The HR interview was standard, though personal scheduling constraints I mentioned were ignored, forcing me to complete the test case within one day on top of my existing workload. The final interview was highly unstructured and stressful. I was given minimal context by the manager about interviewing a first-year client (a major bank) and coordinating with core assurance. She said I had 15 minutes, then turned off her camera. Shortly after, another interviewer turned his camera on; I initially thought he didn’t understand what was happening, so I repeated what the manager had said. Only then did I realize the role-play had already started with him as the “difficult client.” The abrupt transition and lack of guidance made the exercise extremely confusing and overwhelming. Afterward, the director (CA) commented that my resume “doesn’t feel like I’ve been a senior for three years,” which felt extremely berating. Coming from experience at two Big 4 firms, this level of chaos and lack of structure was unacceptable and unprofessional. Overall, I would not want to work in this environment, as the culture and leadership approach reflected a lack of clarity, support, and professionalism.

The interview was fair and balanced between behavioral and technical questions. It was conversational in nature and not nit picky on details but focused on confirming the critical thinking skills needed for the job.