(no subject)

[hokie4life.livejournal.com]

Today, I visited a non-profit in person that I've had phone interviews with perviously. The F2F meeting went well. When I left, I was told that they are attempting to schedule a time so that I can meet with a couple of the other "higher-ups" at the organization. Well, I get an email from the person I met with today asking me if I can "volunteer" there for 1 week. Although it is a non-profit, I don't believe that its appropriate or fair for them to ask me to work for free for a week. My wife and I just moved to the area (Northern Virginia) and I do not have time to volunteer while juggling job interviews. What I'm asking is a nice way to say thanks for the interview, I don't have time to volunteer but please still consider me for the position. Is that even possible?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Comments

My suggested letter, just needs some edits.

[dazzedelf.livejournal.com]

Dear So & So,

As you may know, my family and I have just moved to the area and I need to find a paying job as soon as humanly possible. That, being said, I regret that it will not be possible for me to volunteer for 1 week and still be able to manage job interviews and settling in with my family. Thank you again for the offer.

Sincerely,
I. M. NotasbigofschmuckasyouthoughtIwas.

[jjjiii]

Just say what you said here: My wife and I just moved to the area (Northern Virginia) and I do not have time to volunteer while juggling job interviews.

Tell them that you're interested in the position, but have to take care of yourself first before you can think about making charitable donations of your time.

[greeklady.livejournal.com]

Oh well said.

That being said, what a *#(@#&$@%(*&#@(*&%@#!!!! joke of them to ask you that. My gawds. The nerve. Maybe they are hoping you are a big a sucker.

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

I got taken like this once while trying to get a job on a bench. This place in the Ft. Lauderdale area was doing open interviews for this in which they handed out a brief application and then the "interview" was to build one system.

Turns out this wasn't actually an interview - they had a large order come in and needed to get these systems kitted as quickly as possible and were shortstaffed. I suppose if they got half of the unemployed techs in the area to do this it made really light supervisory work for their staff.

They didn't hand out any processors or memory to put in the systems - believe me, when I figured this one out I was tempted for wasting my time like that!

[tygerdsebat.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there is any viable legal action against that practice...

[greeklady.livejournal.com]

Ohhh hell no. I can't believe that. Damn, thanks for the heads up. Yeah that is just bs to do to people who really want to work.

[klytus.livejournal.com]

I had somebody try getting me to fall for that one as well. I was unemployed and looking to work at a computer repair place. I told the owner that I was reasonably sure I could do work without supervision, but because I was (at the time) still new to the computer repair biz, I might need to ask questions. So he says he'll give me a shot by letting me "try out" for a week, i.e., work for a week without pay. I told him there was no way I would do that, and it was probably illegal for him to even ask me to work without pay. He just shrugged at me and said something along the lines of "Your loss."

MY loss? As if.

Some people will try anything to get a freebie.

I don't care how charitable they are. The people who work for that company do so because they get paid. Doing a specific job for them as a donation that can be used as a tax writeoff is one thing, but not this. Treat your non-profit like the freeloaders they are.