I spoke with a recruiter, and while it was clear that my salary expectations were higher than their budget, I expressed my willingness to chat with the hiring manager to better understand the position. In my conversation with the hiring manager, I found that the design direction they had chosen was unlike any project I had ever worked on, and I had concerns about the business requirements. Additionally, although the role was in security, it wasn’t part of the security team and didn’t report to the CISO, which seemed unusual. When asked if I was willing to relocate, I explained that I couldn’t due to my family commitments, including my children and my wife’s job. Despite feeling that the interview went reasonably well, I received no further communication from the recruiter afterward. Considering the significant pay cut the position entailed, offering less than what I made eight years ago, it might be a blessing in disguise. Especially given EA's lack of transparency with its layoffs, this outcome might be for the best.