#general

My principles tell me this is unpaid work and is a red flag for the future.

But if you really wanted to work for/with them, it doesn't seem like too much of an ask.

I've seen a lot worse!

No better time to practice setting boundaries than before you start!

There’s no reason they can’t pay you for this ask.

Let them know that’s industry standard for doing completed work that they can use like this — the payment is a value exchange for your time and also allows them to use the material.

Otherwise, the assignment needs to be something incomplete or very small that cannot be used and would take you a lot less time.

It’s up to each of us to set standards in our industry for how much we are willing to give away for free.

Playing devils advocate here but if the company is actually a reasonably sized, well-funded, somewhat known company, its always worth doing the test. It screens out a lot of people and shows you genuinely are interested enough in the position and not just the money

@Ayush Parti Just need to bring awareness to this part of what you said: it’s a job, so why wouldn’t she be genuinely interested in it AND in the money.

Why do we as content creators, creatives and artists believe we have to demonstrate some need for just the work itself and not the financial and energetic value exchange for the work and skill we bring?

We’re all interested in the work and the money. I don’t think we need to give away our energy to show a company we care about the work we do AND we want to be fairly and respectfully compensated for it.

Of course money is important. But if someone is unwilling to do one assignment for 3 hours to prove they're good enough for the role when a company is risking thousands of dollars hiring the wrong person and having to re-do the entire process... that seems unfair too. One should learn to see both sides of the coin. And I say this being a writer myself. If I were to start a business I'd probably screen candidates in the same way. Not because I want to cheap out on paying them for 3 hours of work, but because I want someone who wouldn't make a big deal out of a screening test. Just my opinion, there's no right or wrong here.

Can they provide you a timebox expectation for the assignment? That might help set boundaries here.

The first 3 bullets make sense as writing samples, the last seems like a meaty ask - a task you'd invest a lot of time in as an FTE - and there are complex layers to it.

You could also speak to the hiring manager about these concerns, they may be able to shed some light behind the reason "why".

You have to go with your gut IMO - if doing the work will leave a bad taste in your mouth from working with the brand, I wouldn't persue it.

Tbh if it's a well known company that's reputable I'd just do the assignment. I was asked to do something similar for the current role I am in (SEO Writer at Agorapulse). It took me a couple of hours but I am so glad I did it because I love my job, for realsies.

My last response from what I raised above…

Bottom line: if a test assignment results in assets they can use to make money as a business (which is why their in business in the first place, not to show others that they are serious about being a business), then they need to compensate you for it.

If not, then the assignment needs to be truncated/reduced accordingly.

When I’ve hired as a Head of Content, I always paid for the assignment whether I used it or not — b/c it’s respectful and fair. It sets a precedence about what I value and that I’m willing to pay for time/attention/energy/skill.

It’s not your responsibility to worry about what hiring costs a company. It’s your responsibility to pay attention to what the company is communicating in their hiring practices about what they value and what their culture is like.