Some might think a persons decision to work for free is going to undermine the profession. At the end of the day, it comes down to the individuals decision of whether or not they are going to offer themselves to work at the award rate, less than the award rate or work for free.
Working for free can benefit an individual. When I did my Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course, I felt that the course was not going to have the soft and practical skills needed to do the job and offered myself to do some unpaid work as a means of getting experience. Even as a casual teacher, I managed to do this for about a year or so along with unpaid work in a council library.
Personally, doing this free work not only helped me with gaining skills and professional experience but boosted self esteem and confidence. You might not be getting paid for it, but you feel like you are doing something. You then meet people who can refer you on or even offer you work. Employers will look upon it in a positive way when they are looking to hire you. At the end of the day, it is better than sitting at home twiddling your thumbs.
Thank you to those who contacted me with their messages of support and sharing their own experiences of working for free as well.
Some entries where I reflect on that experience are below:
