TrenchOps 🐎 
Count the Rounds
Why a five-stage interview process tells you everything about the job - before you even get it
The job post says "fast-paced environment." The process says recruiter screen, hiring manager call, take-home assignment, technical deep dive, second technical deep dive, "culture add" panel, psychometric questionnaire, and a final chat with a VP who will ask you where you see yourself in five years.
That's eight rounds. For a company that claims to "move fast".
Believe the process, not the post.
Times are rough. Plenty of good people lost their jobs to the AI wave, and plenty more are quietly refreshing job boards at their desks. My personal bet is that once the AI honeymoon ends, a lot of companies will discover that their institutional knowledge left in a cardboard box, and they'll be rehiring. Until then, desperation is a terrible career advisor. It tells you to say yes to every round, every test, every "just one more quick call with a stakeholder."
Don't. Here's why.
What an interview is actually for
A competent company reads your CV and can map your skills to its needs. With a little effort, it can verify most of your history. So the interview only has three real jobs.
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