I completely agree it has to end, if we as designers all say no, it will improve our chances of not being taken advantage of. With everything going on it’s gonna get harder to push back.
I recently had a recruiter tell me to ask the hiring VP of the company for a project right after the interview. I said no. They reached out ti say I was still being considered and then she suggested again that I request a project. I again declined and advised her that if the company asked for one I would consider it. I told her” I don’t do free work”.
I saw some really good advise like agreeing to the project but advising your rate.Let’s keep on pushing back. They can see our experience or take the chance with us if they like us for the position.
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It’s been awhile wrote here- wanted to ask some opinions.
I took a job with severe pandemic paycut without choice- rather than continuing unemployment after 5 months.
Was hoping thing would get better, and the company would give some compensation back- but nothing, actually the work situation doesn’t seem promising, so I decided to leave and have looked for job last few months.
I had a one very good interview- the job seems perfect fit for me with all my experiences and they seemed like me a lot. I had to do one of the longest hour project for FREE- (sorry, I knew I should’ve said no… but I was that desperate to get out of the current job) and I was for sure I would be a good fit with it.
I handed out my project, they loved it. The final interview seemed going so well, introduced me the key people and asked me when can I start- etc.
Turned out, they’ve been dragging to give me the answer over a month from the final interview-
Last time I checked with the recruiter, I was still being a top candidate and considered for the role but still interviewing a few, seemed a very slow moving.
Now I found out they’ve hired someone for that position according to a semi-insider source.
Not sure I should reach out to the recruiter to check if it’s true 
I know… I should’ve said no for free project, but sometimes the situation makes it hard… sigh
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As for doing free projects or not, you have to do what you feel is right, in the moment. 
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What about a pledge? Could we organize a campaign that got fashion companies to sign a pledge stating that they will NOT require free projects from designers?
What could we call the pledge? Maybe even some sort of logo or badge they could include on their job listings or career site?
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@SCHMEGGLES @BrooklynDesigner @asmodeusish @LAdesigner @Nini @HMSHaribo @twirlgirl @anonymousdesigner @yneedsajob @DenimMaster @droid @NYCAnon212 @CatDogMom @PencilCactus @Shooz @Vesta @badkitty @Angel01 @tooski @OhEmGee @Boomie @01390139W @Three_Olives @chudoc @Vetdesigner @fabricologist @MrsB @gabriel_523 @Designmaven @Mofodie @GiGi001 @lucrecialuca @DesignerN
StyleCareers is looking to create a NO FREE PROJECTS pledge and ask companies to sign it. Eventually, the companies will be able to Badge their job listings with a NO FREE PROJECTS icon; making their opportunities more attractive to job seekers than the ads that do not have the badge.
That being said, we need parameters for the pledge. It doesn’t seem there is a consensus on this subject. Maybe small projects are OK? Maybe projects for less experienced job seekers are OK. Maybe NO free projects are OK?
If projects are required, what sort of compensation should be required, at a minimum, of the employers?
What else? We need to get everyone’s opinion before we can start some sort of pledge document. Your input is VERY MUCH appreciated.
-Grand Poobah
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Great topic!
I have been in this industry for 35 years between NYC and LA. Some companies are EGREGIOUS in asking for elaborate design projects from candidates they have already decided are not a fit during the interview process and because there is no cost to them, have the person labor for 1-2 weeks over complex hypothetical collections that can cost $400 or more to put together with knit downs, hand and CAD sketches and expensive materials.
PAID PROJECTS are the ONLY option otherwise it becomes a gray area of what should be considered acceptable for a free project and companies will manipulate the scope of what the project entails.
I have had companies request THREE CAPSULES of a season wanting color palettes, trend boards and fabric, silhouette, print, all for free.
It is out of control in particular when the job opening gets put on HOLD mysteriously. Another reprehensible tactic is when they know your salary requirements make you too expensive for them but they ask for a complex design project anyway knowing they aren’t hiring you because they can’t afford you but want your caliber of free work in their pocket anyway.
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Great thing to discuss and to create because we need it! I would say that for inexperienced/minimal experience candidates (entry level/just graduated), a small project would be okay, but it shouldn’t be anything that would take longer than 3 hours max. That way the company can see if what realm of knowledge and creativity the candidate has for the potential position and for the overall company. But I would only do this IF the candidate is in the final round of candidates; No employer should ask ALL candidates to submit a project. That’s why we have portfolios! Even entry level candidates have them as I prep my senior fashion students on creating professional presentations.
