The interview process was initially promising, and I felt it was going well. After five rounds of interviews, I was even told I was the top applicant. However, things took an unexpected turn at the end when I was asked to provide a list of contacts from my prior employment. I was able to provide one professional reference as well as a former professor who the company reached out to. They then requested a second professional reference. Unfortunately, no one I had worked with directly was still at my previous company, and my search for a contact was unsuccessful. This was incredibly disheartening, as I was genuinely excited about the opportunity. Despite my verifiable extensive experience, certifications, and verified degree, and having already provided two positive references, I was removed from consideration. It's frustrating to be let go from a hiring process for a reason that was entirely out of my control.