Custom Jewelry Project Manager at CustomMade Ventures "I had applied months ago and got no response but was contacted by someone on their team to be interviewed for the second wave. I started with a normal phone interview. It went very well and I was invited to move onto the next round. They I would be a good match for the position at that point. Next, I was sent a case study with lots of different examples of real scenarios. I thoroughly enjoyed working through this. I had a lot of fun answering the questions and even drew a sketch to stand out from the competition. They gave me great feedback and invited me to the next round which was a four hour video interview. It was full of well thought out questions, practice examples and I got to meet more staff members. They led me to believe that I was a strong candidate and that I actually had a chance to get this position that I was genuinely passionate about, even a little over qualified for. I have many years of experience in the field and a lot of knowledge. I am an artist and a jewelry expert and I had everything they were asking for. Because of the feedback that they gave me, I believed that I would be a great fit. With that feedback, I turned down other great opportunities because I believed in them and in their process. I believed that they were being honest and transparent throughout the whole process. After several hours and several weeks, I received a half-hearted rejection letter and now I am left without a job. This company is only one example of what is to come for future generations. Upon reading the previous reviews about interviews, it was never like this. It's a shame to see such a great company crumble under the pressure of what is becoming the norm for the job market. They are contributing to the toxicity that is poisoning the job market. With that being said, be prepared for weeks upon weeks of waiting. Hours upon hours of interviews/practice case studies, all for a job that pays under the median to survive (under 50K base in 2024 is barely survivable if you are single). It's not just them, though. A lot of companies are doing it. They have just unfortunately folded under the pressure. At the end of the day, it's probably best not to pursue this route, even if they reach out to you first.

The interview process lasted months and consisted of hours of work, interviewing and research. They will lead you on for weeks, so do not shut the door to other opportunities because you could lose out on an employer that is serious about hiring. They will take weeks or even months to get back to you after asking you to do an assignment that requires access to proprietary information. In the end, their process was very misleading and unprofessional and I'm fortunate to have not been chosen. I've learned a lot about my own expectations for respect and my boundaries for employers.