How to tell employer I'm not working for money?

johnnyqt25

I'm financially independent from an inheritance and wasn't passionate with anything until I found networking. I'm working on the CCNA now and enjoy it for very much. I would like to find an entry level networking job so I can learn and play with the latest networking technologies. But I'm not getting any offers and just wondering if it would help my chances if I tell employers that I'm not working for money and willing to work for free. This is what they call interning right? Just not sure how to say this and not sure about the implications. Maybe they'll think that I'll be lazy and unmotivated? I just want to get my foot into the networking world.

scaredoftests

Don't mention it.

Lexluethar

I wouldn't tell them that, it gives them far too many reasons to be bias against you and not hire you. Sure you are financially independent but a lot of hiring managers probably will see that as a negative because you might quit on a whim or you may not be as motivated to work the hours necessary to get the job done if OT wouldn't matter to you.

I'm middle aged and i've gone through a decent amount of interviews and i've NEVER been asked about financial status or anything like that. In fact it's probably illegal and if a company asked about that I wouldn't want to work there anyways.

So don't tell them that, they don't need to know and honestly it has nothing to do with your work ethic or aptitude for the work.

dhay13

keep that to yourself. it may even come off as bragging or condescending to your boss even if you don't mean it that way

johnnyqt25

But wouldn't my chances of getting my foot in the door be greater if I tell them I'm willing to work for free? And I'm sure some employers will ask me why I would want to do that.

tedjames

Just take the paycheck. If you don't need the money, donate it to a charity or give it to a less fortunate friend or family member.

TomkoTech

I don't think they can legally "employ" you without paying you something. Even most intern positions have some form of salary to avoid legal issues on their end.

E Double U

Try this:

How techies can volunteer their skills to help nonprofits - TechRepublic

markulous

Unless the position is as an unpaid intern, I don't see any reason to apply to a job then say you'd do it for free because you're financially independent. I think it'd cause more issues than not.

Mattphew

Don't do it, prove it with Your attitude and hard work.
It's obvious that work will say so much more about You than just words.

UnixGuy

Don't mention it to anyone. In fact, I keep my personal life completely hidden from my co-workers; for all they care I have a boring no life after work, I'll keep it that way. Be very discreet about your personal life.

Co-Worker: Hey UnixGuy, what did you do this weekend?

UnixGuy: Just watched TV nothing special

(I don't even own a TV)

Plantwiz

I do not believe this is a deal breaker as many have indicated.

What motive do you have to mention it? Is it truly because you want this company to be successful financially while giving you a place to work? Are you working solely for the benefits (ie. Insurance, phone, etc..)

While the information is not relevant to the employer, in some respects it is important. First, many companies run credit checks. If you are financially solid as you indicated, you may have a (I love debt score) aka FICO of zero. This would tell a less informed employer you are a bad risk, when you are not...it simply means you live within your means are self-sufficient. Second, companies who handle financial information will appreciate that you are financially sound and have no reason to embezzle their funds. This is sometimes overlooked by folks deeply in depth, then four years into a job, the company realizes they have embezzled $900K and are now off to federal prison.

There is no shame being debt-free and working a job that some would think pays chump change. Do you enjoy the work? Are you happy? Go for it! And I would not lead with your financial position, but if it comes up discretely, or your pay requirements are asked about, simply reply with a 'fair rate' and do what you want with your extra funds.

TechGromit

johnnyqt25 wrote: »

... I'm not working for money and willing to work for free.

You Hired! You can do all my work for me, give me more time to study for my next exam. Actually if you pay me, I'll make sure you get a chair with included with your cube.

alias454

FWIW, I worked for free to get my start in IT many years ago. My situation was slightly different as I was laid off in the winter so I was getting unemployment, but the goal was the same, which was to gain experience. I built a personal relationship with the people that ultimately gave me a shot. I was buying computer parts from them so they knew I had a certain level of experience prior to my asking for an opportunity.

