I had a first-stage informal interview with this company in late November. The interviewers were respectful, kind, and genuinely seemed interested and engaged throughout the conversation. The overall tone was relaxed, and many of the questions were straightforward. However, a few did catch me off guard and felt a bit unexpected for an informal first-stage interview, especially given the short notice I had to prepare. Unfortunately, the communication after the interview was disappointing. I was told I’d receive feedback within a week, but even after following up directly, I never heard anything back. It’s disheartening to take time out for an interview—no matter how informal—and receive no update at all, particularly when a clear timeline was provided. Overall, the interview itself started positively thanks to the interviewers, but the lack of follow-through and communication afterwards left a negative impression of the recruitment process.