I progressed to the second round of interviews, which initially seemed promising. However, after being asked about my salary expectations, I was told that my desired range was too high and that “they could hire a graduate if they wanted to.” I found this comment quite disheartening, as it gave the impression that the company didn’t value fair compensation for experience and skills. Shortly afterward, I received an email stating that the vacancy was being paused. It would be helpful if the company shared their salary range upfront in future recruitment processes. It would save both candidates and the hiring team time and effort throughout the interview stages.