Interview Experience – Final Round Concerns
The initial stages of the interview process were fairly standard and well-organised. However, the final round raised some concerns regarding professionalism and alignment with the role.
During my introduction, I shared my relevant experience and spoke briefly about the next steps I was pursuing in my career, including eligibility for a widely recognised industry certification. At that point, the interviewer’s demeanour noticeably shifted. Despite the relevance of my background to the department’s stated goals, only one role-related question was asked during the session. While responding, I observed non-verbal behaviour from the interviewer—such as head-shaking while I was mid-answer—that was quite discouraging and affected my ability to remain focused and confident.
It’s important, especially at a leadership level, to maintain consistency between the direction you say you want your team to move in and how you engage with candidates who demonstrate experience aligned with that vision. Unfortunately, the final interaction did not reflect that consistency.
Based on this experience, I would decline any future opportunity to interview with the same individual, and I would have reservations about working in a department where collaboration with that leadership style is required.