What is not reasonable to do to land a job

I recently saw a job posting for a PR manager position which by all accounts was very basic in what it wanted and was from a rather unexceptional organization. With the help of a good PR person, they might become a decent player in a small, niche organization. What made my blood boil with this company is they wanted candidates who apply to develop a PR plan, including a press release for their upcoming product launch.

Well I have to say this is a sad example of our current economic times and really says how sad this organization is for taking advantage of market conditions to try and score some free PR help. I know a number of extremely talented public relations people, some of whom are looking for work, they all agreed unanimously that they would never submit to conditions such as this without being compensated for it. It is simply unreasonable to expect someone to do something they would normally be rightfully compensated for. Does anyone believe this company would give their software to you so you can test it for an indefinite period of time? Of course not!

We all know that times are tough and that there are probably 5 qualified candidates for each position that is available. Still, we need to be able to maintain our professional quality and temperament. If we compromise on it, we run the risk of diluting our talent and appearing to our new employer as the type of person who will do anything to keep their job and can be bullied about. It's not easy to maintain ones dignity and pride when bills are piling up. Pride does not pay the bills as we all know.

But we must also be aware that we are our own brand. If we slash rates and let it be known that we are able to be pushed around and willing to compromise on our standards then any chance of being seen as a valuable employee are virtually gone. Quite honestly, we will be seen as someone who is expendable from the word go since we rolled over so easily to get a job.

Let me be clear I am not advocating being combative or disagreeable. I believe it is perfectly reasonable for employers to ask for, and receive, references, writing samples and other examples of your success. What is not reasonable is for professionals to be asked to give away what is essentially our product or service to an organization so that we can "prove" our viability. That is nothing but an end run around hiring someone to fill the job as they will now have the blueprint to do the job themselves. My argument is fight on and keep the faith!