Should Your Job Application Include "Free Work?"

FREE WORK?!

You don't have to scroll through LinkedIn for long before you'll hear someone's (strong) opinion on companies asking people to do free work as part of the application process. Here's a quick summary of the opinions on both sides of this debate:

ANTI: It's exploitative for companies to ask you to do work before they've even paid you, especially given that many people have been burned by companies actually USING the provided "sample" work (i.e. it wasn't just a test of your abilities) and the fact that you're doing all of this just for what might be a very minuscule chance at a job. Meanwhile, you'll deal with delays, ghosting, and all manner of ill-treatment while you waste time that could be spent in more productive areas of your job search.

PRO: Asking for sample work is an opportunity for people who would be rock stars but don't have a standard background, credentials, etc. to prove themselves on a level playing field. It can cut through bias and get right to the heart of the matter - being qualified to do the work in question. Besides, if you don't do it someone will, which means you'll always be less competitive in the job market than people willing to do it.

Okay, that's the gist of the debate. But now get ready for... NUANCE! (Gasp, I know, so boring.)

Both of those arguments have merit. On the anti side, there's a lot of truth to the idea that you should be maximizing your most productive actions when on the job hunt. It's also true that plenty of companies (not all, but enough to be significant) have either ulterior motives for asking or maybe just aren't really prepared to do it right. On the pro side, it's true that it does give you an opportunity to demonstrate talents that might not be immediately obvious and it definitely makes you more competitive on the market.

Now, I didn't make this post just to wax philosophical. Want an actual solution that gives you the best of both worlds?

Here you go: CREATE YOUR OWN BODY OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WORK THAT DEMONSTRATES THE SKILLS YOU'RE TRYING TO SHOW OFF!

Need an example?

Let's say that you're a copywriter, and you're constantly being asked to provide writing samples as part of the application process. You notice that many of these writing samples follow the pattern of "write a post that we would put on our blog" or something like that. Not only are you spending time working for free, but you're potentially handing someone something they'll use without even crediting you. Ugh, but if you DON'T do it, you're missing out on a job that might be great because you won't complete their process!

This is the "third way!" If you already have a decent-sized, publicly viewable portfolio then it's a great way to get the best of both worlds. In response to the request, you can say: "Perfect! I already have multiple blog posts in my portfolio that match this request, I'll send you the link and you can review my work to see if it's what you're looking for." One of two things will happen:

1. They'll love it. Not only will they love your work, but you'll make a fantastic impression because of how professional and prepared you are. They'll even get to see more of what you do which might open further doors. Instead of relying on one post, they'll get to see everything you've uploaded to your portfolio, increasing your chances of the right thing connecting. And all of this will take only minutes instead of hours or days, because you already have your portfolio. Even if ten companies asked you and gave you deadlines all in the same week, it's just a matter of sharing your links. And you can do all this with confidence, because it's pretty hard to steal work that's already publicly posted on your own portfolio site.
2. They'll come back with something like "We don't want to see existing work, we want you to create something unique for us." RED FLAG! The work you've already done is a great sample of your skill set - so why would they need something specific? At best, it just shows that they're unreasonable and inflexible in how they work with candidates (and thus probably employees, too). At worst, it's a sign that they're just trying to collect free work that they actually intend to use. So this process doesn't just make things easier for you, it actually weeds out the scrupulous companies from those with more questionable morals!

If you're in the kind of industry where you see requests for free work frequently, then you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by proactively creating this portfolio. It has a ton of other benefits:

• Visibility to entities beyond the ones you're applying to.
• Ability to collect feedback and collaborate with your peers.
• Productivity during employment gaps helps you keep your skills sharp and assuages the fears of nervous hiring managers.
• Helps refine your niche as you create what YOU want to create with the freedom to choose your best work.
• Sets the tone for all interactions that you are a professional in charge of your career!
• Even if a potential employer gives you an assignment that you actually want/need to complete, you can also put it on your own portfolio, both as a way of protecting yourself and as a way of not wasting the work if you don't get the job!

Instead of tearing yourself up, agonizing over the decision of whether or not you should create free work when asked, just take the question out of the equation entirely. Create your portfolio. Use it as the anchor point of all future applications - you don't even have to wait to be asked. You can proactively supply the link any time you're applying to a role where it's likely to be relevant.

This is just one of the many ways you can take AGENCY over your career. It belongs to you - always remember that.