I recently went through an extensive interview process for a role, which included eight calls with HR, several members of the Marketing team, the VP, COO, and CEO. Many of these conversations were scheduled during late evening hours to accommodate time zone differences, which I was happy to do. After my discussion with the VP, I received a follow-up call indicating that I had been selected for the position. We discussed compensation and benefits, and I was told to expect a formal offer within a few days. However, additional calls were scheduled with senior leadership afterward, and ultimately, I was informed that they were seeking a candidate with 5–10 years of experience. If years of experience were a critical qualification, I believe that should have been made clear much earlier in the process. While I appreciated the opportunity to speak with the team, being told an offer was coming only to later be told otherwise was disappointing and felt like a misalignment in communication and expectations from their team. I hope this feedback encourages more transparent and organized hiring practices moving forward.