u/Fantastic-Success-18

I keep dealing with employers asking me to do unpaid assignments after ONE interview and sometimes before they interviewing me. They send me AI generated email with an assignment that takes several hours and relate to their business. I work in marketing and design and have around 10 years of experience across different industries, an up-to-date portfolio, and strong references on LinkedIn. But apparently none of that is enough anymore.

I understand design tests. I've done unpaid assignments in the past and actually received offers afterward. But those were usually at the final stage, after multiple interviews where both of us had already invested a lot of time in the process. And the assignments were either short or unrelated to their business. I still hated they asked me to do unpaid work and some of you wouldn't even do it in the final stage, totally understandable.

If the assignment is directly related to the company's actual business and takes several hours to complete, but they can't spare 20–30 minutes to interview you first, that should tell you something. Even one interview is not enough...

In the past, a recruiter reached out to conduct an interview for a job I didn't apply for. In the end of the interview, she asked me to do unpaid assignment. My dumbass agreed because she made it sound like I'm the perfect candidate for this. The assignment took 7 hours to finish and I put so much effort into it and explained all the decisions I madel. I sent it confidently and then got a generic rejection without even explaining areas to improve. She said they got a lot of candidates interested in this role. I said good for you, then why waste my time? I then left them a nice Glassdoor review. I'm still not over that BS hahah but good lesson.

The job market is rough and employers know people are desperate enough to jump through ridiculous hoops. But we really need to stop normalizing this shit.

I applied for a video editor role, and the CEO reached out to me directly on LinkedIn with a paid test assignment for $50. I appreciate that it’s paid but I'm very hesitant because I haven’t had a single interview or screening call with them yet.

The assignment is directly related to their business and requires scientific research, fact-checking, scriptwriting, sourcing all the material myself, motion graphics, and editing a finished short-form video. Based on the brief, I’d estimate 4–6 hours to do it properly, which makes $50 pretty low. They could use the finished video and post it on their social without having to change anything.

Part of me thinks it could be a legitimate way for them to test candidates. The other part wonders what stops a company from sending assignments like this to multiple applicants, paying $50 each, and ending up with a bunch of cheap social content.

Would you do it? Is a paid assignment before even having an interview normal in video/design hiring? Should I ask him to set up an interview first?

I'm Canadian and I got many years of work experience and a degree from here. Last year I struggled to find a job in Canada and USA despite having solid resume and network. After months of applying and BS interviews, I started looking internationally and ended up moving to Asia for work. Honestly, it turned out to be one of the best career decisions I've made. I was able to save money, gain more experience, and my quality of life actually improved.

At the same time, I know several international graduates from my university who have been unemployed or working unrelated low-wage jobs in Canada for YEARS. Some don't even work and rely on their parents who send them money from Asia. They are not even here to get the passport. Bro that's not the Canadian dream.

A few of them have told me they could probably find relevant jobs in China, Taiwan, HK, but they don't want to leave Canada because they think it would "look bad" after coming here to study. I have one Korean friend who lives in Edmonton, unemployed for idk how many years anymore but his parents send money... Imagine choosing that over Seoul. If experienced Canadians are struggling to find relevant jobs, why would you expect employers to prioritize hiring someone with no relevant experience who may also require visa sponsorship?

If your goal is to build your career, why would it matter where you gain that experience? I'd rather have two years of relevant industry experience abroad than spend those same two years working in cafe in Canada while having a degree in engineering. If I have a second passport and my country is stable and developed, I would gladly move there, because this country is struggling in the meantime.

When thousands of people stay in the same market despite struggling to find relevant work, employers end up receiving an overwhelming number of applications for every opening. That makes it harder for everyone, including Canadians and permanent residents.

I no longer care much about climbing the corporate ladder or the benefits package after going through three layoffs in the tech industry.

I genuinely enjoyed working at those companies and built great relationships with my managers and coworkers. But it feels like "mass layoffs" have become a standard business strategy whenever growth slows down or a major product ships. My last company laid off around 70% of the team after releasing their product that we worked very hard on.

Ironically, I actually felt more secure when I freelanced a few years ago because I had multiple income streams and controlled my own schedule. Back then I was lucky because my former manager and random companies on LinkedIn reached out to me for work. Nowadays that rarely happens.

I'm trying to get back into freelancing, and honestly I'm not sure where to start. Applying to freelance/part time design jobs on LinkedIn is very competitive nowadays, and my cold emails usually get ignored. Perhaps I'm hard selling my services and should just introduce myself in these emails?
I also tried attending tech networking events, but most people there were fresh out of college students looking for jobs. I messaged my former managers, and they said they will keep me in mind but these things take time as you know. Right now I have only one client (former manager).

I have 7+ years of experience as a graphic and motion designer, working across SaaS, fintech, healthcare, sustainability, education, and e-commerce. Most of my work has focused on branding, marketing campaigns, motion graphics, landing pages, social media, and product launches.

