I went through a thorough process, starting with a screening call, followed by two interviews, a take-home assessment, and a final interview scheduled with the CEO. After three interviews and the take-home assignment, I received encouraging feedback from the recruiter, who mentioned they were impressed with my work and excited to move me forward. However, just hours before my final interview, I was informed that they decided to go with another candidate. The take-home assessment raised red flags, as it was highly specific to their company’s pain points and asked for actionable strategies to grow revenue. I put significant effort into providing detailed recommendations, which, in hindsight, felt like free consultation. After investing so much time into this process, I requested feedback and was ghosted. It’s disappointing to see other candidates have had similar experiences. Respect candidates' time, especially when asking for detailed work. Don’t cancel final interviews last minute after they've spent time preparing, and compensate professionals for their expertise when requesting detailed assessments.