I see a lot of good reviews on here on the interview process, and I want to provide mine.
After being laid off from my Software Engineering role, I applied for a Product Manager role with a referral. I was enthusiastic because my friends who work there really enjoy working there and I was eager to pivot into Product Management after receiving a certificate for it.
I met with the recruiter quickly and had my first interview with the hiring manager soon after that, which went really well. However, the process kept getting dragged out. After my initial interview, I was given a take home assessment where I had to create a product and prepare a PowerPoint presentation (for free). I then interviewed with 4 other team members separately in the span of 2.5 months. I spent an incredible amount of time and energy preparing for each interview as well as the free labor, all while navigating unemployment and applying at other places.
I made it to the last round with the SVP but ultimately didn't get the role, which was really disheartening after all that effort. The role was reposted soon after they told me that they picked another candidate.
Another recruiter then put me up for another PM role in their AI department, which was a very exciting opportunity. I referred to another recruiter at that department, who, over the span of another 1.5, never replied to any of my emails. I took a course on AI Product Management in preparation, had one interview with the hiring manager which went really well, then a panel interview with 3 people in that department. I thought it went pretty well, however, I was ghosted for for over a month after. Last week, the recruiter who never replied previously, sent me a rejection email with feedback and told me that I don't have deep technical expertise and ability to write requirements. I was a software engineer for 7 years and at a senior level, and have mentioned that I do have experience writing requirements. Receiving this type of feedback after a total of about 4 months going through their various interview processes felt disrespectful of my skills as well as all of the time and energy I spent all this time.
Overall, I'm extremely upset that at a time where many people like me are unemployed and looking for their next role in order to survive in this economy, they choose to put us through these vigorous interview processes and waste our time. I will no longer be seeking any other opportunities at this company.
