Red Cross Blogs

Working for free: a sound investment

By Alix Miller
March 10, 2010 at 10:00 am

Working for free is officially cool.  So cool in fact, some people will shell out thousands to secure unpaid positions for their children, according to a recent Times article .

I’m not sure about the ethics of this but it’s what happened at a recent charity auction, organised by Pilotlight, where unpaid work experience at Harvey Nichols went for an eye-popping £2,500 and at Condé Nast, for £3,000. Other opportunities proved similarly popular..and expensive.

Whatever your view, it’s evidence that people recognise how valuable these kinds of opportunities are. If you are prepared to work for free you can gain experience, skills and contacts, and give yourself an edge in this increasingly brutal job market.

The good news is the many internships and volunteering opportunities available at the Red Cross won’t cost you a dime, just a bit of your time and energy.

And judging by a recent event where I met a group of happy Red Cross interns, who were brimming with enthusiasm and positivity about the whole experience, it’s an investment you’ll enjoy making.

Here’s what some of them said about their time at the Red Cross:

“I was working closely with the media relations officer for the North, as well as the wider communications team. With Refugee Week looming, I was thrown in the deep end, tailoring and issuing press releases to the whole of the North.

Although a challenge to begin with, I am so glad I was given such a high level of responsibility. I have also made some great new friends; interns and colleagues. I was so sad to leave! Overall, I’d say the whole experience has been more valuable than my degree, and I would recommend it highly to anyone.”

Catherine Bates
Media relations

“I feel my main achievements have been gaining an understanding of the real lives of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK before and after they arrive. I also am proud of managing my own trust portfolio independently. I have been allowed a lot of freedom in my internship which has given me great confidence in my own communication skills and work.

The skills I have learned and experience I have gained at the Red Cross have directly led to my position within Oxfam as supporter relations assistant.”

Beth Knowles
Trust fundraising for refugee services

“The market research project I have been working on has been focused on the retail arm of the Red Cross (charity shops). Through field research including undertaking interviews in several locations the aims were to understand the Red Cross customer experience and to assess the awareness of local Red Cross services by both Red Cross customers and non-customers.

My internship has reinforced my desire to work in the charity sector.”

Tolu Williams
Market research

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Comment (1) »

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Tags: internships, Volunteering, volunteers, work experience

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under First aid, Fundraising and events, Health and social care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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