Doing “Free” Work: Losing Money to Make Money

Everyone wants to graduate and immediately land a high-paying job. Six figures. Great benefits. No struggle, but what happens when that does not come right away?

This is the part of the journey people rarely talk about. The unpaid roles. The long nights. The uncomfortable decision to work for experience before working for money. This is how doing free work changed the trajectory of my career.

Where It All Started

When I decided to start my career, I was in my final year of school. At the time, I was pursuing an academic goal and had chosen Project Management as my career path. Along the way, I also ventured into Product Management while still actively working as a Project Manager.

Even though I was still in school, I knew I did not want to graduate and then start scrambling for opportunities. I needed experience. Real experience. So I started looking for internships before I graduated.

The Moment of Clarity

Around that time, a friend made a post encouraging developers without jobs to build products and share them online. I replied and asked, “What about me as a Project Manager?”

His response was simple and honest. You can explain all you want, but without evidence, there is nothing to show.

That comment stayed with me.

It made me realize that, as a Project or Product Manager, talking is not enough. I needed proof. I needed hands-on experience. And the fastest way to get that was through internships.

My First No and My First Yes

One night around 3 or 4 A.M., I was scrolling through LinkedIn when I came across an unpaid internship opportunity with a company based in the UAE. I applied.

I did not qualify.

That rejection hit me harder than I expected, but I did not stop. I applied again, and this time I got in.

I was excited to finally put theory into practice. Conveniently, the internship started the week after my graduation, so I went straight from earning my B.Sc. in Computer Science into the work environment.

I was placed on a team of about eight people. By the end of the internship, only three of us completed it. What kept me going was the shared motivation within our small group. We made a conscious decision to finish, and we did.

Saying Yes to More Work

While still in that internship, I applied for another unpaid internship and got it.

I put in the work, stayed consistent, and over time, I was promoted to Senior Project Manager. At the same time, I became very intentional about growth. I reached out to people on LinkedIn, clearly stating my interest in internships and my willingness to work for real-world experience.

I also volunteered with two NGOs, one based in Nigeria and the other in India.

This meant working with cross-functional teams, collaborating across different time zones, and scheduling meetings that worked for everyone involved. At one point, I was managing four roles at the same time.

That month tested my limits in ways I had never experienced before. Before accepting more work, ensure you can juggle multiple jobs at a time without any being affected.

When Experience Turned Into Opportunity

Working across different teams, cultures, and time zones was demanding, but it was worth it. Those experiences became the backbone of my resume.

One of the people I had reached out to on LinkedIn eventually responded and asked to schedule a meeting. During that conversation, I was asked questions I could not have answered through courses alone. The answers came from the real-world experience I had gained through unpaid work.

That conversation led to my first paid role.

The best part was that it was a foreign role, and I was not paid in my local currency.

That same month, I landed another paid role. Within one to two months, I went from juggling multiple unpaid internships to holding two paid positions. At that point, I stopped doing unpaid internships altogether.

The Bigger Lesson

Most people hope to graduate or complete a course and immediately land a high-paying job. While that happens for some, it does not happen for everyone.

Could I have eventually gotten a paid internship? Possibly. But I strongly believe I would not have gotten it as quickly without the unpaid roles that gave me real-world experience faster. Today, there are many AI tools that can help you build prototypes and walk through the entire product lifecycle. That gives you an edge. However, many employers still want to see that you have worked with real teams.

Sometimes, you have to lose money to gain money. Starting a business requires capital before profit, you can see unpaid work as an investment. If you are intentional, strategic, and focused on your long-term goals, the sacrifice is often temporary.

My Final Advice

If you are early in your career and struggling to break in, ask yourself this: Are you avoiding unpaid opportunities out of fear, or are you turning them down because they do not align with your long-term vision?

Be honest with yourself.

If you choose to do “free work”, do it strategically. Track your impact. Build proof. Learn fast. And most importantly, know when it is time to move on.

Your future self will thank you for the investment you make today.

If this story resonated with you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that starting small does not mean thinking small.