Hey guys, my name is George and I really want to get involved with a cool startup or idea. I am not looking for monetary compensation, just the ability to build something cool with awesome people. I am currently in New York (Upstate) and looking to move to the Valley by October/November. I am business & marketing grad from SUNY New Paltz and I am self taught in graphic design & currently learning UI UX Design. I am not a programmer, however I will learn in order to get the job done. I never back down from a problem and I will do whatever it takes to help us achieve our goals. If anyone is interested please shoot me an email at georgealvaran0305@gmail.com for resumes or any questions. Hope to hear from you.
Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
1–10 of 18 posts
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#2You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide to a startup?
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#3You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
I appreciate the response. I plan on living in my van for the first several months until i get established. The reason i asked to work for free is that its been so hard to get a job and my background is not in the tech space i felt this would be the best way to get my foot in the door. I am hungry and willing to prove myself to a great team.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#4You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
Unpaid internships exist, although I believe they often substitute class credit for actual wages.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#5You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
Unpaid internships exist, although I believe they often substitute class credit for actual wages.
I already graduated college, but i have thought of that aswell.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#6You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
I appreciate the response. I plan on living in my van for the first several months until i get established. The reason i asked to work for free is that its been so hard to get a job and my background is not in the tech space i felt this would be the best way to get my foot in the door. I am hungry and willing to prove myself to a great team.
If you really want to get into the tech sector, work for free for yourself and then get a paid job. Teach yourself iOS or Android development, build an app, and then promote it yourself. The app probably won't go anywhere, but seeing an actual polished app that's actually being promoted and maybe even used by a few people looks really good to any potential employer. Then get a job at market-rate wages instead of selling yourself short.
If you value yourself at nothing, chances are your employer will value you at nothing too. They'll extract whatever free work they can out of you and say goodbye as soon as you start asking to be paid.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#7Hi George, welcome to Hacker News. If you're looking to join a startup, here's a couple suggestions on how to improve your odds when posting on HN:
- Make things easier for the companies you're trying to attract. Provide links to your Resume, LinkedIn, and/or Portfolio in your Ask HN post.
- A Jack of All Trades is a Master of None. You mention having background in Business, Marketing, Graphic Design, and UI/UX. Pitch 1 competency, preferably your strongest.
- Find ways to build experience and reputation in your current situation. I'm not seeing either based on what you've written.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#8You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide t…
Unpaid internships exist, although I believe they often substitute class credit for actual wages.
Unpaid internships can't involve the intern doing work for the benefit of the employer, which is what he's offering. Here's the six criteria test for unpaid internships from the Department of Labor:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
Virtually all internships in tech are paid internships. Colleges that run coop programs give credits for internships in addition to the students getting paid: it's sold to them as a way to help pay their college costs while getting work experience before graduating. An employer can't pay you in college credits.
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I appreciate the response. I plan on living in my van for the first several months until i get established. The reason i asked to work for free is that its been so hard to get a job and my background is not in the tech space i felt this would be the best way to get my foot in the door. I am hungry and willing to prove myself to a great team.
If you really want to get into the tech sector, work for free for yourself and then get a paid job. Teach yourself iOS or Android development, build an app, and then promote it yourself. The app probably won't go anywhere, but seeing an actual polished app that's actually being promoted and maybe even used by a few people looks really good to any potential employer. Then get a job at market-rate wages instead of sell…
That's a great idea. I will def do that. Its not that I don't value myself at nothing I was just trying to get in any way I can. I worked in the music industry for 5 years (large record labels) and that's how I got my foot in the door so I was just trying to do the same. Thanks for the great advice
Re: Ask HN: Can I work for free for your startup?
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unpaid internships exist, although I believe they often substitute class credit for actual wages.
Unpaid internships can't involve the intern doing work for the benefit of the employer, which is what he's offering. Here's the six criteria test for unpaid internships from the Department of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf Virtually all internships in tech are paid internships. Colleges that run coop programs give credits for internships in addition to the students getting paid: it's sold t…
Dan thanks again for all the feedback. I truly appreciate it.