Turning the Other Cheek Doesn't Mean Being a Doormat

I work full-time. Recently, a recruiter reached out to ask whether I was in the job market. She shared a job spec, and I thought, why not see what’s out there? You never know if that door might be the one God wants to open — but you can’t walk through it if you’re not even willing to knock.

I looked at the spec and saw that my skills were a great fit. I sent my CV, and afterward, I was asked to send a portfolio — something I hadn’t been asked for before, so I created one from scratch. This alone took about 3 hours, because (being in the design field) I wanted it to look excellent.

Then I heard nothing for 2 weeks.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I got a message saying I needed to complete an assessment.

Now, understand, I’m not against assessments. I believe they can be valuable when used at the right time, especially to evaluate skill levels. But this brief landed on a Friday, with a Monday deadline. I said I would look at it over the weekend.

When I finally opened it, I was shocked. It wasn’t a short task; it was a full design project. The brief said it could take up to 6 hours.

Please note: I hadn’t even been for a first interview. I hadn’t spoken to anyone at the company. I had no idea what the salary was, who I’d be reporting to, what the culture was like, nothing. Just a job spec and this huge ask.

Immediately, something in my spirit felt off.

The more I thought about it, the more irritated and unsettled I became. It was completely ridiculous. I sent the recruiter an email (insert summary of your email here), and she responded with something along the lines of: “We don’t expect perfection, we just want to see your process.”

But here’s the thing, I don’t do things halfway. If I say I’ll do something, I do it with excellence. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. If they had taken the time to meet me first, they would know that. And if they can’t take 30 minutes to speak to me before asking for 6 hours of unpaid work, it already tells me what kind of environment I’d be stepping into.

I declined the assessment, despite the recruiter’s persistence.
And I had peace.

I strongly believe that when something is from God, you will have peace that surpasses all understanding, not confusion, not irritation, not chaos. (Philippians 4:7)