I initially interviewed for a senior-level role and had a detailed discussion about my background and experience. During the call, I was unexpectedly encouraged to interview for a more junior position, without a clear explanation for the shift. Given the compensation difference and my experience level, I shared transparently that the junior role wouldn’t be a fit. After that conversation, I assumed the process had concluded. However, I was later contacted and told they wanted to proceed with interviews for the senior role after all. Times were scheduled — and then the interview was canceled the following day without meaningful follow-up. The experience felt inconsistent and unprofessional, especially given the level of the role. I also left the conversation feeling that aspects of my communication style were being scrutinized in a way that was difficult to contextualize, which added to the confusion around the role change. Overall, the process lacked clarity and left me uncertain about how candidate evaluation decisions were being made.