Work for Free – Who Should do it and Why?

I came across this question on Quora – Should anyone work for free for good exposure and at what stage do you stop doing free, but awesome work?

1. Should anyone work for free? Yes, everyone should at least consider to work for free as an option.  I think it’s important to realize that wasting time also costs money in the long run.  As you alluded to, you could be paid doing mediocre stuff and not learning.  In this case, you are losing time building experience and therefore you may not get promoted fast or get a better job with higher pay easily.  On the other hand, you can work for free and in exchange get great experience on your resume, new skills, or even a chance to turn it into a good paid job.  I think the right free work could very well be a great investment of your time.  It’s like getting free education without paying for tuition. ...  read more