I recently went through a series of interviews at eBay for a senior position in mobile development. Unfortunately, my experience was quite disappointing, particularly in terms of feeling valued as a candidate. First Interview - System Design: My first interview was focused on system design. Unfortunately, I had significant difficulty understanding the interviewer due to a strong accent. While my English is proficient, I struggled to comprehend her questions and instructions fully. Despite my best efforts to take detailed notes and follow along, I found myself responding based on assumptions and general knowledge. This led to a situation where I couldn't genuinely engage with the interviewer's feedback and had to agree with points I didn't fully grasp. It was a frustrating experience, as I genuinely wanted to show my capabilities. Second Interview - JavaScript Fundamentals: The second interview was the most disappointing and disrespectful part of the process. Despite my nine years of experience in JavaScript, the interviewer started with an elementary explanation of promises, which felt unnecessary and condescending. I remained polite and engaged, but it was clear he did not value my background in smaller and mid-sized companies. He mentioned that he had worked for small companies early in his career, implying that advanced developers necessarily work for large-sized companies. He also criticized my knowledge of basic HTML elements like , which is irrelevant to the mobile-focused role I was applying for. This interaction made me feel undervalued and disrespected as a senior candidate. Subsequent Interviews: Thankfully, the subsequent interviews were more aligned with my expertise. The data structure and algorithm interview felt standard and went well. I also had a positive experience with another system design interview that focused on React Native, the core technology for the role. The final behavioral interview was straightforward and I felt it went okay, but I had the sense that the decision had already been influenced by the earlier interviews. Interaction with Recruiters: Throughout the process, I had a nice interaction with the recruiters, who were helpful and responsive. However, once it became clear that I did not get the role, the communication abruptly stopped. I felt like I ended up being ghosted, which was disappointing after such a lengthy interview process. It would have been more respectful and professional to provide closure, even if the outcome was not in my favor. Overall Impression: While there were some positive aspects, the overall experience left me feeling undervalued and disrespected. The initial language barrier and the condescending approach in the JavaScript interview overshadowed the more relevant and positive interactions that followed. It’s crucial for interviewers to ensure clear communication and relevant questions, especially when assessing experienced candidates for specialized roles. Additionally, respect for the candidate's background and expertise is essential for a fair and constructive interview process.