The first two rounds (HR and hiring manager) were conversational and straightforward. The hiring manager was very transparent—arguably to a fault—about outdated systems and a highly manual, “scrappy” day-to-day, which made the role less appealing. After advancing to the final round, I was asked to complete a project requiring 2–3 hours of prep and present it in a 1-hour session. For this level of role, I found the ask excessive and misaligned with the standard interview processes, so I withdrew myself.