A recruiter reached out via email. During our chat, I detailed my specific skill set and expressed interest in applying for a Machine Learning Engineer role. She acknowledged this and confirmed that multiple such positions were open.

A one-hour phone interview was scheduled within a few days. The interview went well; I solved the given problem with an optimized solution. The interviewer and I also had a productive discussion about the challenges the company is facing.

Following this, there was silence from the recruiter. After approximately two weeks, I emailed her to inquire about the next steps.

I received a standard reply stating that the "phone screen was very good and the interviewer was impressed by my skills. However, I am not a fit for the 'full stack role' that they are looking for."

Seriously? Why would you consider me for a 'full stack role' when I had specifically stated my intentions, skill set, and expectations upfront? Why waste everyone's time – not just mine, but your own employees' as well?

(For context, Dropbox still has multiple Machine Learning Engineer roles open on LinkedIn.)

The phone screen was easy.