Another Way To Get The Party Started!
March 20, 2009
Sitting in a waiting room this morning captive to the pre-selected TV channel (thank God not Jerry Springer), I saw a piece that could inspire many of us. The “Today Show” was featuring several interns doing work in NYC. The difference was they were not bright faced 20 year olds, but instead “women of a certain age” as a fellow blogger Karen Knott might call them. They were all very capable journalists facing a changing workplace and needing updated skills. Sure, it took a lot of guts and they were offering their services for free, but really, ingenious.
Think about it this weekend-who could you call upon to pitch this idea? It should be well thought out and approached in the same way any business proposal would be presented. Great exchange though-you offer your enthusiastic work ethic in exchange for exposure to new skills, an elimination of the dreaded resume gap and an opportunity to make some amazing new contacts. In this tough economy, you might be exactly who someone could use right now!
Let’s get going…….
March 21, 2009 at 3:09 pm
This works especially well in the nonprofit sector. In the last year, I have hired 2 people who came to me to volunteer in our office. Very quickly I saw how valuable they were and offered them a paid position. The key for the volunteer/job seeker is to work as though you were on staff. (I did not hire 4 or 5 other volunteer/job seekers because they did not.) Be there when you say you will, do a fabulous job, learn everything you can, and offer to take on additional responsibilities. Not only do you get to show off your abilities, you also get to move down the learning curve so you are that much more effective when they are ready to hire you.
March 21, 2009 at 4:00 pm
OK, endorsement from the “real world”! Great advice as to how to approach the assignment…….
March 21, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Great idea! I will explore this.
March 21, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Keep us posted!
March 23, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I just saw this Today show piece at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29789616/
I actually thought about this a lot at the start of my job search, especially when I looked at the cost of going back to school. Now 3 months in to my job search, can I afford to be unpaid for another 3+ months? Will I be out of work that long anyway?
As I have watched the job ratio balance on the job boards move from full time to part time and now part time to internship, it may soon be one of the only options to remaining productive.
And then there’s today’s job search story on Today, More women going from jobless to topless http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29824663/
I think I’ll pass on that option.
March 23, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Believe me, NO ONE wants to see me topless;)
I think the way to look at an internship is furthering your opportunities, ie making you more qualified in terms of skill sets, important contacts made, than you would be today. Then it’s not an unpaid “waste” of that period of time.
Great to hear from you!
March 25, 2009 at 2:43 am
This is a fabulous suggestion–not only do you update your skills, you have a great opportunity to build your network with other professionals in your field. It’s always wonderful to earn an income. However, sometimes, an internship proves the quickest path towards landing your next position.
March 25, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Thanks Eileen! With 15 or more years remaining for many of us in the work force-a few months unpaid could lead to a more meaningful income stream in the future. Now to find these opportunities…..