Of course it doesn’t, but that’s not to say that freelancers should turn down a great opportunity just because there’s no pay. And I don’t mean  answering one of those blind Craigslist ads offering “exposure.” I’m talking about strategically advancing your business goals through volunteering your services.

I’ll use myself as an example. I am currently giving away my services for free to a local nonprofit. While the subject of the information pamphlet I’m research and writing – immigrants’ rights – as is one that is near and dear to my heart, the fact that I’m even writing it all is advancing my goals for my business. Which goals, you ask?

1.) Build more local business – I live in Atlanta and I love my city. I also enjoy interacting personally with clients and acting as a resource when people need connections. Ideally, at least half my clients would be local, and I’m getting there. I’ve taken steps to achieving this goal such as attending networking events and taking out a local YellowPages ad. The pamphlet I’m working on is extremely locally focused and sure to get quite a bit of publicity.

2.) Build more nonprofit/social justice business – I don’t keep it a secret that I’ve chosen the road of a freelance generalist. But that’s not to say that I don’t want a specialty. I simply haven’t yet found a specialty that consumes me. (This cautiousness about putting all my eggs in one basket is the same reason I never jumped on the tattoo bandwagon.) I think I would like that specialty to be social justice writing, and this pamphlet is going to be a one of a kind, much needed resource for many of the nonprofits in the area that I am interested in working with.

While I am volunteering my researching and writing services, I’m also getting publicity, exposure and a wonderful social justice writing sample to trot around. Not to mention, I’m creating a valuable resource for some of the most vulnerable people in society.

If you decide to volunteer your writing services in the name of furthering your career, make sure that you will get benefits. Just because you are a volunteer does not mean you don’t have the right to ask questions just like you would with a paid freelance writing job. If you are writing for exposure and publicity, ask how the organization you are writing for plans to publicize your work. If they don’t have a clear idea, maybe this isn’t the right project for you. Also, ask to see samples of similar products this organization has created. Are they good quality? No matter what kind of writing you turn in, if the organization has bad taste then you will end up being tarred with their brush. After all, if you end up ashamed of your work, it is of no use to you in the long run.

Have you ever worked for free? How did the experience turn out? Planning to work for free? What kind of research are you going to do before accepting the job?