That was my thought, too. You can always build a portfolio piece, or construct a case study by having a side project (a good example is Ryan Stewart with LacesOut.com).

Hopefully there is a contract in place for this project. See what your lawyer says. There probably isn't a family emergency, he's just broke.

Thanks for verbalizing this. There are a slew of talented developers in the Valley, all of whom can do the technical work. The paid audition is a chance for both the hiring company and the candidate to make sure their values are aligned.

The sports analogy is partially correct, but college prospects in all the major sports have to go to the talent recruiters before they are signed. (NBA tryouts, NFL Combine, etc.)

The process of applying for a new job while you still have a current job will take time, no matter what the process looks like. The hiring company will want a series of interviews, and either a whiteboard, pair program, or code audition. A small project would perhaps take a little more time than these other methods, but should not take take that much longer, provided the hiring company has put some thought into what small projects they are giving to you to audition. If they pay you for your time, that is also respectful.

If you are happy with your current job, then there is no need to apply to a different job, so this scenario would never come up for you.

What if the hiring company culled the list down to a set number of candidates and gave them all paid contract work, on something they needed done anyway, as an audition?

This gives both the applicant and the company a chance to see how working together might go. The company gets something on their to-do list done, and the candidate gets paid for their time.

The advice so far is very sound; I will add this as well. In the future, work with a contract, and never work without one again. This first thing to do in future projects is define the scope and make sure that both you and the client are in agreeance on what will be delivered and when for how much.

For this project, the blame is entirely on yourself. That is not meant to be harsh. No contract, you were not clear on what you were doing but took the job and did not set expectations correctly. This is a learning experience - communicate where you are with the project to the client on a regular basis from now on.

Giving vague feedback to disqualified candidates may be necessary to cover lawsuits against the hiring company, but does nothing to make the would-be candidates grow or improve.

> I don't do it because I want money, success, or fame. I do it because I deeply want to make a meaningful impact on the world. > I don't want to stop working.

Rick, you need to be really careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.