I applied online, and a few days later, a recruiter reached out to schedule an interview. She provided several available dates, and I selected one for the following week. The interview lasted about 30 minutes, and she asked me questions about my current role, why I wanted to work for SEO, the programs I’m proficient in, how many requisitions I’ve managed at once, and what I knew about the company. She also gave me scenario-based questions, such as how I would handle being overwhelmed with a requisition and how I manage pressure in a fast-paced environment. A few days after the interview, I received an email stating they were impressed with my skills and wanted to move me forward. They sent me a take-home assignment to be completed within three days. The assignment was extensive and included writing how I would conduct an interview, the programs I would use, the strategies I would implement, how I would manage 60–80 job requisitions, and how I would handle relationships with hiring managers. It took me the entire day to complete, as I wanted it to be thorough and accurate. While I hadn’t done such a detailed hiring assignment in a long time, I found it unusual and felt it was essentially asking for detailed recruitment strategies without compensation. After I submitted the assignment, I didn’t hear back for several days. When I followed up, the recruiter replied saying they were adding a few more things to the position and restructuring, and would be in touch. Two weeks later, I received a generic rejection email. Given the time and effort I invested, I felt the process lacked professionalism—especially without a follow-up interview or proper feedback. It left me with the impression that they may have already had someone in mind for the role and were simply gathering ideas. Ultimately, I believe I dodged a bullet—any company that expects significant unpaid work during the hiring process without transparency likely wouldn’t be the right place for me.