I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Montel, which initially seemed like a promising experience. The interviewer was courteous, and a lot of questions were focused on potential improvements to their websites. I was also tasked with generating concrete ideas for enhancing their web presence and writing an article for potential publication. Eager to join the team (the position was exactly what I was looking for), I completed the assignment, though I'm not sure about how well I completed the task compared to other candidates.
After quite a short time, I received a notification informing me that Montel had chosen to proceed with other candidates whose qualifications more closely matched the role's specific requirements. Given the high volume of applicants visible on the job's LinkedIn page, I assumed they found someone with the desired experience after they ceased accepting further applications. But then I noticed the same position was reopened and attracted a substantial number of applicants once again, a cycle that repeated after the second listing also stopped accepting applications. Today I saw the same position was published by them a week ago again, and it also gathered quite a good number of candidates.
While I can't make definitive claims about Montel's intentions, the pattern of reopening the position and the nature of the tasks assigned during the interview process suggest a possible interest in utilizing candidates' expertise to optimize their website and generate content without compensation. This speculation arises from the observed sequence of events, and it's just my suspision.