The recruiter scheduled an initial interview and explained the hiring process. It was very similar to Big Tech interviews, but I found the salary low compared to the level of effort required for the process, and also for the local market. I was not excited to move forward, but recruiter was persistent and encouraged me to reconsider. I accepted. To take part in the process, you need to set aside at least around four hours, which can be split across different days. However, the available time slots were only during business hours. If you are currently employed, you need to make time for that. I went through the interview process, but I did not receive any feedback for weeks. I tried to follow up and received no response. That’s okay, I understand this can be common in the market. However, a few weeks later, I received an email apologizing. They said they were understaffed and asked whether I would like to receive feedback. I said yes, and then I was ghosted again. I was surprised when they asked whether I wanted feedback, and then fail to follow through again. Overall, the experience felt disorganized and inconsistent with the expectations set by such a demanding hiring process.