# Nine hours. Three rounds. One invoice.

**[TRUE STORY]** — by Marketing professional via r/recruitinghell

A Marketing Brand Manager candidate completed three interview rounds then received a six-page take-home assignment. Nine hours later, the work was submitted. Days later, a rejection email arrived. The candidate sent the company an invoice for $900, billed at $100 an hour. The company refused to pay, insisting the project was an evaluation tool and not used for business operations. Reddit awarded the post 8,200 upvotes.

*Source: [r/recruitinghell · 8.2k upvotes](https://scoop.upworthy.com/rejected-candidate-demands-to-be-paid-for-interview-project-fp)*
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