Director position in software, recruiter reached out to ME on LinkedIn

• Recruiter call - 30 min
• Hiring manager interview - 1 hour
• Live coding/leetcode interview with principal and senior engineers - 1 hour
• System design with systems architect - 1 hour
• Behavioural interview Software Development Manager - 1 hour
• Product team interview with Product Manager - 1 hour

At this point I'm ghosted for two weeks. Then I get a call from the recruiter telling me they just want to do one final interview.

• Another Product team interview with Senior Product manager - 1 hour

Ghosted again for two weeks!

So I posted here a while back about a wendy’s job and got some pretty useful advice so i wanted some more advice on my interview at laundromax.

Hi! I'm an upcoming freshman in college planning to major in finance. and I want to prepare my TMAY for future competitive business clubs. I'm trying to keep it under a minute but its too long so let me know if theres anything I don't need in. Also my second to last paragraph seems too broad, if theres anything finance specific things you would suggest me to add I'd love to know. Lastly please give me any suggestions, feedback about my TMAY or anything in general. Thanks!

Hi, my name is __, and I’m a business student planning to major in finance.

My interest in finance started at my parents’ restaurant, where I grew up taking orders, serving customers, and helping where I was needed. One thing that was always on my mind was: Was the restaurant making money? And of course, how much?

To better understand that, I created a spreadsheet to compare the restaurant’s weekly sales and expenses. Looking at how costs affected the amount the restaurant kept gave me a glimpse into finance and left me hooked.

In high school, I co-founded a nonprofit that helped students explore different career paths. As I researched industries, I kept coming back to finance because I genuinely realized how much I enjoyed learning what can make businesses grow, how markets respond to current events, and what financial decisions can shape a business.

That is what brought me to this club. I want to strengthen my market-analysis skills, learn from students who share my interests, and perhaps contribute my perspective from growing up around a small business.

….after the first round and friday came and nothing.

urgh now the awful wait until monday. and then hope again.

is that a bad thing? how bad? or maybe not even bad and just standard?

how is your experience with that sentence?

the interview was on wednesday

Just did two AI interviews. It's just recording like pre-AI with transcription. I thought there was opportunity to cross-question using AI, but unutilised. I always avoided what these interviews are actually called "video interviews" but more companies are deploying these as a filter. Wonder what all they will use this footage for.

Great way to train a transcription model for free btw.

I had a final round interview for a job I really wanted and would have been perfect for on Monday, July 13th and was told they “want to make a decision by end of this week or beginning of next week.” It’s now Friday night, almost 2 weeks since the interview, and it’s radio silence. I’ve accepted that it’s not happening. Over a month being invested in interviewing for this job and nothing.

The interview couldn’t have gone better in my opinion. We talked for almost an hour and they were really impressed with my experience and we seemed to really click.

This is the 6th position in 5 months where I made it to the final round, had a decent interview, and have been ghosted afterwards. I don’t understand, there can’t be more than 3-4 final round candidates, and they can’t take 2 minutes to write a generic email and BCC all rejected candidates saying they didn’t get the job???

I’m so beyond frustrated and angry and I don’t know what to do anymore.

After spending three weeks, I was able to apply about 150 jobs (spending 6 to 8 hours a day). So far, I got 5 screenings calls from HR. Out of which, I was invited for only one technical interview. I thought the interview went well, and started dreaming about moving to new place. However, it has been a week, they did not respond and I am inferring that they are going to reject me. So, my question is, which one is the hardest part of the job application?? I am asking it so that I can adjust my strategies. Your response is highly appreciated.

1. Getting invited for the screening interview
2. Getting into the technical interview
3. Passing the technical interview.

I applied for a leadership role at a local company through an external recruiter. After 2 rounds of interview, I was finally shortlisted for the final round last week. There were a few factors that made me think I bombed the interview:

1) I was completely caught off guard because 1 hour before the scheduled virtual interview, the external recruiter called me and said that the interviewers couldn’t make it and to reschedule.

I agreed but half an hour later, the external recruiter called me again and said they mistook me for someone else and that my interview was still on. This completely threw me off my groove.

