I recently went through a three-stage interview process with the firm.
The first two stages were very positive. The interviewers were professional, attentive, and gave me the space to share my perspectives. It felt like a constructive, two-way dialogue where I was able to learn about the firm while they learned about me.
Unfortunately, my experience during the final stage with the senior partner was quite different. The interview was scheduled for a certain time, but I was left waiting around 30–40 minutes as she was in another meeting. While I understand that senior leadership often has busy schedules, I felt that this delay, without much acknowledgment, came across as unprofessional.
Once the conversation began, it did not feel like a balanced exchange. Although the partner listened to my responses, most of my points were immediately countered without much opportunity for me to elaborate further. This made the interaction feel more combative than conversational. Additionally, a comment was made comparing me to a previous employee who had spoken negatively about the firm. I felt this was an unfair assumption to make about a candidate they had only just met.
The interview ended abruptly without giving me the chance to ask questions about the role, which was disappointing as it left me with little insight into the position or the company’s culture.
While I don’t take these things personally, I do feel that the final stage could have been conducted in a more professional and engaging manner. The earlier stages had left me with a positive impression, but unfortunately, the final round did the opposite.