The interview process at AVATAR Partners started out as fairly standard—a video call following a few message exchanges on Indeed after I applied. However, things took a turn when I realized the person interviewing me wasn’t actually part of the company but rather a "close friend of the founder." The interviewer claimed to have the same level of experience as I do in the exact field the role was for, which made for a strong conversation. Following that, I went above and beyond, delivering a detailed follow-up within a couple of days. Despite sending it to two HR coordinators and the interviewer, I received no acknowledgment, feedback, or response—not even after following up again over a week and a half later to check on next steps. In an effort to demonstrate my expertise and enthusiasm, I even took the initiative to develop a comprehensive demand generation plan—ironically, the very task the interviewer cited as the most important and challenging aspect of the role. Given our great conversation and my proactive approach, I had every reason to believe I would move forward to the next round, which was supposed to be a conversation with the founder. Instead, after waiting for weeks with no response, I finally received an impersonal, auto-generated rejection email. Rejection is one thing, but after a live interview and clear effort on my part, the complete lack of professionalism and courtesy in their communication speaks volumes. Automating a rejection after such an involved process? Disrespectful at best. I would strongly caution others about investing too much time or effort here.