Stop Being A Poverty Volunteer

I have over 550 transactions on eBay with 100% positive feedback. Recently in Hawaii I encountered a “higher up” in the eBay company on vacation. Our talk eventually led to my revelation as both a buyer and seller that there were many problems, most easily fixable, with the eBay customer experience. Mr. eBay asked what these were specifically. I categorized four of the problems. He became quite enthused and asked for details. I responded that my consulting fee was $350 an hour. He scoffed. “You gotta to be kidding!” exclaimed the extremely highly paid but woefully stupid eBay employee. My ideas about the flaws within the eBay business model could net eBay additional millions annually, but paying me my quote, which would amount to about $1000, was out of the question.

The reason why employees in general are so poorly paid is because so many people are willing to work for free. Others give away their valuable ideas toward improving the company's bottom line to their managers and bosses instead of bargaining for compensation beforehand. Otherwise intelligent people work for companies inventing or developing things that their company stands to make millions on, rather than negotiate something like a 50/50 deal, and all for a “secure job” (no job is secure) and a "reliable" salary not at all compensatory in relation to their education or skills.

The most extreme example is the so-called “intern” who is quite literally a slave worker required to perform demeaning duties in a professional environment surrounded by and ordered around by very well paid co-workers — for free. The idea that an “intern” would be expected to work for free by a Fortune 500 caliber company boggles the mind as to the arrogance and callousness of such an institution. The lesson is, no one will ever pay you for what you are willing to do for free. You are a destined to be a drone if you accept such conditions.

Absurdities such as “this will look good on your resume” or “this will look good in your portfolio” with the inference that working for them for free or providing your experience or creation without pay will land you an amazing opportunity or some great paying job somewhere down the line is how you are kept in the hold of the ship, chained to an oar, rowing ceaselessly.

Stop being a poverty volunteer. The concepts of “starting at the bottom” and “paying your dues” are for saps. These phrases are thrown at you by imposters and pretenders trying to keep you down,  fearful of your encroaching on their precariously-held, dubiously-acquired positions.