I was invited to an interview quickly after applying. The first stage was a chat with an internal recruiter—though she mentioned it wasn’t officially part of the interview process, which I found a bit odd. The conversation was fine; she asked about my experience and why I was interested in Gearset. However, it turns out that they have a lengthy 3 stage interview process: 1. An interview with two UX designers to present my portfolio 2. A live DESIGN TASK, along with a PRESENTATION about the company 3. A values-based interview to assess cultural fit I wish this process had been clearly outlined in the job posting. Had I known about the spec work design task and presentation, I wouldn’t have applied. I politely declined at that stage, ending the process. Candidates shouldn’t be asked to complete unpaid design work or spend time preparing a presentation about the company—that’s information the company should be providing to candidates, not the other way around. Overall, a disappointing experience due to the lack of transparency and unreasonable expectations placed on candidates.