Got in touch with business development manager via a friend of mine who used to work for the company. Phone interview went fine and interviewer said company would sponsor my interim clearance. And I was invited for the second interview on Teams with the hiring manager. Company correctly has a formal interview process and did correctly follow their process. Second interview with hiring manager on Teams went well after I dialed into the Teams phone number because the sound went out on my laptop. Hiring manager arrived late to interview, but I felt that was ok. I had a lot of time and really wanted to interview because my friend referred me. Hiring manager said he will refer my resume to the government manager for approval. This is the correct process to follow. I was impressed that the company did follow their own procedures and did not skip steps. This ensures that everyone involved approves of your hire and wants you to be successful on the job.
