David Hobby, otherwise known as 'the strobist' has blogged about a proposition making the most of the recent downturn in the economy. I'm thinking that is good for anyone in the software world too.

Why? Because it will make you a better programmer?

Why? Because you're currently working in X, and you want to work in Y (where X and Y are any of the hundreds of sub-domains of 'software', Anything from Java...C# to XML..Schema design to you name it). If you offer to work for ... low wages, you start to call the shots. Restrict the hours, only work on new work / testing / validation / etc. One weeks notice, holidays (no pay) at short notice. All become viable when you offer yourself at no pay, minimal pay. I'm holding that caveat since I guess the HR departments of this world just won't grock it. The other side is insurance. AFAIK if you aren't being paid, you aren't insured. I may be wrong.

If the person you're talking to doesn't understand it, or can't get support to take you on at near/less than minimum wage, then I doubt the company is worth bothering with.

I guess you'd need to prepare a good answer to the question though. Just why are you doing this? Equally if the organisation is going to spend 6 months training you, after which you're going to disappear, then they're quite right in backing away. Be prepared to answer the question, what are we (the company) getting out of this. If you have some expertise to offer that you believe they can use, then that may be sufficient.

What will you get out of it? Remember the catch 22 of the new graduate? Qualified, no experience. Can't get work. Why? No experience. How to get it? To get a job. This is the... a way, to get that experience.