The company initially advertised a Creative Director position but later changed it to a Graphic Designer role. I was contacted by the Marketing Manager for an interview, which went well, and I also met another marketing manager who had previously been an intern. However, the interview process took an unethical turn when I was asked to create several design variations for their Las Vegas waterpark within an unrealistic deadline. Despite following their style guide and working under these tight constraints, they requested further iterations and an entirely new design based on a different concept.
Feeling uneasy about these demands, I inquired about specific expectations. The former intern, now a manager, asked for organization, text effects, and consistency across various design sizes. Despite meeting these requirements, I later learned that they chose another designer, contradicting the first marketing manager's social media post seeking a graphic designer. This experience, particularly disappointing given my 15 years in the creative industry with top U.S. companies, was worsened by the lack of honesty regarding their hiring intentions and my salary expectations. It felt like a misuse of my time in what was essentially a creative review process.