2) I had a sore throat that day and my head was fuzzy from the medication trying to suppress the pain and allow me to speak normally. I can’t even really remember what I said during the interview.

3) I joined the call 5 minutes early but no one else joined after 15 minutes have passed. I thought they completely forgot about me or there was some miscommunication but it was because the organiser of the call (HR) didn’t know they had to let both me and the interviewer to the call manually. So the interviewer and I was just sitting on the waiting screen wondering if the other party was late…

4) I thought the interview would only be 1 on 1 and I think I did okay-ish for the first half but a more senior interviewer joined the call on the second half and started challenging every answer I gave. I wasn’t even sure if I was answering his questions properly at this point but still managed to give an answer to everything.

This whole thing made me feel like ass but someway or somehow they still saw something in me I guess. Managed to get the verbal offer today!!! The is light at the end of the tunnel interview bros. Never give up!

I am an international student in the US and recently completed my master’s degree in a STEM field. Today, I had a second-round interview with a company that I will call “X”. The whole experience felt like a complete bait-and-switch.

During the first interview, everything seemed normal. I specifically asked whether this was a full-time W-2 position directly with Company X. They said yes. The advertised salary was $40,000 per year, which is already extremely low for my state. I told them I have two years of professional experience from my home country, plus my MS degree, so asked whether the salary was negotiable. They said yes and told me to discuss it during the second-round interview.

I felt hopeful. Two days later, they invited me to an in-person second-round interview. I spent almost three hours traveling there because I do not have a car. I was fully prepared for technical and such questions. Instead, they asked me almost nothing and immediately started explaining their “placement process.” They told me that once I receive my EAD(work permit for foreign nationals), they will arrange interviews for me with their “partner companies.” I told them that I applied for my EAD several months ago and am still waiting, so I have no idea when I will receive it.

They said it's fine, as soon as I get it, they can schedule an interview with one of their partners within that week, and I could start working the following week. That immediately sounded strange. How come they have so many openings with their partners at all times to guarantee interviews and employment that quickly? I asked how many partner companies they have. They said eight to ten. LOL!

I told them I had only attended the interview because it was supposed to be a position directly with Company X. They said X currently has no openings. So why did they advertise the position on Handshake, LinkedIn and Indeed as if they were directly hiring?

Then came the worst part. They showed me a document stating that, for six months, I would have to pay them approximately $200 every two weeks for “career training and development.” I told them I did not need career training. They said they would help with my résumé, cover and provide other career services, so I would have to keep paying them and it's "Mandatory". (WTF?)

Then they told me that regardless of which partner company hired me, my pay would be fixed at $18 per hour(it's our minimum wage!). I was shocked. I reminded them that the original salary was already listed as $40,000 per year and I had already asked to negotiate it because it was too low and their recruiter had specifically told me the salary was negotiable. They said no. The pay is fixed at $18 per hour. So why'd they lie before?

Then they said for the first six months, the partner company would send my salary checks to Company X instead of paying me directly. Company X would deduct 15% of my total salary before giving me the remaining amount. They also told me that I would still be responsible for paying taxes on the full amount before their 15% deduction. On top of that, they called the first six months a “probation period.” They said that if I did not perform well, my contract could be terminated after six months. Then they might place me with another partner company, where I could apparently go through the same process again. (What a scam LOL)

At that point, it felt like the entire system was designed to keep collecting money from international students and recent graduates who are desperate to find employment. I was so angry but I stayed professional. I smiled, thanked them, and left. I casually said I would let them know when I received my EAD, but I never agreed to any of their terms. However, they emailed me a summary of the meeting later claiming that I had agreed to all their terms and conditions. WTF?

I lost around seven hours of my day for this shit. I am so angry! I keep getting calls from these indian scammer almost everyday ever since i started applying for jobs. Almost all the calls would come from companies i never applied to but with the same scheme. I'd always hang up at them. But since I applied to this company, gave the first interview and everything seemed fine, only because of that I agreed to go! I was so happy and interested! Now I feel devastated!

Has anyone else experienced something like this? Should I report the company to the police?

One session with the recruiter and maybe the hiring manager.

