I saw a job post on Washington Post Jobs but applied via their website. The recruiter got back with me quickly and scheduled an interview. The interview with the recruiter went exceedingly well (in my opinion) and she said she had a few more interviews but I would be contacted about moving to the next phase. After a little under a week passed, I began to call and email the recruiter about the next step. No response. Was someone else hired? Did she just lie to get me off the phone? I was in limbo. HR departments rarely seem to send declination letters recently; I'm used to it. This one was different because I was given verbal confirmation that I was moving to the next phase then absolutely nothing. It would take seconds to send and email (or reply to one of the multiple I sent) saying "We've decided to go with another applicant." I mean, she could have lied and say the job post was cancelled. I'd be none-the-wiser. Just don't abruptly end communication. Closure is important, especially if you're unemployed versus changing jobs.