The Recession-Proof Graduate

Some brilliant advice here from Charlie Hoehn about another unique strategy for graduates to work their way through the recession. Charlie advocates ‘free work’, an idea that differs from an internship or work experience in a number of ways, as explained in his new free e-book.

One idea I’m keen on for graduates (whether struggling to find a job or not) is to start doing the job you want to do, regardless of whether or not anyone has given you permission to do it. Blogs and websites afford people the opportunity to get involved with their industry of interest, as well as to put work out there for all to see.

Want to be a consultant? Why not put together a website of analyses into public companies in which you have an interest.

Want to be a web designer? Start creating Wordpress themes that promote your particular aesthetic.

The more you can demonstrate your skills, the better. And whilst a blog can just be a random collection of photos, or links to other sites, why not use it to showcase your talents?

For instance, on my blog over at The Good Wall I’m creating a site that looks at the marketing tactics employed by heritage organisations. In theory, this is a job for somebody in the marketing department of the organisation concerned (and I’m sure they have people doing the job on their payroll) but it’s an area in which I’m interested and I enjoy doing it, so there’s nothing stopping me.

There’s no pay involved, but doing this type of thing can only help in creating a portfolio of work. It also proves a level of interest and passion in the industry, as well as demonstrating initiative in sculpting your future career.

Charlie’s Blog

Sidenote: the idea of free work is closely related to Chris Anderson’s work on the freemium model: give customers something for free, but charge them for the full product. In much the same way, free work means that you’re giving people your time and skills, then charging for them when your value has increased. Freemium is becoming more relevant every day and is something worth keeping an eye on.