• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Speechies in Business

Speechies in Business

Helping Speech Pathologists in private practice focus on what matters most: their clients

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Store
    • Practice Templates
    • NDIS Resources
    • Therapy Products
  • Cart
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Speech pathology graduates: Should you volunteer for experience and exposure?

15 February 2017 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Every year, I’m approached by speech pathology grads who’ve been offered “opportunities” to work for private practices for free, e.g. to get some experience, prove their value to a prospective employer, or get some exposure to different client groups.

Reality bites

My views on unpaid “internships” and volunteer work for private practices are fairly well known; as is my interpretation of the legal position in Australia.

But I’m not naive.

Things are tough out there for grads in some places. Experience counts. And, as adult professionals, speech pathology graduates like all speech pathologists must make their own decisions in life – as much as I might rage and harp about exploitative practices like a worried parent.

4 questions to ask yourself

I pose four questions to grads mulling whether to do volunteer work, based on excellent advice I once heard Seth Godin give to freelance artists and contractors*:

  1. Are other people getting paid for doing the same work? If so, is it fair that you aren’t, especially if your hirer earns money from your work?
  2. Are you learning something of value? If so, are you learning enough to warrant giving away your services for free?
  3. Will you be given adequate public credit for the value you are providing? Is volunteering for the organisation/practice really likely to bolster your portfolio and make you more marketable?
  4. Does the hirer have a good reputation of hiring and paying speech pathologists who volunteer for a short time; or is the hirer known for a high turnover of staff and/or exploiting its workers? (If you don’t know, ask around – speech pathology is a small world.)

I also tell speech pathology graduates who decide to volunteer to:

(a) read the SPA position statement on volunteering;
(b) buy their own insurance (and not to rely on the hirer’s);
(c) keep the stint as short as possible (certainly no longer than a month); and

(d) trust their instincts and reflect regularly on whether they are getting value for their services.

If it feels like exploitation, it probably is.

* Principal Source: Godin, S. (2016). Freelancer Course via Udemy.

Image: https://tinyurl.com/j6jdy2r

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Blog, Speech Pathology Profession, Speech Pathology Students & Graduates Tagged With: speech pathology graduates, Sydney University, volunteering

About David Kinnane

David Kinnane owns and operates Speechies in Business. David is also a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, lawyer, writer and speaker in private practice in Sydney, Australia.

David also co-owns and co-manages Banter Speech & Language, an independent private speech pathology clinic.

David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board as a board member elected by SPA members.

David also volunteers his time as a Board Member of SPELD NSW, a charity for children and adults with specific learning disorders.

You can read more about David’s professional background, qualifications and experience here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Products

  • No Prep, Evidence-Based Conjunction Pack: 'So' $1.99 including GST
  • Compound Conjunction Sentence Builders: "or" $4.99 including GST
  • Lidcombe Program Social Story Lidcombe Program for Stuttering Social Story: "Sometimes my speech is bumpy - but I'm practising every day to talk smoothly!" $2.99 including GST
  • BLANKS 4 WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF Language comprehension booster: What will happen if...? (Blanks Level 4) $4.99 including GST
  • Think, Then Write (Volume 4): a no-prep Narrative Writing Program $20.00 including GST
  • Lidcombe Program Starter Series Start Your Engines Lidcombe Program Starter Series: Resources for Highly Structured Practice: Start Your Engines! $4.99 including GST
  • Auditory Bombardment: Subject-Verb-Complement (Emotions) $2.99 including GST
  • Appointment Confirmation Email Template Appointment Confirmation Email Template $5.99 including GST

Basket

Recent Posts

  • Change to short notice cancellations under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23
  • What’s new? The NDIS Provider Emergency and Disaster Management Plan Framework
  • Retain your speech pathologists with better professional development systems
  • 9 questions speech pathology practice owners and supervisors should ask employees in one-to-one supervision sessions
  • 9 ideas to increase engagement and reduce burn out by designing work your team will love
  • 12 early career tips for Australian speech pathologists and students considering a career in private practice

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Check out our NDIS provider and health provider resources Go to Store

Speechies in Business

Copyright © 2022 · Banter Speech & Language Pty Limited t/as Speechies in Business

  • Our Terms
  • FAQs about Resources
  • Contact us