That isn't at all what I was suggesting. I am talking about proper contract work, or pro bono volunteer work.

What is it about design and designers that makes people think they would want to or be willing to work for free for a portfolio? It seems unique to that role, yet good design is rare and valuable as the top end in any field.

It's not specific to design. Data science and software engineering are similar.

Thanks for the clarification, I wanted to put this out there, since I have seen the issue from both sides.