Re:Ask HN: I'm an 18 year old programmer; How do I get a job?
by Zak on Wednesday August 11, 2010 @04:19PM
(#1595947)
Plus, it's illegal is most places to work on "real work" if you're not getting paid.
The way this is phrased seems to imply that the person doing the work is doing something illegal. I believe that only the employer is violating the law in this case.
It's an important distinction: if you feel the arrangement is in your interest, the illegality is the employer's problem, not yours. That said, if you can actually produce working code, your time is valuable and you should not work for a for-profit business without appropriate compensation.
The way this is phrased seems to imply that the person doing the work is doing something illegal. I believe that only the employer is violating the law in this case.
It's an important distinction: if you feel the arrangement is in your interest, the illegality is the employer's problem, not yours. That said, if you can actually produce working code, your time is valuable and you should not work for a for-profit business without appropriate compensation.