I went through the full process: initial screen, demo, code test, and panel interview. The expectations during the interviews did not align with the job description. It honestly felt like I was interviewing for a completely different role. My impression was that the company may have been pipeline building or benchmarking talent rather than actively hiring. What was especially frustrating is that the recruiter specifically said certain skills and coding languages were not required, yet the interviews heavily focused on them. That created a disconnect and felt disingenuous. If those skills are needed, they should be listed in the job description so candidates know what to expect and can prepare accordingly. Otherwise, it wastes both the candidate’s time and the company’s. I also would not have accepted an offer had one been made. The team was upfront that they are “still figuring it out” and that the person hired would be the “owner of building the playbook.” It came across less as an opportunity to lead and more as copying processes from other companies without a clear strategy.