The interview process at Ford involved three rounds, starting with an initial HR call where I was asked about my background and resume. Within a week, I moved to the first technical round with an engineer from Ford. It was a very interactive session where I was asked three coding questions related to palindromes - one basic, one involving arrays, and one numeric check. The questions ranged from easy to medium difficulty and were done in a simple compiler environment. Following that, I progressed to the final round with two lead architects. They focused on my resume, system design experience, and real-world projects I had worked on. It was a great conversation, and they expressed strong interest in my work. Based on the feedback, I was hopeful for the outcome. Unfortunately, the process became unclear after that. The recruiter initially informed me that a decision would follow within a week, but over time, communication slowed down significantly. A few weeks later, the recruiter told me the interviewers had liked me and that the role was still under consideration. Despite my follow-ups over several months, I was told the role was still under consideration due to internal organisational changes. Eventually, I saw my application marked as “Not Retained” in the portal without any direct closure from the recruiter. As an international student navigating a challenging job market, I put my best into each stage and was genuinely hopeful. The lack of clarity and communication toward the end made the experience discouraging, especially after a strong interview performance. It also highlighted how important it is for roles to be organisationally aligned before interviews are conducted.