I was asked to complete a substantial unpaid design exercise before being invited to interview. The assignment involved reviewing a 72-page brand guide, developing a campaign concept, and creating multiple deliverables, including a social graphic, presentation slide, and short-form video. Much of this work was already represented in my portfolio. Before interviewing, I explicitly stated that I would only consider a paid project. I was still invited to interview and was again asked to complete unpaid work as the next step. I declined, and after being told the team would discuss a paid alternative, I received a generic automated rejection email the following day.