Interviewed for: SOC Analyst L2 The interview process lasted for almost a month and consisted of multiple rounds: HR screening, Technical Interview, Hiring Manager Interview, Director Interview, and an HRBP discussion. The technical and managerial rounds were well conducted and focused on SOC operations, incident response, SIEM, EDR, threat hunting, and behavioral scenarios. The interviewers were knowledgeable, and the discussions were relevant to the role. However, the overall candidate experience after the Director round was disappointing. Communication became inconsistent, and I had to follow up multiple times to understand the status of my application. On different occasions, I was informed that the position was on hold due to budget constraints, then later the HRBP interview was scheduled, followed by another discussion where I was told an LOA would be shared after approvals. Eventually, after waiting further, I was informed that the role had been put on hold again due to budget constraints and that they would reach out if the position was approved or a similar role became available. While I understand that business priorities and budgets can change, I believe candidates who invest significant time in a lengthy interview process deserve more proactive and timely communication regarding the status of the position. Better alignment between hiring teams and recruiters would greatly improve the overall candidate experience.