As to others with many years experience, our portfolios should speak for themselves, however, there may be instances where it is a category in which the applicant has not yet worked, but can probably do the job because of their experience. However, the company wants to make sure so a small project in this case would be all right with some sort of compensation. I would take what that position pays hourly and the employer would need to estimate the hours it would take a regular employee to complete. If it is a 4 hour max project, and that position pays $65 an hour, then it would pay $260 or round it off to $300.
However, the project should be more of a test of their skills and knowledge of the market category, or anything else required of the position. It should NOT be a full on project (customer board, direction theme board, garment flat sketches for a whole collection with graphics, etc). It should just be a brief overview, if that makes sense. If the employer wants more, they will need to compensate.
I would also ask that there be some sort of confidentiality statement from the employer that they will NOT use any of the work submitted - whether it was a free project or one they paid a minimum amount.
I did a project many years ago and was not hired by the company, and come six months later I see my graphics on a line of shirts. When I contacted the company I was told it was a coincidence and they had been working on those designs for months.
So some sort of statement/assurance on the part of the employer that they will never use the project for financial means without further compensation to the candidate would be important.
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So sick of the free projects and having to prove if you can work within this brand’s parameters/vision. There is so much reluctance to hire full time employees right now as well and lots of freelance/contract work. What if they pledge to hire the top 2 or 3 candidates as contractors for 2 week stints, and see who meshes better with their teams? But the pledge should absolutely be if they need to see a personalized project - there must be strong parameters and pay associated with it.
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I have done small projects - an hour max - and no one needs to do more than that. For junior designers, when I’m hiring, I have asked them to spend 1/2 hour on site with me, doing a few small tasks in illustrator. Some people say they know CAD but don’t. Takes a few minutes to see, no reason to ever request a finished piece of work. I have been asked to do the same kind of on site CAD test. No issue with this. But take home, lengthy finished projects are unnecessary and shady.
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Hallelujah!!
I agree, there are some times when a small project is appropriate- which should be PAID- in order to see if a top candidate can do the work and/or to get a better sense of their aesthetic and eye on items that may not be in their portfolio.
When I was a seasoned designer in apparel, I got an opportunity for SWIMWEAR for one of the mass market retailers I had previously worked for. Did I have any swim experience? No. But I was deeply familiar with the aesthetic, costing and processes that the mass market retailer required. For that, I took the interview (armed with some hastily mocked up CADs) and was happy that the bosses saw my potential, even in a category I wasn’t working in. Doing a small, paid project- had they asked- would have been fine with me at that point. Luckily I got the job, humbly asked for patience from my patternmaker and salesperson to learn the ropes, and went on to have a great career.
In turn, there have been some times when I have asked top candidates to do a project, in cases when I’m not quite sure that- while they have design talent- they might align with what we are looking for. I wish, now, that the companies paid them. For a project, I always said- please don’t spend more than 3 hours on this, at the most. I’m not expecting you to create a fully submersive project, with a deep understanding of our customers- it’s more just a taste of how you work, and a glimpse into how you would approach this project, nothing more.
I would love to see only PAID projects- if one is needed- be the industry standard. So many companies predatorily collect projects- some are even brazen enough to request a project BEFORE they deign to have a phone interview. This practice is unacceptable.
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Wow is this a joke?
The way these companies work, they won’t even agree to this. They’ll find a way around it, or to have a temporary “hiring” for like a day or week or whatever. Claim they’re paying the job seeker, then probably pay them the absolute minimum “per project” like $10-15 total for a job that takes a full 8-9 hours to complete.
Or give them work to do, say they’ll pay upon completion of the project, then at the very end. After the job seeker has completed a thorough project, tell them “this wasn’t what I wanted you to do”….
They will probably come up with some bogus excuse too for why they can’t pay for one of these projects.
Yeah good luck to anybody thinking this will work. Have you been in our shoes before being given these outrageous projects to “be considered” to be hired? Doubt it.
But sure, go ahead and try a petition. It won’t work for everybody. There will be a catch to this. Nothing is too good to be true when it comes to this nasty way of hiring.
