> if I am anyway going to start paid work, then why not > give my future employer an opportunity to try me > for two-three months. Because you should ins

> if I am anyway going to start paid work, then why not > give my future employer an opportunity to try me > for two-three months. Because you should instead spend those extra weeks looking for an employer who can derive enough value from your skills to pay you a fair market salary. Inviting employers to "try for free" will invite those who may not really know how to turn your effort into money. You say you're near bankruptcy, so now is not the time to screw around with getting paid. > I am a software engineer with 10+ years experience... Yes, but how does that help your employer make money? How does your programming effort: * get a product to market faster? * make customers buy more? * increase referrals? * decrease support calls? * etc. Your employer has to make money so they can pay you.