SME Careers says not every qualified expert is placed straight away, because placement depends on active projects. So a pass on its interview can still mean a wait with no end date. Apply to a second platform while you wait. From each platform’s own pages, read 13 to 17 October 2026.
Where you are on SME Careers decides what to do next
- Interview under review. SME says grading usually takes one to two business days. Wait for the result before you retake anything.
- Qualified for role. SME’s team now screens you, and it gives no timeline for that step. Apply elsewhere now.
- Onboarded, but no project. Being onboarded does not guarantee work, and many SME postings say there is no immediate project for the role. This is the clearest case for a second platform.
Our SME Careers interview guide explains each step.
Four platforms at a glance
| Platform | How it screens | How it pays |
|---|---|---|
| micro1 | One AI interview of 20 to 40 minutes | Twice a month, in US dollars, through Deel |
| Mercor | Assessments and one AI interview of about 20 minutes | Weekly, on Wednesdays, via Stripe |
| AfterQuery | An interview, then a short skills assessment in your field | Weekly, on Fridays, through Stripe |
| Ethos | One profile reviewed by Ethos, sometimes a short AI voice screen | At the hourly rate each posting states |
None of the four promises a set number of hours. A listed rate tells you what a role pays, not how much work reaches you.
micro1 also pays through Deel
micro1 lists 246 open roles on this site, at $6–400 an hour, with a median advertised ceiling of $90. If you set up Deel for SME, micro1 pays through Deel too.
You apply to a role and sit one interview with micro1’s AI interviewer. micro1 says a recruiter reviews it within about 48 hours, and a hiring manager can take up to 30 days after that. micro1 expects about 15 to 20 hours a week and guarantees none.
Mercor states a rate on each role
Mercor lists 206 open roles here, at $15–300 an hour, with a median advertised ceiling of $85. SME figures are maximums that often vary by country. A Mercor posting states the rate for the role itself.
Mercor screens with a resume, any role assessments and one AI interview of about 20 minutes. It allows three retakes in total, across every application. Our Mercor application guide explains that rule.
AfterQuery tests you in your own field
AfterQuery lists 232 open roles here, at $15–175 an hour. It asks for an interview, live or recorded, and then a short skills assessment in your domain.
The assessment is unpaid, has no retake, and gives no pass or fail notice. AfterQuery pays through Stripe alone. It cannot pay in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Monaco or South Korea.
Ethos suits senior professionals
Ethos lists 846 open roles here, at $70–100 an hour. Most of them describe one AI lab’s project, posted once for each profession. One Ethos profile covers them all.
Ethos reviews your profile and may invite you to a short AI voice screen. Most postings ask for several years at a well-known firm. Our Ethos guide covers its terms.
Keep your SME Careers place while you apply
- Leave your SME applications open. There is nothing to withdraw.
- Pick one platform from the table that suits your background.
- Read that platform’s guide before its interview or assessment.
- Keep a note of which interviews and retakes you have used on each.
Browse every open role, or compare two platforms in detail in Mercor vs SME Careers or micro1 vs SME Careers.
How this site is paid
SME Careers and all four platforms above pay this site a referral fee if you are hired after applying through a link here. Your pay is unaffected. The order above follows how each platform screens, not what it pays this site.
What these platforms do not publish
- How many hours of work a role offers once you are hired.
- How long SME Careers’ screening takes after a pass.
- How many applicants each platform accepts.
- What an average expert earns, as opposed to what a posting lists.
This site is not affiliated with SME Careers, micro1, Mercor, AfterQuery or Ethos, and applying is not a promise of work.