It’s easy if you’ll work for free
Now that my refrigerator is fully
stocked, I’ve been able to dive into
the fun task of seeking employment
in Big Sky.
Like any other newbie, I
started my search at Big Sky Resort
– a “rite of passage,” I’m sure.
Reading the Resort’s website, I
trudged through the list of jobs I
was either unqualified to do (I’m
a novice skier) or not cut out for
(I’m also a delicate former-banker).
Resigning
myself to the
possibility
of becoming
the “Fondue
Stube
Server,”
an interesting job finally jumped
off the page – “Snow Reporter.”
Through a mutual friend, I wrangled
an introduction to the Snow
Reporter decision-makers and
shared my insane desire to wake up
extremely early and play weatherman.
Although I’m still waiting
to hear back about the winter job,
luckily, they needed a summer
intern immediately and offered the
position to me. “You won’t be paid,
but it would be great experience!”
Doh!
Since they only needed me a few
days per week at the internship, I
continued looking for a real job for
my days off (you know, the kind
that pays money). I figured my
luck was improving when a realtor
friend connected me with a local
broker who might have use for a
newly minted MBA doing spreadsheets,
numbers and that sort of
thing. I met with the broker, and
we agreed I could probably help
him out. It looked like I might even
stand to make some cash until he
said, “But you know, until we close
a transaction, you won’t be paid,
but it would be great experience!”
As you may have observed, I’m also
an aspiring writer, so when I met
some folks at the Big Sky Weekly,
I expressed my interest in writing
for the paper. They enthusiastically
replied,
“That’s
great. We’d
love for you
to write for
us! There’s
just one
thing.” Yep, you guessed it, “You
won’t be paid, but it would be great
experience!”
Now, before you infer that I’m
discouraged or cynical about my
current situation, I should elaborate
on my “experience.” In the past few
weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to
interview a Grammy award-winning
musician, gained an insider’s
perspective on how a world-class
ski resort operates, and learned how
my corporate experience translates
into real estate deal making. If I’m
lucky, my internship will turn into
a winter job, we’ll close some real
estate transactions, and when I land
my first book deal, you’ll be the
first to know. Meanwhile, I’m not
sure if this is what the “free” in
freelance is supposed to mean, but
if anyone out there needs an extra
set of hands, please call – my rate
seems to be competitive.
