After a short conversation with HR, I scheduled an interview with the team manager. The interview itself went reasonably well, although the manager joined late without acknowledging it. I then progressed to the next stage, which involved a fairly extensive assignment. I was told it would require 8–10 hours of work, followed by an in-person presentation the following week. The day before the scheduled presentation, I was asked to reschedule to the following week. Then, just a few days before the rescheduled presentation, I received a call informing me that the role had already been filled. It was disappointing to invest significant time into the assignment and preparation process, only to find out the hiring decision had effectively already been made.