I've been invited to speak at a *very* prestigious school. But their policy is to provide dinner and standard class rail fare to a reasonably close city ... and no fee.
Should I accept?
It is a *very* prestigious school, and I could do it for exposure and the CV. But as @virtuosew points out ...
People die of exposure.
So ... should I accept? Or should I say that my policy, now that I'm reasonably established, is not to give unpaid talks to well-funded institutions.
@ColinTheMathmo I’ve done free stuff if I think I’ll enjoy the experience. When it stops being fun, I decline doing them for free.
I’ve also found a good answer to “our company policy is X” is “well my company policy is Y”. People who get off on following policy seem more likely to accept that as an answer than a more logical justification!