There is definitely confusion about the posted role – they were looking for a Graphic Designer, but in reality, they are looking for everything except a Graphic Designer. Based on the questions asked, they expect the hire to be more of a UX/UI or Product Designer, while also carrying responsibilities from adjacent but not directly relevant fields like marketing, motion, and web design. Since I'm that jack-of-all-trades they’re looking for, the interview wasn't difficult for me. However, I applied specifically for the "Graphic Designer" position, so I was disappointed by their lack of understanding of what a Graphic Designer is actually supposed to do.
Things only went wrong after the interview. During it, they asked if I would be okay taking a test assignment. Since I have mostly positive experience with testing tasks, I agreed. However, when the assignment arrived, it turned out to require many hours, while the golden standard for any test assessment in this industry is up to 2 hours maximum. At some point, I realized that this one had a scope of work well beyond reasonable, so I was about to email them back and decline to take part in it. But the challenge had already been accepted, and I'm not used to giving up.
Very soon, it turned out my gut feeling was right, and it was a huge mistake to ignore it. Roughly 20+ hours before the deadline, the recruiter sent a rejection email stating that the role had been filled. And I'd already spent so many hours on this assignment. Zero regard for the candidates' time! Clearly, it's solely my fault for not listening to my intuition, but beware. I can only imagine how they treat their employees if they allow such an inconsiderate and disrespectful attitude toward candidates.