I went through four interviews with this company. Every single one came with positive feedback and repeated signals that I was the frontrunner. I invested significant time and effort, including delivering a detailed business plan presentation tailored specifically to the role. After all that, they informed me they “decided to hire internally.” If the plan was to promote from within, why drag an external candidate through weeks of interviews? Why post the role at all? This wasn’t a last-minute pivot—it was a failure of transparency and basic respect for someone else’s time. Had they been honest from the start, I could have calibrated expectations or declined to participate. Instead, they chose to create false momentum and waste hours of unpaid labor. If you’re considering interviewing here, protect yourself: ask upfront whether internal candidates are being considered. Don’t assume professionalism where none has been demonstrated. Zero transparency. Zero respect. Zero class.