interviewed at Cisco post-layoff at another big company where I worked for 3+ years. All the interviewing went well. I was interviewed multiple times over phone as team was geographically distributed, at least 13-14 interviews. I did "exceptionally" well in all interviews. .later recruiter left me 2/3 Vms and he started talking to me as if he is giving me bad feedback. he called me 2/3 times. I returned call, and apparently he wanted to extend me an offer. but he was talking as if he is not hiring but firing me. I declined the offer and still he would insist me fill the emplyment application and complete background check. which was insane. He wasn't extending me the right offer , just 2-3K above my salary back then and wanted me to go through emplyment background check, next morning, my so called prospective manager called me and was telling me he would get me hooked with other linux engineers in their company and clealry telling me that 6 months down the road I would need to look for another job as their BU would go restructuring and new reqs will get RIFed. and after hearing this, he would go on insisting fill the emplyment application? Also, one of the engineers during interview said -"I am your ATM machine" and I felt like am with unrespectful background. at this statement. He further emails me In this economy "I should accept any job". I declined the offer and stayed home until March 2010. than to be apart of such unrespectful maniacs. I am young kernel engineer for last 10 years in silicon valley and being woman in hi-tech, always outnumbered by men. Problem was they did not want me to extend offer but my interviewing went really well and I had told them laughingly, I record my interviews, they were not able "TO NOT EXTEND" me an offer. couple of recruiter initiated conversations exactly matched word-to-word to my ex-manager's conversation with me at previous job the resemblance was striking as I used record all the conversations with my ex-manager during my performance reviews. I had also recorded my converstaion with this recruiter. I knew the VP at previous job is the same VP of the group at Cisco, I was interviewing with. Later I checked the vp and hiring manager both were fired, may be due to their own incompetencies. most of the hi0tech companies now-adays do behind the scenes informal talks by traversing linkedin trees and finding your co-workers and manager's name. In bureaucratic companies this can potentially give opportunity to your ex-manager to take a revenge upon you. This back-door checks are Legally not allowed i.e. your prospective employers is allowed to check references with only those whose name you have listed on employment application. my advice is- remove Linkedin profile, This is for recruiters/HR and not you. People/friends who want to give you a job are just 1/2 and they must be in your trusted close contact.