Similar to another review, I made it to the third and final interview for a director position, and was asked to make an annual plan for the department. I was given 3 weeks to complete the project, but a couple of days into it, decided that asking for an annual plan was way too much of a request for someone in the interview process, even though I really wanted the job. The simple truth is that successful plans take weeks, if not months, and open lines of communication on a regular basis from all departments - and companies should know that. And at this point in the process, the only person I had communicated with was HR - not anyone in the actual department I was applying to. I would have been happy to show them previous plans I had created in my other roles, or set up a comprehensive campaign with my recommendations. Perhaps I could have pushed back and asked for a different assignment, but I politely declined to move forward in the process, addressing my concerns in the email. They wished me the best. From start to finish, the entire interview process would have been just under 8 weeks long. Companies - please stop asking candidates to map out your annual plans. It either shows that you do not know how involved it is to create an annual marketing plan, or that you do not value the candidates' time. Candidates - do not spend more than 2-3 hours on any project from interviewers, unless you are being compensated for your time. This is NOT industry standard and is unnacceptable. This job has been reposted at a manager-level position, with the same job description.