I had a recruiter screening for a DACH SMB Account Executive role. The call was framed as an exploratory conversation to understand my background, experience, and career goals. Very early in the discussion, however, it became clear that the recruiter had a fixed view of what constitutes a “valid” background for the role, strongly tied to a predefined SDR → MDR → AE progression post-studies. Despite outlining current quota ownership, direct closing responsibility, and measurable performance as an Account Executive, the conversation repeatedly focused on tenure and prescribed career paths rather than actual scope of responsibility or results. I also found the flow of the conversation difficult at times, with frequent interruptions that made it challenging to fully explain context or respond in a structured way. As the call progressed, it felt less like an exploratory discussion and more like a validation of an already-formed decision not to proceed. While I understand and respect that large organizations operate with strict leveling and career frameworks, clearer alignment upfront on non-negotiable experience requirements would have been helpful and would have saved time on both sides. DocuSign is clearly a strong company with a highly structured sales organization, but this particular candidate experience felt rigid and less open to non-linear or accelerated career paths than initially suggested.

I feel like the recruiter wasted my time and was not very helpful. I took time to prepare for an interview and it was just a screener for her to say that she would see if any hiring managers were interested... why have an interview in the first place if nobody is interested? So I found out I was cut after no managers were interested and felt like it was unprofessional