I applied online and initially received an automated rejection email. About a month later, a recruiter reached out to me. He gave me helpful background on the role, what the hiring manager was looking for, the company’s GTM history, and an overview of benefits and culture. A few days later, I had a great 30-minute conversation with the hiring manager. She was very down to earth, and honestly, so was every person I spoke with during the process. I then spoke with a marketer at the same level about the role, what was working well, and the current challenges. After that, I had a conversation with the sales leader who would work closely with this role, and we discussed cross-collaboration and how marketing could best support sales. Finally, I met with the hiring manager’s boss, which was also a very positive conversation. I was amazed throughout the process at how kind and genuine everyone was. It didn’t feel forced — they truly seemed interested in me both as a candidate and as a person outside of work. I felt a real connection and had never been more confident I would receive an offer. Unfortunately, the company recently experienced a change in finance leadership, and the role was put on hold right at the point where an offer would have been made. In total, I had five 30-minute interviews (a few went longer), all conducted via Zoom video. I received encouraging feedback along the way, such as “I’m rooting for you” and “you’d be a great fit with the team.” While the timing didn’t work out, I hope they reopen the role in the future. It seemed like an incredible opportunity at a high-growth mid-market software company in the exciting space of ABM.