For those of you freelancing successfully: Where does most of your work come from today? Any advices?

Has anyone else traveled or moved away for a long time and realized some friendships were mostly held together by convenience rather than genuine effort?

I spent about half a year in East/Southeast Asia, twice, over the last two years. Turns out traveling that far from home is a surprisingly effective friendship filter.

When I told some of my (now former) friends I was heading back to Southeast Asia, I expected something like, "Have an awesome trip, buddy". Instead I got "Vietnam is dirty and poor.", "Why do you keep doing this, when are you gonna settle down and get married?", "I cannot do the same because of my office work". Then a bunch of them were suddenly "too busy" to hang out before I left for months, barely reached out while I was away, and when I got back, they didn't ask anything.

At first, I made an effort to see everyone, stayed active in the group chat while I was away, and even brought back gifts (they never got me gifts when they travelled). Looking back, that effort wasn't really reciprocated. 90% of Plans got canceled last minute, or people would leave after an hour because they had other plans. That's when I realized I don't wanna hangout with them again. I realized I was putting in more effort than I was getting back, so I eventually stopped because why even go through this.

Many of these former friends were objectively doing better than me in some areas of life. I always felt behind and unfulfilled but never jealous of them. They'd often jokingly comment on how I was struggling with my career, relationships, or not settling down. Eventually I stayed in Asia while working online and this was the first time in many years I felt happy and motivated. But that's when the friendship dynamic changed.

Meanwhile, random people I met in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and other digital nomads I'd only known for a few months still message me, check in, ask how life is going, and somehow put in more effort than people I've known for 10+ years. Their friendship doesn't feel like we are competing against each other, and we help each other when needed even though we live in different countries.

To be fair, not everyone back home was like this. A handful of friends were genuinely excited for me, stayed in touch while I was away, and we've actually become closer since I got back. The experience made me more selective with my friendships and more private about my life, not everyone needs to know everything.

Every time I interview with a manager who's been at the same company for 10–20 years, half the interview turns into an interrogation about why I left every job after 1–2 years, why I worked freelance for 2 years, why I have 5 months gap on my resume.

These seem to be out of touch with the market because they haven't dealt with mass layoffs or having to find a new job in this competitive market. I work in tech, so staying in the same company for over 3 years is unusual nowadays.

Last year I applied for a role where I had highly relevant industry experience and even a strong reference. Instead of discussing my experience, the interviewer kept circling back to why I had spent two years in 2023 freelancing and working part-time for an agency instead of working a traditional full-time job. I explained that I already had over five years of corporate experience and wanted to challenge myself and build my own company. She didn't seem impressed. Instead, she started talking about how she'd been with the same company for more than 10 years since graduating from uni (projecting)... At that point I figured I probably wasn't getting the job anyway, so I said, "Honestly, I enjoyed traveling in Asia for two years while running my own business, learning new skills and taking risks instead of doing the same routine every day because it's comfortable."

Needless to say, I didn't get the job 😂

I also had 4 interviews with a company and in the final interview, the old school manager didn't seem to be happy about the 5 months gap on my resume.. I told him it takes some people over a year to land a job in their field sometimes, 5 months is normal. He wasn't convinced and I also didn't land that job.

I understand they might have concerns about me not staying after a year and it would cost them a lot of money, but I don't have control over companies laying off people to save some money, which is a trend nowadays in tech.

Have you encountered this issue before and how do you even deal with these questions ?

A few days ago, I finished my first interview for a non-managerial marketing role paying around $80k.

At the end of the call, they told me there are Five MORE interviews to go, including a panel with six people. There is also take home assignment (non-paid) that I have to present to them.

I'm half expecting the final round to be a cage match against the CEO to convince him.

What amazes me is how much time and energy companies expect candidates to invest. A process like this can easily drag on for a month or more. You spend hours preparing, researching the company, and rehearsing answers. Then if you get rejected, they don't provide any feedback because it's usually just one person who doesn't like you.

The funniest part is that hiring someone requires approval from half the company, but layoffs somehow happen overnight. Sometimes even managers don't know they're coming.

Is it just me, or have hiring processes become completely ridiculous? It used to be 3-4 interviews max in my experience. I heard companies like Google and Apple make people do more rounds, but I'm not applying to those 200k roles.

I'm not gonna lie, I've been thinking of doing something completely different after my third mass layoff because it takes 4 months minimum to find a new job and they are not making it any easier. I'm even considering leaving Canada because I've done that before.

Three months ago I got promoted at my job and even received a congratulatory message from the CEO. Last night, HR from the parent company called me to inform me that I was part of a mass layoff. Around 80% of our department was impacted. The bizarre thing is neither my manager nor the CEO knew about it and the decision was made by the parent company to "Reduce costs". We didn't get any warning and they didn't provide any insights on why this was needed.

