A LinkedIn writer was just “invited” to complete a “short” writing test for a job application.
The test:
- a 1,000‑word tax article
- an IG post
- a 200–300 word explainer
That’s not a writing test. That’s unpaid work in the $2,000+ range.
So I went back to the job post and realized how many red flags I’d skimmed past:
- A salary no legitimate company would offer for this role
- A confidential employer
- Responsibilities that read like a grab bag of unrelated content tasks
- “Flexible hours” paired with “daily reporting required”
Put all that together and it’s not a job — it’s a content‑harvesting scam.
And the people most likely to get pulled into it are the writers and content folks who are under‑ or unemployed and trying to get traction in a brutal market.
It’s exhausting. And it’s everywhere.
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I did a strategy exercise for a company I was a final candidate for. Spent hours analyzing, strategising (w/o real data), developing slides and then prepping. Exhausting for sure. I was passed up. And it was free work! Since then, I always ask what the interview process looks like. If it includes a case study, at home exercise or something that looks like free work I ask if I will be compensated. If not, I pass.
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For one interview I was asked to do a full analysis and provide recommendations, capping the hours to 16. I immediately passed. I’m not providing free consulting when I need a job!
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The number of employers who expect you to work for nothing is criminal. If you do work on an assignment like this, create a footnote in the documents stating that it is your copyright. In other words, copyright (your name) in the year.“ That makes it clear to the employer that you’re not working for free.
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I told someone once, “I already did a writing test. It’s called my portfolio.” Funny, I never heard back!