I have heard nothing but horror stories about working for this company but I needed a job at the time so when I received an email from their recruiter I allowed myself to be open to the opportunity. I initially had a phone interview with their human resources director and then was asked to come in for a formal interview with the recruiter as well as with a very senior member of the design team. At this meeting we went over my portfolios, resume and had a candid conversation about my background/experience and how I might be able to help meet their needs. At the end of the interview I was asked to do a small design project, which in my experience as a designer (over 15 yrs) is not uncommon and so I agreed. We agreed that I would have it completed for them in 2 weeks and we scheduled the second meeting. Escorting me on my way out the recruiter mentioned to me that in the 4 months that they had been interviewing for the position this is only the second time that she had seen them ask someone for a project and to take it as a very good sign. I did and so I worked very hard on that project. When the time came for the second meeting I was very much looking forward to showing them what I could do for them if hired...the voice of the recruiter still echoing in my head, "take it as a very good sign." So, imagine my surprise/disappointment to discover that I would only be meeting with the recruiter and not the person who had assigned me the project. The recruiter looked the project over and then asked if I would be willing to reschedule our meeting and leave the project so that it could be reviewed for the next meeting. I had all sorts of little red flags popping up and screaming at me to just get the hell out but I needed the job and in the spirit of being flexible I said, "Sure". Famous last words. Surprise, surprise, surprise. The following meeting was cancelled. They still had my project so I emailed. The email wasn't returned. They still had the project so I emailed again and again and again and again. Not one email was returned. I finally decided to use legal jargon regarding the work as my intellectual property and my rights regarding the work....lo and behold an almost immediate email response saying that they were trying to locate the work and would get back to me asap. Long story short, they never found my project. Maybe it got legitimately lost, maybe it got thrown in the trash or maybe it got sent off to China to be produced... who knows? I certainly didn't so I did what I thought was right and sent them an invoice. Which 6 months and many emails later they paid. (applause) It doesn't take a brain scientist to figure out that they didn't offer me the position and it doesn't take one to figure out that I would never accept a position from them if it had been offered.