I recently interviewed with a marketing team leader for a manager position. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't very positive. The interviewer seemed quite dismissive from the start, immediately questioning my decision to apply for the role based on my current title, saying, "Your title is ABCD; why would you apply for this XYZ role? It doesn't make much sense." This left little room for me to explain how my skills and experience aligned with the position. It seemed the way I was treated during the interview process reflects not only the company’s values but also the interviewer's leadership style. A simple, professional approach—something like, "I've reviewed your resume and I’d like to hear more about your background, but we are looking for a specific skill set that I'm not seeing in your listed experience"—would have allowed for a meaningful conversation. Offering candidates a chance to explain or, if the fit isn’t right, ending the call politely and early would have been a much more respectful approach. Throughout the conversation, they appeared uninterested and disengaged, making establishing meaningful dialogue difficult. It felt like they had decided before even getting to know my qualifications. I’m unsure if this was due to a bad day or their general demeanor, but I hope this interaction was an exception and not reflective of the broader company culture.