Have you ever been asked to do work for a company-before you were hired? It happens. Sometimes, companies assign speculative (spec) work to candidates for them to complete as part of the hiring process. This could be a writing assignment, business plan, social media posts, or some other example of the type of work you’d be tasked with at your new job.
Most of the time, these assignments seem fair. After all, if you don’t have a huge portfolio of work (and sometimes even if you do), the company needs to feel confident in your abilities.
But one fear many job seekers grapple with is whether or not a company plans to use your work—and not hire you.