The interview began with an unusual start—the owner greeted me at the door immediately upon arrival, having apparently seen my vehicle pull in. Coincidentally, I had parked directly in front of his office window. He escorted me to the interview room, where a group of two asked a standard set of questions. As the conversation progressed, it became clear that I was significantly overqualified for the role, and the compensation being offered (capped at $40,000) was not aligned with the experience they seemed to be seeking. At the conclusion of the interview, an odd moment occurred when one of the interviewers physically blocked the door and asked if I had recorded the conversation. The interaction left me with a distinctly uncomfortable impression of the company’s culture and hiring practices.