I was asked to complete an extensive 8-page case study on e-commerce strategy pre-interview without pay. I feared my efforts would be exploited, so I withdrew.
hey ethan, i get it. unpaid work demands feel exploitativ and kinda shady. sometimes i’d try to negotiate a briefer task, but if they insist, it’s best to walk away. better checks out your time than free labor, right?
Companies that require extensive unpaid work may not truly value your time or expertise. In a similar scenario, I was asked to complete a sizable project without compensation. I learned that such practices often indicate a lack of respect for candidates’ contributions and can signal deeper cultural issues within the organization. Instead of investing significant effort for free, I opted to provide a brief sample and requested alternative methods to showcase my skills. This approach maintained my professionalism while highlighting my concerns about the balance in expectations.
Hey Ethan_Cosmos, I can totally understand your hesitation. It always makes me pause when companies ask for such extensive unpaid work to gauge skills. I wonder, do you think there’s a way to negotiate this requirement or maybe ask for a condensed version of the case study? It’s curious how these strategies work out in the long run, as they might be trying to see how you approach a project under pressure rather than expecting a polished final product. What are your thoughts on how firms assess potential without putting too much extra work on candidates upfront? It would be really interesting to hear if anyone has navigated a similar situation and how it worked out!