I was recently approached by a recruiter regarding an exciting opportunity, which included a lot of enticing technical details and benefits. I responded promptly, and the interview process began. The first interview was casual and engaging—I enjoyed the conversation with the interviewer, and everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. Shortly afterwards, I was scheduled for a second interview with an engineering leader. However, from the start of the second interview, I noticed a shift in tone. I encountered a dismissive attitude and condescending remarks during my responses. Unfortunately, a few days later, I received an email informing me that they would not be moving forward with my application. I followed up politely, asking for feedback or any insight into their decision, but received no response. To fellow engineers reading this: your skills and experience are valuable. It’s important to find organizations that respect and appreciate your contributions. Regardless of your background, you deserve to be treated with professionalism during the interview process. If you find yourself facing condescending remarks, dismissive behaviour, or a lack of basic courtesy, take your talent to a place where you’re valued. During my interview, the leader mentioned having experience at a FAANG company, which made sense that this person is shopping for robots and not humans.