I definitely wrote about it on here, but last feb, I was interviewing for an opportunity, and the design director just kept requesting more and more work, which turned into a 30 pg project, complete with tech packs, color, trend, etc… He abruptly left the company in the middle of the interviewing process, and took my project. No one, including 24/7 could do anything about it. It hurt bad.
Fast forward to May, I got another opportunity to interview for another company. a project was requested before I could even interview. I did it. I went thru a few more interviews and was asked to do a second project. I did it begrudgingly. I got the job and one of the styles I did in the project is dropping on the online store shortly. I have recently found out that the person in charge of hiring, loved seeing the projects and wanted to more of them.
All in all, asking companies to pay close to $300-$500 for a project, will make the company think harder about who they ask to do what. Parameters will be set on interviewing and so on. StyleCareers is a big enough platform to demand this, but I think partnering with linked or BOF will also force this to be taken more seriously.
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Some other food for thought on whether projects should be free or paid or exist at all…In cases in which I do agree to do a free project of any size, I will not submit it digitally or drop it off. It needs to stay within my eyesight at all times to ensure my work/ideas are not stolen. So that would mean presenting the project in person. The project comes in with me and leaves with me.
I have not paid project yet, but in that case I guess I would have to consent to giving my project to the company.
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I think this is a great idea! I have been interviewing and had projects requested in most all of them. I have 17yrs of experience and a vast portfolio. I most recently declined a project and offered that I could do it for my day rate. I think its time theres a shift here.
- Theres a comment about the salary/hourly conversion and how much time allotted for the project expectations. I think that’s a good place to start as well.
- Also there needs to be a project proposal singed by the Co. + Candidate to ensure that the time will be compensated for
- A confidentiality statement is also key
- In person or video conference only no submitting the actual copies as theres too much idea theft.
These are just a few off the top of my head thanks for spearheading this!
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So today I turned down an opportunity with a very large apparel company. I was floored by their ask.
Director tells me everyone is in the office everyday. Can I come in the next day for an interview?
Then I get a call from her assistant. She wants me to do an ‘assessment project’. I ask her if she’s in the office. She says she’s working from home and no one is back in the office until Feb 1st. (Her boss told me everyone is in the office)
Then she tells me they really need someone, they have a ton of work.
Gives me 2 designs to do. 25” repeats. 12 colors each. Indexed. 5 colorways for each design. Design direction are links to 2 prints on well known retail websites.
Wants all of this done in 3 days. Free.
I say, I can’t work for free. I have a paid freelance project to do. Sorry.
Btw, I have asked 3x what the salary is and no one got back to me.
So how many people have given them ‘assessments’ for their line? Is there really a job opening?
Don’t fall prey to this, folks. These people are bottom feeders.
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LOVE that you stood up for yourself on this! And WHY were they intent on getting a project BEFORE they even took the time to interview you? (It’s like putting the cart before the horse- you could have “passed” the assessment, only to interview and they feel you are not a “good fit”).
Thank you for speaking up, and would love it if you could out who this company is. Other people need to know their M.O.
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BCI Brands. (State, camuto,Chaus)
Honestly, there are small tests I have done, but creating 2 collections in 3 days for free? C’mon. Gotta be 300 dpi index files, too, so they can send them off to the mill.
I wonder if there is a real job or if this is some kind of scam.
If we out these companies, we can make a difference.
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Absolutely! Take all that info as huge red flags. Interviewing is much like dating in that way, people are usually on their best behavior. If they treat people like that in the “courting” stage, they treat their employees like exploitable garbage.
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How is everyone with projects these days? I recently got an opportunity with one of my dream companies. However it seems suspicious… they haven’t interviewed me at all, but asked to do an extensive project. The design director asked to do 18 looks (eveningwear) with my own concept, palette, 3 embroidery designs, 3 prints, silhouette and texture exploration… then a vip package presentation??! I was given one week???
Help!!! Should I just drop it? This feels too much… I’m going crazy trying to finish it.
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Wow.
It sounds like a scam.
No interview before hand?
So many red flags.
Are they paying you anything?
If they are legit I would ask for 50% up front and see what they say.
You are basically giving away a collection for free.
I would not share any personal info with them.
You need to call the main office number and ask for this person to see if they are even with the company. Is the email they used legitimate?
This sounds totally like a scam.
@grandpoobah thoughts??
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