There was a long phone interview with an HR rep, then a face to face with a C-level executive, a lengthy personality assessment, and then a C-suite panel interview. Overall, everything went well and I had a positive outlook on the company and those within. When it came to the panel interview, my mind changed completely. It was just me and probably seven or eight other high-level individuals. Of course this is quite overwhelming initially but I felt confident in my abilities. They asked me a few questions in effort to get to know me but at some point it felt as though I was a bug under a microscope. Things altered and it felt more as though they were talking at me rather than having a conversation. What I gathered is that they believed that people are born leaders and you can't work to be one. They shared instances where other "manager trainees" have failed but didn't give me a chance to respond as to why I wouldn't. My outlook on the entire company and culture changed throughout this interview. I left feeling belittled and not "good enough"? Not a great way to make your candidates feel for sure. I almost felt relieved when I received the rejection email because I don't think I could work for a company whose leaders treat candidates this way.