Is arb the only industry that people work for free to try and get a job

[samarb]

Look at us internshipsthey are mostly un paid. If I could work with someone and learn a new skill i can charge for in the future then would do it for free.

[Billy]

Its rife in conservation, modelling, journalism etc, jobs that people want to do but with little demand for more workers withinthe industry

[Mark Bolam]

I'm afraid it's the price (no pun intended) we pay for doing an enjoyable, exciting, interesting job.*

 

Not many accountants in the pub showing their latest auditing pics to their mates!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Not many arbs showing vids of endless conifer bashing, hedgecutting and raking that actually make up the majority of our work!**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** I still have Kenny Loggins 'DangerZone' playing in my head when I'm raking....

[Ian Flatters]

I give one day a month to help community projects, princes trust projects and 2 old people who can't afford to have hedges cut. I actually get a good feeling for doing it too, the time laspe video job was a free job for a rugby club. Plus once a year i go visit the 2 old people from the village grew up in and cut there hawthorn hedges back.

 

Nout wrong with giving up a few hours to help people out.

[eggsarascal]

In these other industries you worked in, did they have a forum that you could view and here about little bits and pieces of over 10,000 members lives and experiences?

I read on here so how so many members are outraged at the thought of working for free. I have volunteered myself all my life, if someone needs a hand, you help them if you can, if there is an oppertunity to learn and be taught for free, I take it.

Steve offers this site free to members, I take it you send him money weekly so not to contradict your opinion on the subject.

 

As for the first part of your post, this was the first forum i took part in, in earnest, i have dipped in and out of others in the past, but thats about it.

 

i have also volunteered in the past but that does not pay the bills, its the neighbourly thing to do. i will help any body, but not when it comes to my business, or me earning a living, and as for the contradicting my opinion what do you mean?

 

and my query was: does this only happen in arb work, or do members have experiences elsewhere?

[APC]

I know people in the conservation sector that have volunteered for years before getting paid employment,

 

 

Im not saying this is good for the sector as i believe it leads us to having very low wages for the skill many of us have, but it seems to be the accepted norm for this sector, finish uni/college and then volunteer for a year or two!

 

I'd agree with that. I think I did around 7-8 months of volunteering, spread out over 4-5 years while I at uni then college and in between. It could have been much, much worse though. I've heard of people volunteering 5 days a week, including almost every weekend, and they haven't even got any entry level job out of it.

 

Like Stephen Blair said in his "employment offered" thread (I think it was him anyway), he mentioned something like "you'll work a week for free then i'll decide how much I'll pay you based on how you performed", I can agree with that. A few days, perhaps even a week, gives an employer a chance to see how someone works and whether they will fit in. Miles better than a standard interview. You know that if you pull your weight and don't talk crap then you will likely get a job out of it. Limitless volunteering though with at best vague uncertainty of a job, one day, is unrealistic today.

 

I regularly get asked "got any jobs?" or "how do I get a job doing what you do?", and they look at you like you are taking the pi$$ when you say that one of the most important factors is getting in at least 6 months volunteering before anyone will begin to take you seriously. A lot of good applicants never even make it to interview because they haven't the time to take time off work to go and pull trolleys out of a pond.

 

At the moment we have one daily volunteer (and loads of people who do odd days here and there). He is young and totally unskilled. He came out of education with nothing and has been in trouble with the law since he was born. He's a good lad though, we can't pay him, we have no money, but if he comes to volunteer, we'll give him a little more responsibility. He loves tractors, so we are getting him used to tractor driving at the moment. It was quiet enough to give him a go forwarding thin pieces of ash. I got him to do a fairly complicated Z bend reverse to the timber first. He gave it a fair go. I was impressed. He was impressed. That's what he wants at the moment, just a chance to find out what he is actually capable of. He knows we can't pay him and that there is unlikely to be a job available.

[Stephen Blair]

You do not want to work for free to help your business yet you happilly let Steve give you a free membership here. If you donate to the forum then I take it back

I do loads of stuff for free, but I always get something out of it, be it PR or a warm fuzzy feeling lol.

[Stephen Blair]

Good on you Apc for giving the Lad a chance

[wildewood]

You do not want to work for free to help your business yet you happilly let Steve give you a free membership here. If you donate to the forum then I take it back

I do loads of stuff for free, but I always get something out of it, be it PR or a warm fuzzy feeling lol.

 

Wise up. This site doesn’t have free membership; it is run in what is considered to be a good way, i.e. one which attracts subscribers, which then attracts sponsors and advertisers. No one should work for free, and I couldn’t and wouldn’t have anyone work for me and not pay them. It would be demeaning to them and me An honest days pay for an honest days labour has been a principal fought for, for years in this country. What you decide to do with time you make spare is totally different..

[eggsarascal]

Wise up. This site doesn’t have free membership; it is run in what is considered to be a good way, i.e. one which attracts subscribers, which then attracts sponsors and advertisers. No one should work for free, and I couldn’t and wouldn’t have anyone work for me and not pay them. It would be demeaning to them and me An honest days pay for an honest days labour has been a principal fought for, for years in this country. What you decide to do with time you make spare is totally different..

 

Excellent post, it seems on this forum that some people can write posts that make not a lot of sense to the masses without anyone putting them striaght, thanks for putting in to words what i struggle to.