'I firmly and categorically DECLINED': Job applicant asked to do free, unpaid work as part of the interview process, he rejects them

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 16, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

Being tasked with performing action items during an interview process that only a full-time employee should be doing is the reddest of red flags. No matter how desperate you are for work, you have to be aware that there is absolutely nothing stopping these potential employers from taking your unpaid work, running with it, and still not giving you the job at the end of the day. If this happens to you as a prospective applicant, please know that you should feel empowered enough to send an inquiry about a contract before performing said task. No amount of desperation should stop you from doing so because if you cave now, who's to say that you won't be exploited down the road? 

This thread was posted to Reddit by u/Reign_World, who thankfully had the wherewithal to stand up for himself. This was the third time these unrealistic expectations were thrown at OP during an interview process, so perhaps he had been exploited in the past and knew what he was dealing with this time around. We hope that anyone who has not yet been through this kind of process can take OP's advice and be on the lookout before running into this kind of situation. You don't have to be exploited once in order to stand up for yourself the next time. You have the ability to take in stories like this one and learn from them before you're in the thick of it yourself.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and the best reactions in the comments section. For more content like this, here's another post about an employee whose selfish boss was ridiculous about timeliness. 

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  • 01
    Hairstyle - "I was asked to produce a full list of tasks for [free]"
    via Charles Deluvio
  • 02
    Font - Today, I was asked to produce a full list of tasks for a follow up interview. I kindly told them to stick it up their O Context: Had a phone call interview and then a full 1 hour interview with two of the managers via Zoom. It went well. I'm over qualified for the role and a very good fit for the company due to my previous experience. This is for a company who rents out short term lets, similar to Airbnb.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 03
    Font - They then vanished for a week despite me following up twice. No response. Nothing. I assumed I had been ghosted. They finally got back to me today. No apology for disappearing or explanation. Just a full list of completely free, unpaid tasks they want me to do for the third interview.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 04
    Font - I firmly and categorically DECLINED. I emailed them asking if they're actually joking. They could easily steal these ideas and use them for their social media then vanish again. I've seen it happen numerous times to job seekers. Here is the full list of free, unpaid tasks they want me to produce for the sake of an interview with no guarantee of a job at the end of it:
    via u/Reign_World
  • 05
    Font - Following the culture interview last week, we think you'd be a good cultural fit for the company and would like to invite you to a technical interview which involves a task. This exercise will give us an idea of how you would approach a project in a real-life work situation.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 06
    Font - Below is a brief containing a few questions we'd like you to answer and present back to us with the presentation lasting no longer than 30 minutes. We'll then use the remaining 30 minutes for questions relating to what you've presented.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 07
    Font - The brief: 1 - Based on our current social presence, what would be your top 3 recommendations for improving engagement. Give examples or visuals where relevant. 2 - Based on seasonality, our peak period is January. We'd like you to draft a social media campaign for this time frame aimed at attracting our new short-term vacation rental hosts and capturing the increased demand.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 08
    Font - Please detail your approach to the following: • The platforms and placements you would use and why Content ideas/recommendations How you would monitor and report on the performance of the campaign 3 - Attached is a paid performance report from
    via u/Reign_World
  • 09
    Font - Please analyse the data and feedback 3 key takeaways or recommendations. (Yep they've literally sent me a copy of their real ad campaign data where they've clearly failed to get a decent amount of clicks and want me to tell them how to improve it - for free. Something an ad campaign manager would usually get paid to do. Which isn't even the role I am going for.)
    via u/Reign_World
  • 10
    Font - I'm staggered. This is the third time in a row I've encountered this now. How is this becoming so common?
    via u/Reign_World
  • 11
    Font - I_Am_Dixon_Cox. 19 hr. ago FYI, I'll be out of the offic... Do a 30 minute slide show on how you don't work for free. 5.2k Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 12
    Font - idahononono. 18 hr. ago Oh oh, add in why employers who don't value your time during interviews should evaluate their HR structure and "culture". 1.8k Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 13
    Font - silverkernel 18 hr. ago This is becoming more common. My wife had it done to hear. Not doing the same work, but work for improvements etc. Then they ghost you. Its literally just a way to get free work done 1.5k Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 14
    Font - Reign_World OP. 18 hr. ago I've had it done 3 times in a row now, all by media agencies / actual companies that seem very reputable, with good clients, and they're all friendly enough during the interviews.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 15
    Font - Then they spring these long lists of unpaid tasks they want done suddenly during the second or third interview, saying it's a "presentation piece". I've never been asked to do free homework tasks for any job I had before the pandemic, not even remote ones. Not even for executive roles. Now I'm encountering it constantly.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 16
    Font - And I keep reading about people doing the unpaid tasks, only for the employer to then ghost or worse, ghost and then use their ideas on their social media business profiles without permission. Hence why I won't risk it. 696 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 17
    Font - nerdybirdeee 17 hr. ago I am a graphic designer and this has happened to me before with big brands. I interview twice, everything goes great and then crickets until I get an email saying the third interview is completing a project FOR FREE. Like no- you aren't getting free design work out of me just so you can turn around a hire someone else? The gumption these places have. Good on you for recognizing it. 1.3k Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 18
    Font - Reign_World OP. 17 hr. ago Good on you for saying no too. I think it's even worse asking for designs. Imagine you designed graphics for them and saw them pop up on their social media profiles weeks later after they ghosted you. But yep same thing. Two interviews. Both went great. Crickets. Sudden email asking for unpaid tasks for the third interview. Exactly the same script. 461 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 19
    Rectangle - frys_grandson 18 hr. ago . Reply with a contract for Consultant work with a nice hefty rate 909 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 20
    Font - RunningPirate. 18 hr. ago "Consulting work starts at $250/hr, minimum 4 hours. Please send a PO." 455 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 21
    Font - ehalright 19 hr. ago I work in a related industry and accepted my current job because they required a presentation from me. I'd been burned at my previous job where they pretty much only hired unqualified people so they could underpay them, so the extra ask was a good sign for me personally.
    via u/Reign_World
  • 22
    Font - That said, they only asked for recycled material; I could just block out identifiers from any old work, school, or personal project of my choosing. These guys sending you REAL DATA is such an unprofessional move even without the blatant ask that you do a week's worth of work for free! You dodged a REAL bullet here. 444 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 23
    Font - Toolatrecrew. 18 hr. ago Dear scummy company, The cost to produce this presentation at my current consulting rate is $10,000. Please sign the attached contract for services and return with a $5000 deposit. The balance to be paid upon competing the presentation. Upon the successful completion and payment we can negotiate a permanent employment agreement if you wish. 209 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World
  • 24
    Font - Few_Blacksmith_8704 18 hr. ago They probably sent this to 100 individuals and they know there's a few suckers that will do it and then they'll be ghosted. Good on you to stand your ground. 170 Reply Share
    via u/Reign_World

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