When close friends have career conundrums, I’m quick to ask more questions. Like a good friend should be, I’m eager to help.
But
other times, I’ll get messages from people who I barely know or haven’t
spoken to in years. The most astonishing are the ones from people I’ve
just met or, in fact, have never met. They usually start with some
polite greeting, move into a “realization” that I’m a career counselor,
and then make a direct request that I have a look at their resume or
talk (read: counsel) them about their careers—for free.
It’s
a bizarre experience when someone asks you to work for free. It’s
flattering at first to be recognized for your expertise, but it doesn’t
take long to grasp that they don’t appreciate it enough to actually want
to pay you what it’s worth. In the end, it feels pretty awful.
Sadly,
it keeps happening—and it’s not just career counselors. This seems to
be a rampant problem in creative industries, especially. Graphic
designers, writers, photographers, and more all experience this on a
regular basis.
So,
how do you respond when someone asks you to work for free without
screaming, “Would you ask your dentist to work for free?” I’ve spoken to
a few more seasoned career counselors, and this is what I’ve come up
with.
Assume the Best Intentions
It’s
always easier to respond when you assume the best. In this case, assume
that the person does want to pay you. If you’re interested in having
someone as a client, respond with, “I’d be happy to help,” then go ahead
and launch into your services, corresponding fees, and next steps.
Of
course, these inquiries might not be the best place to be developing
clients, since their initial assumption was that your work wasn’t worth
payment. With this in mind, you may want to consider declining your
services.
Say No
The next step, then, is to just say “no.”
A mentor of mine suggested something along the lines of, “I’m flattered
that you’re seeking my advice (or services), but unfortunately I’m not
taking on additional clients at the moment.” This way you are clearly
declining the request, but you’re also assuming the best in people by
responding to them as if they were seeking to be your client.
Offer Alternatives
To
ease the blow a little bit, since many times you will want to preserve
what little relationship you may have had with this person, offer up
other professionals who might be able to help. I’ve frequently directed
people to other career counselors whose work I’m familiar with. This
way, not only are you offering another solution, you might also have the
opportunity to educate this contact about the value of your work (if,
for example, the other recommended professionals have their fees posted
on their website).
Throw in a Bonus
Finally, depending on your profession, you might be able to throw in a free resource
to show that you care, you just can’t work for free. I’ll sometimes
direct people to specific articles on The Muse or to a particular career
assessment that I’ve seen help others in a similar situation. While
I’ve seen others handle this in a much more statement-y fashion, I can’t
bring myself to retaliate against someone who is probably going through
something unpleasant at his or her job, or worse, doesn’t have one.
All
that said, I still wouldn’t work for free, and I hope you won’t either.
I’ve written quite a few of these uncomfortable emails, and they’ve all
worked out. May your conversations go as seamlessly as possible, too.
Good luck.
