To Pro bono or Not to Pro bono

What is Pro bono?

Pro bono is work that you do for free and is often associated with the legal profession.  I've never been afraid to make things my own when it comes to branding so I like this term because I feel if you have a skill, you can provide it for no cost and its the same thing as what lawyers do. For me, it was public relations and communications.

The Advantages of Pro bono Work

First let me caveat this with the fact that my husband is the primary bread winner in my house.  He has had the same job since graduating from a M.S. in 2001.  That stability has given me the opportunity to explore.  If you're a single parent, your flexibility will likely look different than mine (both financially as well as logistically).

The benefit of this approach when you're in a mid-career shift (by choice or by downsizing), is that if your skills are transferrable (and I think 90% of jobs are), you can take your skill set and port what you've developed to another industry.  PR is easy because everyone needs communications and promotion.  When I interview, I like to describe my shifts from industry to industry or sector to sector as just the "flavors" of the work I do.  Everyone needs press planning, media relations, writing, strategic planning.  The benefit of those who hire me now is that I have developed most of the "tools" necessary to do any communications job.  The only time I need is to bone up on the "flavor" or content of my new company or organization's priorities and focus.

The other benefit is that there is little risk for a potential employer to bring you on board and you get to leave after the project.  Trust me, the no strings commitment is very attractive for someone like me who tends to like to test-drive the personal interactions (which is 99% of the work if you don't work for yourself) with those I might be working with should the pro bono project result in a job offer.  Who wants to be stuck in a job that you love but work with people you can't get along with?  This pro bono period of time allows both the organization and you to see what it would be like to make it permanent.  Someone I spoke with recently called it "dating" and I would have to agree.

Things to be Aware of regarding Pro bono work

As I said, I am blessed to have a husband who has given me a stable home life so I can explore doing pro bono work, but that may not be the case for everyone. 

If you're out of work now, you're first priority is to get a job.  If you have kids, your first priority is to get a job that will pay for your daycare (if they're that age) and start thinking about how to find the time to get something more stable that is sustainable as a career if you're not already in that profession (non-service industry track).  Our priority as parents is to be there for our kids.  We need to look for jobs that pay enough and work sane hours so we can be with our families (2 parent households or otherwise).  One place I like for Christian parenting advice is Focus on the Family's parenting site.  I'm linking a single parent article because I think it focuses on the importance of focusing on the kids when you're a single parent.

For those who are parents or otherwise, be very project specific when you discuss a pro bono project with a prospective employer.  You should do some research and really see a potential for you to have a longer-term job with them.  If that isn't the case, find another company or organization where you can have a real chance to obtain a permanent job or make an important contact for future job leads.

**Warning** Pro bono work should not be entered into lightly and should only be considered if you have the time and there's a specified period of time for the start and completion of the project.  There are many companies who will take advantage of pro bono services (I experienced this once, and it can be a huge time waster.).  I'll write more on how to negotiate for a pro bono project some time down the road.  If you're really interested in learning more, you'll have to post the question as a comment for me to write more.  (There are just too many things swimming in my head to cover everything too in-depth unless someone is asking for specifics).