The consultant from one of the group companies told me that the actual budget for the role was 20 to 30 percent higher than what was mentioned in the JD. I cleared the first round with the Marketing Manager, who liked my skills and asked me to do an assignment. The assignment itself was massive. A six month brand strategy had to be completed in just 48 hours. I received it on Wednesday evening, and by Friday morning the consultant was already calling to check if I had submitted it. Given the tight timelines, I used AI as a tool, which today is an important skill. I mainly used it for structuring the deck, creating visuals like graphs and images, and refining the overall flow. I ended up creating a 35 slide presentation and shared it. I was then called for the final round. The person who took my first interview told me he absolutely loved the assignment and specifically appreciated how I used AI to deliver something so comprehensive in such a short time. The CMO, however, had a completely opposite reaction. While they were okay with the outcome, they clearly did not like the use of AI. This was ironic, considering the same ecosystem actively sells AI courses worth thousands. The CMO skimmed through my profile, asked a few random questions, checked my salary expectations, and wrapped up the interview in 15 minutes. After that, I never heard back. The same consultant who called me repeatedly for the assignment suddenly went silent and would not even take my calls. The reality is simple. They do not have the budget or the mindset to hire senior talent. To prove the point, four months later the same Social Media Head role is still live on their careers page. So honestly, do not waste your time.