I was contacted directly by the Hiring Manager and scheduled for a phone call. We hit it off immediately! Honestly the HM was great throughout the process and provided extremely detailed responses to all of my questions, which was promising but ultimately misleading. Following the HM call, I was given a homework assignment and 1 week to complete it. I worked on that project as if my life depended on it, learning as much as I could and developing a really great presentation of my findings and ideas. In retrospect, it wasn't worth the stress. I wasn't asked a single time about my project and it seemed as though they were just using it as a gatekeeper for anyone who wasn't serious about the role. Nice strategy, but not when you're on the receiving end. A week after I submitted my assignment, I was scheduled for several more interviews with individuals at various levels. All were a delight to get to know and I left confident I had this job in the bag. I even received responses to most of my 'thank you' emails, which to me has always been a good sign. About 10 days later, I received a generic email from HR saying that they had decided to move forward with a more senior candidate. To say I was shocked is an understatement, but I generally understand companies pursuing candidates with more experience if it comes down to it. Now, what REALLY shocked me was that 2 weeks later I was scrolling job boards and came across the exact job that I interviewed for and that I was told was being filled by a more senior candidate, noting it was posted just hours ago. I was ready to work really hard for this company, but instead I feel as though they did nothing but waste my time. It's a shame...I really enjoyed the people I got to know during my interview process and I had a pretty positive outlook on Away and their goals for re-emerging after the pandemic. Other general observations: 1) Some of my interviewers made it clear, without actually saying it, that the work-life balance can be overwhelming and that priorities are far beyond unstable. 2) Everyone across the board was very young. That could be a good thing - meaning that growth happens quickly, which is typical of a start up - but it also could result in inexperienced management. 3) They just went through a really tough year and that included losing a lot of talent, so they will be filling several roles in the coming months. It would be nice to see Away bounce back and be better than ever, but I'll probably stick with my Rimowa for awhile.