I would think the only way to really go about this though is to actually get in front of the decision makers in some way. Maybe go to some events if they have them in your area. I don't see how you can communicate that on a resume without seeming desperate.

Raystafarian

Get an internship then

ITSpectre

Volunteer your time with a business or school of your choice. That is what I would do if I did not need the money.

SaSkiller

Volenteer or just don't mention it. Just because you are financially independent doesn't mean you shouldn't get paid for your time. Give the extra money to a worthy cause (I personally support personal donations rather than charity organizations.)

BradleyHU

Raystafarian wrote: »

Get an internship then

This!!!!

powerfool

johnnyqt25 wrote: »

But wouldn't my chances of getting my foot in the door be greater if I tell them I'm willing to work for free? And I'm sure some employers will ask me why I would want to do that.

Definitely not. They need leverage in the relationship. If you don't need the money, then what is to stop you from leaving if something isn't going your way? They want a deal on you, for sure, but they need that deal to be one that keeps you in the position for X amount of time.

Do not ever tell an employer you don't need the money.

This is exactly while I have a stash of what I call "eff you" money. It is enough money that I can get by for a decent amount of time if I decide to say "eff you," either figuratively or literally. I have never exercised those options, but it lifts a bit of a stress off of me knowing it is there.

cyberguypr

Ever heard the "don't ask don't tell" phrase? This is one of those cases. Being involved in hiring, if anyone comes and tells me they don't need the money, all kinds of alarms will go off on my head. As stated above, your chances of being hired would immediately go down very close to zero mainly because in my environment this would be unorthodox and would never get the blessing of senior management.

Having said that, I am sure there are places out there that would love a guy like you who is willing to work for free. If you go to a tiny place that needs a networking guy and the company pinches every penny, they will think you are a supreme entity that descended from heaven. They will lay rose petals everywhere you walk and light candles in your honor.

Node Man

There is probably a lot of opportunities to gain experience in the time shifts that experienced techs dont want. I would look for graveyard shifts over the weekend.

aderon

Raystafarian wrote: »

Get an internship then

This ^ Just go get an internship. It's the perfect solution.

fmitawaps

If I were hiring an IT person for my business, and they told me they were rich already and was only applying to the job for something to do, I would not hire them. They'd quit the first time they had a bad day and say how they were rich and didn't need this BS.

powerfool

fmitawaps wrote: »

If I were hiring an IT person for my business, and they told me they were rich already and was only applying to the job for something to do, I would not hire them. They'd quit the first time they had a bad day and say how they were rich and didn't need this BS.

This.

If I could afford to retire today, I could think of a few situations where I would have reacted differently than I have. I don't know if I would just outright quit, but I would have probably said I wouldn't be doing X anymore and let them pick their next move (I had one of those situations this week).

DoubleNNs

Instead of focusing on how you're willing to work for free, why not emphasize the enthusiasm and willingness to learn you have and how you're committed to getting better at networking? Make that the focus of your resume, and illustrate you're progress/accomplishments so far in the world of networking. On your LinkedIn, keep it very informal and personable and enumerate both on what you've done so far (experience, certs, skills, etc) a well as your future goals (summary).

This would most likely go a lot further than telling people you don't need their money.

OctalDump

If the work is worth doing, it's worth getting paid for. There's all sorts of strange implications from working for 'free'. People can assume that your time and effort aren't worth anything, since you aren't charging, and then you get all sorts of abuse. It's completely counterintuitive. But you might find that working for free means that your skills aren't valued and you aren't given serious work.

Depending where you are, there could also be legal implications. There's some level of regulation that is designed to prevent workers being abused by employers. But it has this crazy assumption that workers want to be paid for their work.

I'd say don't mention it, look for serious work where you will be treated well. What you do with the pay is up to you. It does give you a very big advantage in that it will be harder for an employer to treat you badly and retain you. Personally, I think employees being scared of losing their jobs does everyone more harm than good. It will put you in a position where what matters is the work and how you are treated rather than the fear of losing everything if you make a mistake. I think that will ultimately make you better at your job, since you can take risks that others mightn't.