Over the past year, many of us worked extremely hard on tight deadlines and last-minute projects pushed by the parent company. We delivered everything on time.

I really dislike how Canadian and mostly American companies treat us like disposable human capital, especially in tech. Companies scale aggressively, hire fast, push employees hard during growth phases, then reduce headcount just as quickly when priorities shift or financial targets aren’t met. I don't remember things were this bad 10 years ago and I don't understand why we don't have stronger laws to protect us as employees like in Europe.

I also don't get the point of 1 year contracts when companies can just lay you off on the same day. I renewed my contract last month but it clearly didn't mean much.

The hardest part isn’t even losing the job itself. It’s how this level of instability affects long-term life decisions like housing, relationships, marriage, and where you want to live.

At this point, I’ve started realizing that relying entirely on one company for stability may no longer make sense in this industry. I’ve been building multiple income streams through freelance work, investments, and independent projects, and I may continue leaning more in that direction moving forward. My advice is to stay in touch with past managers and employees because they might reach out to you one day for work. It's also good to attend networking events, post something useful on linkedIn, and always update your resume.

Please don't constantly overwork yourself and sacrifice your social life and mental health to meet your company's last minute projects. You are disposable for them.

I'm also open for your suggestions and if you also dealt with these hardships in your industry.

I moved to Vancouver over 10 years ago, and one thing I still struggle with is how socially closed-off the culture can feel sometimes. When I first came here, it took me years to build close friendships in college because a lot of people already had their established circles from high school. People are usually polite and approachable on the surface, but also very reserved. Even after a good conversation, it can take months before someone introduces you to their friends, if it happens at all.

I also noticed social plans in BC often feel difficult to organize. A simple meetup can take 2–3 weeks of planning, someone usually cancels, and some friendships become see you once a year type relationships, especially if they are married.

The high cost of everything and rain contribute to the problem for sure, but Toronto has a harsher weather and it's better in terms of social life.

What surprised me is that when I lived in different cities across Asia, I made close friends much faster despite not knowing anyone there or even speaking the language fluently. People were busy there too, but they still made time to socialize after work, check in on friends, and stay connected with family.

Coming back to Vancouver made me realize how individualistic and isolating life can feel here sometimes. A lot of people seem stuck in a cycle of work, gym, errands, and going home, and many openly talk about loneliness but they don't try enough to make friends. Some people in Vancouver see their therapist more than their friends and family.

It also feels like a lot of people in Vancouver are under constant pressure to “make it” financially, even if it means working 60+ hours a week just to afford a tiny apartment. Social life and relationships often end up becoming secondary. There also seems to be a strong culture of image and independence here. Even living with your parents to save money, which is completely normal in many cultures and cities, can get you unnecessary opinions and judgment.

Dating also feels affected by this. Both men and women complain about modern dating, but both sides contribute to the problem. Everything revolves around apps now, fewer people approach each other naturally in person, and it often feels transactional instead of genuine. It's also hard to know what the other person wants in this city because everyone makes it sound like they got their life together and finding a partner is a secondary need... then why are we on a date, just get a pet.

I honestly think people in Vancouver need to become more intentional socially. Invite people out even if you’ve only met them a few times. Stop treating friendships like calendar meetings that need 3 weeks of planning. Be more open to spontaneous hangouts. A lot of people here seem lonely, but also unintentionally contribute to the same social walls they complain about.

What do you guys think, am I being reasonable and do you feel the same way?

I work in tech with 8 years of experience. In the last 5 years, I’ve been through 3 mass layoffs, all happened the same day, no warning despite performing well and having great relationships with the managers and coworkers.

That pretty much killed the idea of “job security” for me. I also wanted to get property in Canada but that will never happen even if I make 100K, and my fam got no wealth or property to pass.

Last year I was job hunting for 5 months and ended up with 2 offers at the same time: $95K CAD, Canadian company, full-time office. OR $45K, Singaporean company, fully remote, flexible hours and work from anywhere in the world.

I took the $45K role. Best decision ever. And I asked them to classify me as an independent contractor (paid WAY less taxes + more flexibility).

I’ve spent the last year living around Southeast Asia. My cost of living dropped, my stress went way down, and I built more real friendships in 1 year than I did in the previous 10 in Canada. Most of my friends in Canada make way more than me but they seem to work 50-60 hours/week to afford living in expensive cities like Toronto or Vancouver.. is that really living? $45K is low in Canada, but it goes a long way in many SEA cities. I’ve been living comfortably in nice apartments and still saving.

It made me realize that salary and “stability” aren’t always worth prioritizing especially if you don’t have long-term responsibilities yet like kids or mortgages.

I get that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It takes adaptability and discipline. And yeah, I do get judged sometimes, but I’m genuinely happy with my choice. My fam also didn't support it at the beginning because they want me to settle and get married but they are proud of me now and I get to travel them to different cities whenever I can.

Anyone else thinking of making a similar move?