From strategy documents to code and design, these submissions often contain valuable so intellectual property. I have experienced this personally so this is how to protect your interview task when you're asked to send in a design, code, strategy or any other work that can be used after the interview process is complete.
Why interview tasks have real value
Anything you create, whether it is a marketing strategy, UX redesign, or technical solution, can be considered intellectual property. According to World Intellectual Property Organization, intellectual property includes original creations that hold commercial value.
This means your interview submission is not just a "test". It is work that could be reused.
The problem with traditional submission
Most candidates submit tasks via:
- Email attachments
- Google Drive links
- Open PDFs
These methods provide:
- No control over access
- No visibility after sending
- No way to revoke access
Once sent, your work is effectively out of your hands.
In my case, I have been asked to map out strategy work that went far beyond a simple skills check. That included a full website tech audit, identifying issues, explaining how I would fix them, and building a presentation around the findings.
How to protect your work
You do not need to be confrontational or refuse tasks. Instead, focus on control and visibility:
- Use view-only environments
- Avoid sending raw editable files
- Set access limits where possible
- Keep a record of what you submitted
A better approach: controlled access
Rather than sending attachments, candidates are starting to use secure viewing links.
With TaskLock, you can:
- Share view-only versions of your work
- Set expiry dates
- Revoke access at any time
- Track when your work is viewed
Conclusion
Interview tasks are not going away, but how you submit them should evolve. Protecting your work is not about distrust, it is about professional control.
Open TaskLock to protect your next submission
How to protect your interview task from being used