Although I was actively headhunted via LinkedIn (active sourcing by their HR), the process felt like running the gauntlet — treated not as a professional, but as a supplicant. === 1. Bait & Switch (Language & Role). === I clearly communicated upfront that my German is B1 and asked whether C1 was a hard requirement. HR confirmed: "C1 is NOT a must." Yet the HR screening was conducted entirely in German. Furthermore, my CV is clearly focused on Data Engineering (dbt, Snowflake, Airflow). The two-hour (!) technical interview, however, consisted exclusively of pure DevOps and Infrastructure topics — completely misaligned with my profile and the original pitch. === 2. Useless HR Call. === The recruiter could not answer basic questions about salary bands, tech stack, or client projects ("we'll see in June") and literally just pointed me back to the job ad. Information gained: zero. === 3. Unprepared & Arrogant Interviewers. === Despite having headhunted me, they immediately subjected me to a massive two-hour (!) first technical interview right after a brief HR call. The Senior Consultants had clearly not even glanced at my CV beforehand. They asked the same structural questions two or three times. When I briefly stumbled on a specific Python packaging tool, they responded with sarcastic remarks: "You have 7 years of Python experience, right?" Ironically, in that exact same interview, they openly complained that their work was blocked because their "AI tokens for Claude" had run out. A consulting firm that relies on AI prompts for infrastructure problems while mocking candidates is deeply unprofessional. === 4. The Cattle Market. === After 30+ minutes of structured STAR-format answers, the interviewers asked: "Can you give us an example you're proud of?" — making it clear they had not heard a single word. It felt less like a professional interview and more like a cattle market: parade around, say something, impress the buyer. They came with a budget and wanted to buy as much as possible with it — without knowing what they actually needed. === 5. The Peak of Hypocrisy. === After the interrogation, the interviewers spent several minutes with fake praise: "We really enjoyed the conversation," "I personally would love to stay in touch." They promised feedback by Friday or Monday. The templated rejection arrived the very next morning at 10:00 AM — like a third-rate insurance salesman who smiles to your face and then slams the door. === 6. The Rejection. === The email stated I had provided "some correct answers for SQL" — a passive-aggressive minimization of 7+ years of core Data Engineering experience. They vaguely claimed I "lacked breadth" without a single specific example or constructive point of feedback. And the absolute cherry on top: a Senior Engineer was advised to "apply again in a few years" and to "stay curious."