I had a great experience with both the recruiter and the hiring manager. The process felt organized, clear, and thoughtful. Unfortunately, that changed in the third round. After beginning the take-home assignment and investing a significant amount of time into it, I received a generic email stating the role had been filled before I could even schedule my presentation. I genuinely thought it was a mistake and had to follow up with the recruiter to confirm. The feedback I’d offer: if a decision is made mid-round, candidates deserve to be notified before investing time in an assignment and a slightly more personalized rejection goes a long way.