Re: free work

Hi Rob,

When I graduated from college in 1990, I wanted to be an ad campaign designer. I had unsuccessful interviews for about a year trying to get a job as a media account manager/sales rep (I had absolutely no advertising experience when I graduated). After interviewing for, and not getting, a sales position for a production company, I became interested in video.

I approached an acquaintance who owned his own post house about an internship. He was kind enough to offer me a 6-month, 20-hour per week, non-paid internship doing consumer photo and film transfers to VHS tape, duplication and simple editing. In return, he was willing to invest his time and equipment in helping me produce a project of my choice for my portfolio. I ended up being hired as his first full-time employee and worked there for 8 years. BTW: I also worked a 40-hour per week full time job during that 6-month internship so I could make a living (on my own and not living with parents).

I get kind of miffed when I hear young college grads complain that the only work they can find is “work for free” gigs or non-paying internships. I feel it stigmatizes their generation in a bad way. During my 6-month internship, I gained more knowledge and hands-on experience than I could ever have asked for. It was priceless. To this very day, I consider myself very lucky to have been “chosen” from the hundreds of other non-experienced grads who also wanted my “work for free” internship.

Good Luck!
Bruce

Bruce Bennett
Bennett Marketing & Media Production, LLC