The process initially seemed straightforward until I reached the assignment stage. The HR representative contacted me, and I genuinely felt I could be a great fit for the role, especially since I had twice as much experience as required. However, I was given an odd and vague brief, asking me to design web graphics for one of their landing pages within an hour. I had to request additional resources, like brand guidelines, as none were provided initially.
Despite the constraints, I completed a comprehensive case study for the landing page and presented everything within 30 minutes. Strangely, the interviewers showed little interest in the content of my work, and none had any questions during my presentation. That said, they did acknowledge that I had "understood the brief and executed it really well."
A week later, the recruiter informed me they had chosen another candidate. When I asked for specific feedback, I received a vague response: "The hiring manager felt the other candidate's work was more creative." Two weeks later, I noticed the position had been reopened. Curious, I reached out to the recruiter to inquire if I could be reconsidered, given I had already reached the final stage. The recruiter explained that the chosen candidate declined the offer, but the company wanted to "test the market again."
Overall, the experience was frustrating and revealed significant dysfunction within the company. Interestingly, I later learned that the person responsible for hiring this role had also left the organization in the meantime.