Charlie Hoehn attributes much of his career success as a marketing strategist to one thing: his willingness to work for nothing. “Free work opens doors that you could never imagine if you took a traditional path,” he says.

The author of the ebook Recession-Proof Graduate: How To Land the Job You Want by Doing Free Work, describes working for no pay as “a means of gaining incredible experience, sharpening our skills and learning directly from master craftsmen”.

Twenty-eight-year-old Mr Hoehn, who works from his home in Texas, advocates the practice for those at the start of their careers or as a strategic approach to building new relationships. He cites one friend, an event planner who worked on the iPhone launch, who periodically drops her $50,000 project fee when she believes it could open doors to new business.