In December 2022, I had an initial interview with the hiring manager via Microsoft Teams, where I discussed my background and my interest in joining the company. I was later invited for a second round interview with a panel of three, including the hiring manager, a colleague from the compliance team, and HR at their Hamilton office. During this interview, I was asked about my long-term career goals and my motivation for joining the firm, as well as standard behavioural questions. After the interview, HR informed me that I was their "preferred candidate" and that they would be conducting a background check. However, no job offer was made at this time, which raised some red flags for me. At the minimum, an offer should have been made contingent on referee checks to show intention in moving forward with the candidate. I was then asked to provide information for an employment verification, police check, and to provide references through a firm called CVCheck. One of my referees later informed me that the written reference process took them 45 minutes to complete. In the following weeks, communication from HR was poor. I only received an update from HR one business week after completing the background check. I was then informed that HR wanted to conduct a reference check with my direct manager. This was frustrating, as this requirement could have been communicated earlier in the process and such a request would put any currently employed job-seeker’s position at risk. My referee reported that the reference check went well, but I did not hear back from HR for several days. Eventually, I received an email stating that I had not been offered the position. I felt that the hiring process was poorly managed and that there was no intention of offering me a contract. It also appears that there was no follow-up or feedback given on why I was not selected for the role. For future job candidates, I would advise caution in this hiring process and to be mindful of the potential risks to your current position when providing references, especially those from your direct supervisor. Additionally, it is important to consider that providing multiple comprehensive references for one job opportunity can be time-consuming and may not be feasible for some. I hope there is a way for me to receive closure on this process and to gain insight on how I can improve for future job interviews.