Unprofessional, utilized interview process to gain free consulting work from candidates. Candidates were assigned an interview brief which outlined our strategic vision and actionable plan for accelerating the growth of Cathay Shop. A 20 minute presentation was to be submitted along with deck. Interview was with the General Manager Lifestyle Product, who used the time to fish for as many details as possible. This despite candidates being external to the organization, and having no visibility to sales performance or site metrics. Coincidentally enough, strategies offered in the interview conveniently appeared in a Cathay Lab survey that was sent weeks afterwords, as a means to validate the ideas amongst the wider Cathay community. A google search on the topic of "free consulting" yields the following results, almost all of which were violated by the interview process: Warning Signs of "Free Consulting"Recognize when the process shifts from evaluating your skills to taking advantage of your expertise: Specific Company Problems: They ask you to solve a real, active challenge the business is currently facing instead of a hypothetical scenario. Excessive Take-Home Assignments: They require take-home projects, audits, or presentations that take more than 1–2 hours to complete. Live "Pitch" Presentations: You are asked to present a detailed strategic roadmap, marketing plan, or a specific feature design to a room of stakeholders. Sudden Disinterest: The company goes silent or suddenly stops communicating after you submit your detailed work or present your strategy. Legitimate interviewers care more about your problem-solving process and critical thinking than they do about receiving a perfect, ready-to-implement deliverable.