Interviews are a two-way street; this experience has helped me reassess my self-worth. My interview with the hiring manager lasted 90 minutes, but from the beginning, it was clear that the interviewer was uninterested and disengaged. It felt like the interview was more of a formality rather than a genuine opportunity to assess my qualifications. Despite attempts to mask it, the interviewer’s yawning and overall lack of engagement made it obvious that I wouldn’t be moving forward to the next round.
The second part of the interview involved a case study. As I walked through the problem-solving framework commonly used in traditional product manager interviews, it became clear that the interviewer was distracted. Despite my efforts to engage the hiring manager and walk them through my thought process, they were preoccupied with "multi-tasking." It was at that moment I realized this interview was merely a formality, and any further discussion would likely be a waste of time.
It’s disheartening when the time and effort invested in preparing for an interview are met with such minimal interest. This experience left me questioning what day-to-day work might be like in such an environment, particularly under this type of leadership. Ultimately, this interview provided valuable insight into the company’s culture, and it’s clear that this organization is no longer a place I would consider pursuing in the future.
