It was a total mess and seesaw of emotions. I applied to Noble Desktop in December 2013. As part of the process, I put together a complete marketing analysis of their advertising (specifically email and social), as well as drafted a strategic brief and plan for growth via marketing partnerships with publishers and organizations. To say it was thorough would be an understatement.
I went back and forth with the CEO for months on the position. We discussing the possibility of me working full-time, then the possibility of free-lance, then the possibility of consulting after they hired someone "green and inexpensive." For the amount of work that I put in, I would have normally asked for compensation. Ultimately I stopped communicating with the CEO as I could tell it was going nowhere, as he kept mentioning how little money he had for a salary and marketing.
Were I asked to recommend any changes to their process, I would suggest that anyone willing to take part in their skills test to request an NDA for any work submitted, just to protect your IP. It's not fair to be asked to contribute a tangible and executable campaign without fair compensation. The company doesn't truly understand that marketing isn't free and desperately needs better leadership.
