The interview process consisted of three stages and approximately 2–3 hours of total interview time. The first stage was with an internal recruiter who initially contacted me through LinkedIn. During our conversation, there appeared to be gaps in their understanding of certain aspects of the compensation structure and payment process, which made it difficult to obtain clear answers regarding the role. The second stage was a one-on-one interview with a Product Design Manager. The interview was conducted remotely and recorded. Prior to the interview, I reviewed the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, which showed a progression from Creative Designer to Product Design Manager within a relatively short period of time. During the conversation, I found that some of the discussion around UX fundamentals, metrics, and product design processes did not align with my expectations for the role, which raised concerns for me regarding the level of product design maturity within the organization. At the end of the interview, the interviewer expressed strong interest in my background and immediately scheduled a follow-up interview for the following morning, which I accepted. While the conversation was cordial and the interviewer appeared genuinely interested in my experience, I noticed that relatively few questions were asked about my qualifications. At times, the discussion felt more like a consultation session than a candidate evaluation, which left me uncertain about the purpose of the interview. Both interview sessions were recorded. Approximately one week after completing the interviews, I was informed by the recruiter that the client had cancelled the project. This outcome was surprising because, during the interview process, I had been told that the client engagement was already signed and moving forward. The conflicting information created uncertainty regarding the status of the opportunity and the overall transparency of the hiring process. My recommendation to future candidates is to conduct thorough research on both the company and the interviewers involved in the process, ask detailed questions about the project status and role expectations, and seek clarity on how decisions are being made throughout the recruitment process.