In today's fast-paced and competitive world, it is common for individuals to seek advice and guidance from experts in various fields. Many people, including entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals, often seek advice from knowledgeable individuals to help them make important decisions or to solve complex problems. While some individuals may be willing to pay for this advice, others may expect to receive it for free. Unfortunately, there are times when people will ask for your advice but never pay you in the long run, which can be frustrating and disheartening. They then “ ghost” you after you ask how you will be compensated. This happened the past years after 10 months of interviews with major govt space agency ( as an example) and other companies that I will never recommend to anyone. They are just checking HR boxes and wasting your valuable time when you have bills to pay and family to take care of. It’s the worst type of rudeness when stop your progress.

Another example a Colorado space company interview for almost 4 months, make you do so many interviews , then Say No and it’s obvious they have no clue what they are doing , then offer you an “ advisor” role, then ghost you. Time wasted and bills not paid.

Your time has no value to them and it’s not how you treat people with experience.

This is not every company of course but usually ones run by govt or ones that don’t have a human component factor in place.

When someone asks for your advice, it can be tempting to offer your expertise for free, especially if you want to help them. However, it is important to recognize the value of your time and expertise. If you are a consultant or a professional in a specific field, your time and expertise are your most valuable assets, and you should be compensated for them. It is essential to set clear expectations from the beginning and let the person know that you expect to be compensated for your time and expertise.

There are also companies and individuals who can waste an individual's time and resources with noncompensated meetings. While it may be tempting to attend these meetings in the hopes of securing future business, it is important to recognize the opportunity cost of attending these meetings. Your time is valuable, and every hour spent in an unpaid meeting is an hour you could have spent working on other projects or finding new clients. It is important to weigh the potential benefits of attending these meetings against the opportunity cost of your time and resources.

Another issue that individuals may face when offering advice for free is that the person seeking the advice may not take it seriously or may not value it. When someone pays for a service, they are more likely to take it seriously and act on the advice given. On the other hand, if someone receives advice for free, they may not see it as valuable, and they may not be as committed to following through on it.

While it may be tempting to offer your expertise for free, it is essential to recognize the value of your time and expertise. It is important to set clear expectations from the beginning and let the person know that you expect to be compensated for your time and expertise. Furthermore, it is important to weigh the potential benefits of attending unpaid meetings against the opportunity cost of your time and resources. By recognizing the value of your time and expertise, you can avoid wasting time on non-compensated meetings and ensure that the advice you give is taken seriously and acted upon.

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, it's becoming more and more common for companies and recruiters to expect job candidates to give their time and information for free. From lengthy application processes to unpaid skills assessments and multiple rounds of interviews, job seekers are often expected to invest significant amounts of time and energy into the hiring process without any compensation or guarantee of employment. At a higher level they ask your advice and take your info and sometimes Rolodex to benefit themselves but then leave you in the cold.

While it's understandable that companies want to ensure they're hiring the best possible candidates for their open positions, the expectation that candidates will give their time and expertise for free is problematic for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it's disrespectful. Job seekers are professionals with valuable skills and experience, and their time and expertise should be compensated accordingly. Asking them to invest hours of their time into an application process or series of interviews without any compensation or acknowledgement of the value of their contributions sends the message that their time and expertise aren't valued.

Furthermore, the expectation that candidates will give their time and information for free perpetuates a power imbalance in the hiring process. Companies hold all the cards when it comes to hiring decisions, and candidates are often left feeling like they have no choice but to comply with the demands of the hiring process in order to be considered for the position. This puts candidates in a vulnerable position and can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and even desperation.

Another issue with this expectation is that it can be financially burdensome for job seekers. In some cases, candidates may be asked to travel for interviews or complete assessments that require them to purchase expensive software or materials. These costs can add up quickly, especially for job seekers who are already struggling to make ends meet.

So what can be done to address this problem? One solution is for companies to be more transparent and upfront about their hiring processes. Some companies have to check boxes and use candidates to hit quotas and “ have people for bosses to interview “ even if they know they won’t be hired. If companies are going to ask candidates to invest significant amounts of time and effort into the hiring process, they should be clear about what that process entails and what the timeline for hiring looks like. Additionally, companies should be willing to compensate candidates for their time and expertise, whether that's through paid assessments, reimbursement for travel expenses, or other forms of compensation.

Ultimately, the expectation that job candidates will give their time and information for free is disrespectful and unfair. Companies need to recognize the value that candidates bring to the hiring process and treat them accordingly. By doing so, they can create a more positive and equitable hiring process for everyone involved.