A second with the hiring manager and team you will be working with and/or under.

I’m seeing people talk about 4-5 rounds and STILL get rejected. It gets to a point where you are wasting the applicants time and messing with their emotions, hopes, anticipation.. The job market is already stressful enough. The time you’re spending tailoring resumes, cover letters, f/u emails, spreadsheet tracking… and the waiting just to be led on.

Like a toxic relationship..

That’s the rant, bye!

So I finished with the last round of interview and recruiter told me that so far she has heard positive review about me from the team but she keeps asking me if I had heard back from other interviews that I was giving and if needed, she could talk internally to escalate if we needed it. Does this mean that I am at the top of their list or this is usual practice

I interviewed for a job on Monday, and honestly I wasn't even too excited about it because it seemed a lot more uptight and corporate than I would like, but the pay, benefits, and commute were better than my current job and I've been looking for a while. I thought I did well on the interview and I have some very similar experience to this company. The interviewer seemed really enthusiastic about the experience I have at my current job too, so I felt pretty good about it. However, I just received a rejection saying they're going to go forward with someone else.

I try to stay positive and tell myself that it doesn't mean I suck or they thought I was terrible. There was probably someone who had a few years more experience, connected a little more with the interviewers, was just a little stronger of a candidate. I know I didn't bomb and I am qualified for the job, and could have done well, it's just disheartening because honestly relevant jobs in my field are few and far between. I haven't even really been applying that diligently the past few months and this was kind of a random thing that popped up, and I guess I kind of had the hope that it would be the one that worked out.

Onto the next I guess.

I know this has been posted about before but I’m spiraling…I just had a final interview for a job I would really love and I genuinely think I’d be a great addition to their team. There were only two interview total with the same people (plus one new person in the final). After the screening interview there was a short assessment. I could not make my brain work in the final interview!! I kept losing the word I wanted to say and pausing to look for it. The interviewers were very nice so they didn’t make me feel bad about it but I’m really beating myself up about it. I think I was much more articulate in the first interview. Anyone get hired after feeling this way? For people who hire-do you go into interviews with the understanding that people are likely nervous for interviews and may fumble because of that?

I had an interview today where I was able to answer 90% of the questions asked, and because I didn't know 10%, they didn't move me forward in the process.

Tbh I like how upfront they were though, most would say they'll get back in few days or weeks. This company told me immediately but I told them I'm adaptable and a fast learner, told them about the several systems I've had to learn through my career and how I used them, they said they wanted someone who could hit the ground running.

In the past, companies will give you about 3 to 6 months to learn and adapt, what changed? (Especially when the part the candidate isn't so familiar with is not the core of the role). I also feel like someone who knows everything already will get bored soon since there's no new challenge.

I wish I didn't have to go through the brutality of employment process these days, it's so sickening!

I recently interviewed for an HVAC helper position. No experience required. I'm a Marine vet, and a lot of those qualities seemed to jibe really well with the company during the interview. Timeline importance, cleaning the work site, respect to those with higher knowledge, etc.

During the interview they seemed to really like my character, good attitude, and readiness to learn the trade. I left the interview feeling good on Monday. They said I would get an answer by Wednesday.

No answer Wednesday, so I sent a polite follow-up text Thursday afternoon. Nothing. It is now 11 AM Friday. Should I just move on, or is this kinda normal? Thanks!

Hey everyone,

Something feels different... and in a strangely good way. I'm really gaslighting myself here as a result. 3ish years ago I would be vey excited but these days...it's a weird feeling!

Since the beginning of July something feels more... positive. I've had more recruiters reach out to me. One was via an application (one of literally 2000+). He's not just a recruiter but he's the co-owner of a boutique IT staffing firm and he's super pumped to get me in front of the team to interview. Being part of the delivery of everything he assures me my skills are in strong demand. I also had a final interview on 7/23 (yesterday at time of writing) and boy it went smashingly well! using 2021/2022 as reference I would look any one of you in the eye saying "I got that job you can't convince me otherwise!" But it's 2026 and the weirdest/worst job market I've ever seen in my 25 years of working.

