Initially, the conversation with the recruiter started well, even though they provided a bit too much information. An interview was set up with the hiring manager, which went well. The rest of the process was to be arranged, consisting of an interview with two engineers, another with the hiring manager, and one more with an engineer and the manager.

I provided my availability and was told they would get back to me once the schedule was set. The recruiter contacted me with the schedule on the morning of the first of these three interviews, giving me only a few hours' notice. I was able to rearrange my schedule and make it work.

This interview seemed to go just fine, although the interviewers were not the best prepared and seemed to be thinking of questions on the fly, which can be acceptable.

The next day, I called into my next interview, but no one showed up. I emailed the recruiter, assuming something must have come up, and suggested we reschedule – not a big deal, as life happens.

After a couple of hours, they finally responded, stating they were pursuing other candidates. There was no apology for not showing up, nothing.

This is the first time I've experienced anything like this. I hope this is not a reflection of the entire company, but it's possible.

The moral of the story: if you notice questionable signs early in an interview process, just withdraw, as the company likely wouldn't be a good fit. This situation is definitely one to avoid to save yourself time.

What is your preferred programming language and why?