The process lasted around five weeks from the first interview to the second. The first stage was a relaxed conversation with the Communications and Business Development Lead. The second stage, held in person, included a short writing task where I was asked to prepare a press release, followed by another interview with the senior leads.
Everyone I met throughout the process was genuinely lovely, and the HR team were responsive whenever I had questions or followed up. I chose to check in a week after the interview, and they were courteous in their replies.
Unfortunately, I waited two long weeks to receive a rejection, which was disappointing but understandable given my limited architectural experience and lack of architectural communications experience. What I found disheartening was the impersonal nature of the feedback: it arrived through the job portal rather than via HR, and the message felt like a copy-and-paste template “After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward with your application at this time, as we feel your experience does not fully align with the requirements of this role.”
This felt odd, considering my experience, though limited, was evidently strong enough to progress to the final interview stage. After investing so much time and energy into the process, a small, thoughtful, tailored sentence would have made a big difference. I would really encourage HR to personalise final-stage rejections, as this part of the experience made me feel quite subhuman.
Aside from that, the process was generally positive, and I appreciate that large firms handle a high volume of applications. Still, improving this last touchpoint would really enhance the candidate experience.
