Working Gratis

"If you are good at something, never do it for free" - The Joker from The Dark Knight

Contesting a thought that resonates at various levels for most people is a bit adventurous, and may even be labeled foolish. Yet, of late, I am beginning to feel that there may be some merit in contesting it! And that's precisely the point in this blog.

Having a fairly common (and probably done to death) background of an MBA degree from a good school and a job in the corporate, I am of late learning the value of doing work gratis. As altruistic as I might be sounding right now, I have my reasons for saying so.

It dawned on me when I began volunteering at an animal rescue organization, helping out with some marketing work for the group. Being a not-for-profit venture the organization's funds are solely from donors and largehearted animal lovers. And while I didn't have the 'depth of pocket' that a donor would have, I did happen to possess some skills that the organization finds extremely useful. The nature of work I do for them is one that I quite enjoy and I'm happy to be a part of something that helps achieve a larger objective. And it was at this juncture that I realized the value of working gratis!

1. I realized how much I enjoy my line of work: When you get paid a regular salary, at some point you forget what truly drives you- is it the money? Is it the challenge? Is it the people? Lines begin to merge and you take things for granted. When I volunteered to help out, I realized that for a little bit of my time, I am gaining so much more! In a way, it revitalized my outlook on marketing as a profession!

2. The opportunity to learn: Most of us believe in filling our resumes with our fantastic educational qualifications (for which we pay!), our phenomenal work experience, our superb achievements and other stuff we find great about ourselves. When you get paid, you are expected to deliver a certain value in a prescribed format. I believe this could, at some point, hamper our learning curve. Through my current little engagement, I am constantly learning because of the complete lack of pressure to deliver in a pre-prescribed format. The creative side of me feels challenged and thrilled to have a free space to express myself!

3. Some good Karma: While we all have bills to pay and food to bring to the table, I think investing one's time in doing a little good selflessly, always has its rewards. It may not be apparent immediately, but will definitely pay off in the long run. And if nothing else, you can take heart in the fact that you were the proverbial "friend indeed". For my part, I am happy I associated myself with the 'furry' category of friends :)

4. The faith in a team: Working with a group of people who are in no way connected to you other than the fact that they share the same ideology is in itself a fantastic feeling! Seeing people who are passionate about what they do,  unbridled by monetary outcomes, and achieving unbelievable results, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of happiness. The one you get when you eat a really amazing chocolate cake!

Maybe, you still remain unconvinced on the merits of working gratis. Maybe what the Joker says rings true more often than not. However, to me, an occasional good turn can leave one feeling proud of the fact that it takes a little more than money to drive the individual :)