A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. We had an hour-long conversation about my fit for the role. A week later, I spoke with the VP of Product and had a great conversation. I had another interview with the CD and discussed my experience and portfolio, which was not tailored to HVL, causing me to defend my work. Two weeks later, I received a text from the recruiter that I was not a fit, and I was livid. Do not waste your time with these recruiters because the last person can point to a random flaw in your portfolio and waste your two months of interviews.

The interview was surprisingly casual, given the salary level and intensity of the position. Interviewer was interested primarily in past work experience: was curious about my background in general, but seemed to be most interested in finding someone who had previously done the exact same job for a competitor.