If it's not going to pay the employees, what exactly is it doing?
I'll add that there's been research done on this, and people who work for free early in their career get paid less later on.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 12:45 PM on January 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Of course, the fact that it's a not-for-profit organization does not mean that they don't have money. It's possible they could fully afford to pay you, but just... won't.
posted by kindall at 8:45 AM on January 9, 2023 [10 favorites]