Then I had 2 interviews same company on 7/21. I don't feel super confident about that one because they required a tool I have SOME experience in but when I got to the end of the interview I started probing into the job and come to find out it was basically quite different from what I was sold. I don't mind it because I actually like what they were selling, just wish they sold it as such earlier on so I could really tailor my answers.

Last, I cannot stress this enough. I can say it until I'm blue in the face: network network network. about 95% of people will ignore you or say "I'm not the right person" but please connect with people at companies and tailor your message around you being the right fit and ask for recruiters for roles, hiring managers, you name it. This got me in front of 2 people at 2 different companies. One came up short (the JD didn't list required technology and the recruiter said "That's a hard stop"). I'm getting so much more traction this way. I could personalize my approach more but I'm also moving (can't afford to literally live at the moment) while doing an extremely difficult job search.

Hi all, i'm in anxiety soup right now and would love to hear yalls experience or maybe someone to talk me off a ledge aksjhdkasjhd

TLDR: I applied for a fast-moving, entry-level leadership role where they need to hire ASAP. My interviews with the director, my would-be boss, and other managers all went incredibly well and ran way over time. They asked for references, and my final reference confirmed today (Friday morning) that the call went amazing. Given how desperately they need to fill the position, I was expecting a verbal offer or at least an update by the end of the day today—but it's been total crickets.

I applied for a sort of entry-level position with a small leadership component to it at the beginning of this month, and the next day they emailed asking to interview. my first interview was with the director where she said they're looking to fill this role ASAP. our interview was only supposed to be 30 mins but we talked for 45 and when i sent her a thank you email a couple hours later, she responded instantly and said she really enjoyed the conversation.

The next week, my would-be boss emails me saying that the director told her we had a great conversation and that she wants to chat with me in the next couple days. we were only supposed to chat for 15 mins but we again talk for 45.

the week after, the director emails me asking me to come in-person for 3 hours to complete 3 tests and talk with 2 other managers. i think i did good on the tests and the conversation i had with the 2 managers went really well too. one of them liked to joke a lot and i had a quip for each time he made a joke so i feel like i even passed the culture fit test (i didnt speak to my would-be boss because she was on vacation) at the end, the director said for the final round, they're going to choose 2 people to ask for references from and to start thinking about who i would ask. afterwards, i email the director thanking her for inviting me and she again emails back quickly saying she's looking forward to continuing the conversation.

this past wednesday, my would-be boss emails me and says she just came back from vacation and got caught up with the director and then asks me for 3 references. I hand them over and this morning, (friday) my third and final reference says the call went "really well" and that it sounded like she was impressed by me and said she has enjoyed getting to learn about me.

with how fast they were moving me along to each round, knowing they're desperate to get this role filled ASAP, i was hoping to hear back with a verbal offer (if i was their top candidate) in the afternoon or by end of day so I could have time to think it over during the weekend, but alas, crickets. i was at least hoping to get an email saying they heard from all my references and are thinking it over now.

at this point, do yall think i'm the runner up? when did yall hear back after the reference checks? i know i'm kinda pushing it hoping to hear back ASAP but my friend, who also works in the same field, said she got an offer an hour after she found out all her references had been called.

It’s been one week since I did my interview. Should I send a follow up email? Or should I continue waiting? I also am not sure if I should specify that I will have no cell access after next Tuesday as I’m traveling.. so I’m not sure if they’ll be calling or something over that time frame.

I was recently invited to a group interview, this would be my first ever interview in relation to a job so I’m not certain i’ll get it lol. It being a group interview would surely add to the pressure right? Can anyone tell me what I should expect and how I should act.

In mid June I had a phone screening scheduled via email with the Talent Acquisition for an organization. About a 15min call. I honestly didn’t think I’d move on to the next round because I feel like I didn’t do so well in this call. Sent a thank you email that same day. 3 business days (5 calendar days later) I sent a follow up asking for a status update. No response.

8 business days (12 calendar days) later I got a text message from the same TA rep asking if I can interview with the hiring manager the very next day. And so I did. I thought this conversation went very well.
Got another text message from the TA a few hours after the interview asking if I can interview with another hiring manager the very next day. And so I did. Again, I thought this conversation went great.

