Dental clinic tries to sneak in an 'unpaid trial shift' during interview — the candidate's exit left them speechless

A lot of interviewees are distressed with the number of employers and companies taking advantage of their skills under the pretense of an interview. A user who goes by u/spline_ocarina9k revealed in a post on February 8, how they applied for a position in a dental clinic. Before the interviewer could ask questions, she informed the candidate that if she liked the responses, they would be asked to come into the clinic for a trial shift. When they learned the shift would be unpaid, they immediately refused to go ahead with the interview.

The applicant first noted how the clinic already showed a lack of interest and responsibility by not showing up to the online interview for the first 10 minutes. It was only after they called that the woman joined and said, “Okay, I have about 15 questions, and if I like your answers, you can come in for a trial work day.” Without skipping a beat, the interviewee asked whether they would be paid for their work and time throughout the day. She clarified that it was an unpaid shift, to which they had the perfect response: “Okay, then I'm going to stop you right there. Thank you for your time, but I am no longer interested. Good luck with your selection,” they promptly said and left the interview.

The candidate went on to express their frustration with how low the job market has stooped. “It really annoys me that the job market has driven people to such a level of desperation that I'm sure someone will agree to this.” They revealed that they had done trial days before, but they were always paid for, honoring and respecting the effort put in by the applicant. “But to ask for free labor? Absolutely not,” they remarked. They concluded by saying that the process of job searching has become “discouraging.” According to the Center for American Progress, the unemployment rate increased to 4.4% in September 2025.

Fortune revealed that layoffs have also been at an all-time high this year. Lacey Kaelani, CEO of job-search engine Metaintro, noted, “It’s no longer ‘more education equals a better job.'” Data from CNBC revealed that out of 2 million young people who graduated in 2025, only 30% have found a job. Forbes shared data from a LinkedIn poll with upsetting statistics. Out of 150 respondents, 85% noted that they were asked to do unpaid work as part of an interview. This included a time effort of anywhere between two and six hours.

Though the market is competitive and there are a reduced number of new jobs, it doesn’t give employers the freedom to exploit job seekers who are desperate to find something concrete. Even though this candidate’s prompt response may have seemed unprofessional, from the eyes of a frustrated and exhausted job seeker, it was a much-needed response. u/KeepingBalance wrote, “A whole shift ? I can see an hour to see if you like the vibe. Sorta like a working interview. But the whole shift is crazy.”

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