I participated in a selection process for a Senior QA Engineer position that lasted almost three months and included six technical interviews with different team members. All the feedback I received was positive, but in the end, the company decided to prioritize someone based on geographical proximity to the headquarters, even though the position was advertised as ‘Remote, Brazil’. It was frustrating to invest so much time and effort in a process ultimately decided by a non-technical factor.

I was invited to an interview where the invite mentioned 3 interviewers, but only 1 person showed up. The interview felt rushed, overly technical, and not conversational. I was interrupted often and didn’t get a chance to explain my work fully. The take-home assignment was large for a 2-day deadline. I had already fixed the issue before the interview, but the interviewer didn’t review the updated version or let me show it. My effort wasn’t acknowledged, and I was told it was a “red flag.” I later received a rejection email saying feedback was discussed with the hiring manager and team — but I had only spoken to one person. That didn’t feel transparent or fair. Also, it took 2 full weeks to receive a final decision, which made it hard to plan next steps with other opportunities. I took this process seriously, but I didn’t feel the company showed the same level of care or professionalism.