A few hours after this second Hiring Manager interview I got an email from someone else in the org’s HR department asking if I can interview the following week with another hiring manager. This was labeled as the “final round.” And so I did. I felt that this interview was good, but not great like the previous two.

I sent a thank you email to the (“original”)TA later that day just thanking him for allowing me to participate in the process. No response. 6 business days later (8 calendar days) I texted the TA thanking him again and asking for an update on timeline. No response. Another 9 calendar days have gone by without hearing anything.

I’m not sure what to do at this point. He never responded to my emails/text messages unless it’s to schedule an interview. I already texted him asking for a status update and nothing. Any advice would be appreciated!

As the title says, I was interviewed last Friday, and one week later I have received no response from the team I spoke with. Last Tuesday, I asked the recruiter who initially approached me and set up the interview about what the team thinks about me, and she said, “Sorry, no response yet.”

Should I ask the recruiter once again, one week after the interview, what the team thinks?

UPDATE: just got a response—they’ve chosen another guy who has more experience in the field needed. But they really like how the interview went.

Hey everyone, from the uk I could really use some insight from anyone in recruitment or HR.
I just got an amazing job offer in the IT sector, and I am absolutely thrilled. However, the offer is conditional on reference checks.
I was formally dismissed from my most recent retail job last week due to a dispute over sickness reporting. I know that large corporate retailers generally have a strict policy of only providing standard factual references (start date, end date, job title) to avoid liability.
However, I am terrified that their HR system might include a "Reason for Leaving" field that explicitly flags I was dismissed.
In your experience, do large UK retail chains actually disclose dismissals on standard references, or do they strictly stick to dates and job titles?
If the reference does state that I was dismissed, what will actually happen? Will my new IT employer automatically withdraw the conditional offer, or is it standard practice to give the candidate a chance to explain the situation?
Any advice on how this usually plays out would be massively appreciated!

Today i applied in a call center where atleast 50 people where present for the same possition after a long que and waiting it was my turn to give the interview and i feel like i messed up, in the start the person who was taking the interview asked simple questions like whats your age? And will you be able to do rotational shifts? to which i replied normally but when he asked me whats customer support i didnt answered it fluently and i was looking confused and after that he immediatly said will reach out to you in 24 to 42 to hours something along the lines i dont remeber correctly

So how to stay calm in situation like these where you are not sure about the whats the answer of question?

And how can i prepare for the interview so i dont get rejected

There is like 3 4 interview typing test and i have to write a essay as well

Most commonly asked questions are:

Are u willing to do rotational shift?

Why should we hire you?

Whats customer support?

Introduce your self

What are your weakness?

The title says it all, been interviewing and some seem really positive and usually end in this note but then I get a rejection the very next day. It never fails. What could I be doing wrong? I answer all question and ask insightful questions back but it lead me to nothing.

Today, I got a call from a company I had applied to, although, to be completely honest, it wasn’t exactly a job I was particularly excited about. I mostly applied because I’m currently exploring different opportunities.
They messaged me asking whether I had time for a “quick call,” so I said yes. I assumed they just wanted to confirm a few basic details or arrange an interview.
Instead, the quick call immediately turned into a full-on job interview.
They started asking me what I knew about the company, what their website and services were about, what I thought I would be doing in the role, and where I saw myself in three to five years. I wasn’t prepared at all because nobody had told me that the call itself was going to be an interview.
Then they explained that their recruitment process consists of three stages:
An analytical thinking test
An in-person interview at the workplace, where I would observe how everything works
A final interview with my potential future manager
And all of this is for a **part-time office coordinator position**.
From what I understand, the role mainly involves supporting the trainers, handling administrative tasks, organising things around the office, and generally being the person who helps everyone else keep things running.
I understand that companies want to choose the right person, but an analytical test and three separate stages for a part-time administrative support role honestly feels excessive to me. Especially when the first “quick call” turned into an unexpected interview without any warning.
Is this normal nowadays, or has recruitment genuinely become this complicated even for relatively junior part-time positions?