I went through two rounds of interviews for a freelance project manager role. The first call felt great — I spoke with someone senior and grounded. It was a proper conversation, not just a checklist of questions. I felt seen, heard, and like there was genuine chemistry. It gave me the impression that the team valued collaboration and emotional intelligence. But the second round was a completely different story. The person I spoke to came across cold, defensive, and honestly, quite mean. It felt more like an interrogation than an interview. They kept talking about “culture,” but their attitude said otherwise. It was hard to take them seriously because they didn’t seem to have much experience managing people or running projects. The energy was off — like they were performing what they thought leadership should look like, but without the substance. It left a bad taste. For a brand that positions itself as culturally relevant and progressive, the process felt immature and inconsistent.