When you’re applying for a job, how much work should you expect to do for free? A viral TikTok is prompting people to share their own experiences with unfair job applications, with many commenters saying they were asked to provide unpaid labor.
TikToker Jenna (@daffodilmktg) kicked off the debate by sharing her experience of the job market as a social media manager: “When you apply for a social media job and they want you to provide ‘an assignment’ of a 30 second reel, a text post, and a 3rd creative post to them for free just for them to possibly not hire you.”
In the video caption, she added, “they were baffled that I asked to clarify if it was all for no compensation.”
This TikTok seemingly struck a nerve, with several commenters characterizing this kind of demand as a scam, designed to get free content out of applicants. A lot of the comments came from people in the social media industry—a career path that is female-dominated and frequently undervalued compared to other jobs in the tech sector.
“One company had me do a ‘mini project’ that included 15 Insta captions, 20 product descriptions, 3 website & email banners and then they ghosted me,” one commenter wrote.
“A huge vegan company did this to me,” another wrote. “Then they steal ur ideas. Your basically a consultant for them when u do this.”
“Imagine they get 25 applicants in a month,” someone else chimed in. “This is why they do it. Don’t provide free labor during an interview process!!”
In a separate reply, Jenna clarified that this kind of request wasn’t the same as a potential employer asking for a portfolio. It’s normal to provide a portfolio of relevant work when applying for this type of job, but when companies request new, original content tailored to their own brand, it’s like asking for unpaid freelance work.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jenna for comment via TikTok.
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