I have an assumption which I want to get reflected from the community here, to know if the assumption is valid. There is uncertainty in the paid job market. One may not find a job of his/her choice. But when I offer my services as volunteer, still it doesn't find a place! So my assumptions/questions are: 1. Companies don't want any free service also. Even if they don't get 'right' fit, and pay accordingly, they still don't want to take any risk. 2. Free services offered are not appreciated, is it because the intention of the offer is not clear? Or is that the same old understanding, "Offer/help only when asked" I am writing to my own question as I want to find some answers. As these questions are behavioural in nature, I think this will resonate with someone in this vast community. Thanks.

In reply to Subrata:

Hi Subrata

Most of the members of the community are UK based or UK focused so the proportion who have interesting value add assignments in the international space are probably fairly limited which might explain the lack of responses to your original question.

Whilst there are some with a more international focus you may well be better using a resource like LinkedIn and some of the international HR forums on there to see if you can find some project work.

I think your second post raises some interesting questions about the role and relative value placed on voluntary work. I think free is rarely truly free and an organisation still needs to invest effort and resources into the volunteer so fit and perceived value add is very important (and also the credibility of the sponsor and general HR team if they get the wrong volunteer). Therefore personally I wouldn't be looking to loosen fit criteria simply because someone was willing to work free too much.

Also as with anything in life - both sides need to be broadly in the same space at the same time. Someone offering free consultancy / services needs to coincide with an organisation needing those services at that moment. Thats a rare mix

Finally I would say that due to Covid most HR departments have been pretty stretched and therefore wouldn't have been looking to do additional projects at the moment so any offer you made would have needed to be framed around around how you could take burden off them.

I think its all about networking and persistence for you and finding the right forums

Good luck

Thank you Keith. Appreciate. You are right that it's a rare match in which what an organization is looking matches what I have to offer. There is definitely a need to tell a better story about what I have, to offer, to catch the attention of the companies. But when AI is deciding the profile match, I am thinking, how to match AI's expectations before I match a company's expectation. Of course, it won't come easy I am sure, and for me, a good long way to go. Thank you once again. Regards, Subrata