First impressions were promising—the initial contact was warm, professional, and genuinely encouraging. I was invited to complete a skill assessment and approached it seriously. Under the assumption that this was a meaningful step in the process, I invested my own time, effort, and money into materials to produce a detailed painting to their specifications. Considering the level of craftsmanship required, this was not a casual exercise, i spent a good amount of time focused on the work using my high degree of skill. Knowing what I know now, I would strongly caution others before committing to unpaid assessments of this scale without clearer communication or commitment from the company. Yet after submitting the work, the only response I received was an automated message stating: “Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback.” The message, whether intended or not, communicated that the company’s time is valued, while candidates’ time, cost, and effort are not. Overall, the process came across as impersonal and transactional, with little regard for the investment expected from applicants. Unfortunately, this experience left a poor impression of the company’s hiring practices, which did not reflect the level of care or respect one would expect from a brand of this caliber.