'm not going to get too specific, but what happened is I'm an artist trying to get an artist job. My friend works for an artist who is looking for new employees, and she got me an interview. For reference, she has been working there for less than two weeks, and was just trying to help me out. I came in yesterday, expecting an interview, but instead was put on a painting test. I painted it for two hours yesterday unpaid, without even meeting my employer.
Since it is a test painting, they do not have any use for it and wont be using my work for any profit. At the end of the day I finally met my employer, and he said he would look at my portfolio the next day. (Today.)
I came in today and just worked on my dumb paint test for an hour before my potential employer showed up, and then finally showed him my portfolio, hoping that I would find out whether or not I was hired. He complimented my portfolio and told me to keep working on the paint test, except for two hours I was out running errands for the company with my friend who works there.
My employer was not there when I got back, but his next in command was there, and so I asked him if I was going to be hired, and he told me that they would contact me to have an unpaid week trial to see if they wanted to hire me. A little red flag went off in my head when he said this, so I looked up the laws in the US, and read that unpaid work trials are illegal if they are longer than a shift, which I have now exceeded. There are two other new people who are doing a free trial week who have been working on actual paintings and projects for the company. This job would be life changing, but I do not want to waste a week of my life for just a chance at this job. What do I do?