I got an interview yesterday for a Marketing Executive role. It went okay and at the end of it they said they will be sending me a short assignment to just showcase my creativity.
I said okay sure! I was fine with it as i thought maybe they wanted me to do up a sample instagram post or a short intro video of myself showcasing some tools i’m able to use etc.
The email came and they gave me 4 tasks that i have to complete and send it back to them in two days. The tasks are:
- To create an email newsletter for the company based on any available information online
- Provide 5 suggestions with samples of how they can improve their company website
- Create 1 Linkedin and 1 Instagram post for their social media channels
- Provide a strategy and execution plan to engage prospective customers
I was honestly surprised because this just feel extensive and how can ALL of this even be done in 2 days? We only had 1 interview and they didn’t even show that they were that interested and it honestly feel that they’re just trying to get these ideas from applicants for free.
I know that some companies practice this to ensure that they get the most suitable candidate but do they not realise that we still have our own job too? Is this even ethical to be asking candidates to do this much in just 2 days or am I overreacting?