Who else wants to work for free?

Would you ask a plumber to fit a sink for free and say if you like how they've done it, you might give them your nan's leaky toilet to fix? Only if you want to be laughed at or fancy a smack in the mouth.

Maybe you'd ask a cabbie to drop you home for free and say you might use them again if you like their driving. Thought not.

My role as Senior Copywriter at Virgin Media O2 was made redundant. Since then, the dreaded green banner surrounding a face only a mother could love has been on.

Welcome to the world of a perm job-seeking writer. Every company asks you to spend multiple hours on unpaid tasks on the basis that they might give you a job.

Companies looking for a freelance writer even do it. Being asked to work for free on the basis that they might give me more work is the norm.

"Could you re-write our landing page as a trial run to see if we're a good fit?"

Writers pour their heart and soul into their portfolios. A showcase of their work is there for a reason: to show what they're capable of.

I've written for some of the world's biggest brands. I'm sure I can handle your business without proving myself through slave labour.

Yet, we know it's always better to offer a solution to a problem rather than just presenting a problem.

So my solution is simple: stop asking writers to work for free.

Because you wouldn't work for free, would you? And you wouldn't ask people of any other profession to work for free.

I wonder what I'm doing, asking to work for people with zero respect for my skills, time or trade.

Time to go it alone.

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