This was a 7-month process – you’ve been warned! Most of my interviews were between September and October. In November, the recruiter forgot to email me my technical exam, which triggered a series of miscommunications (on their end) as well as cancelled and rescheduled interviews (including a cancelled Diversity interview).

After that time, the recruiter went silent for about 5 days, so I decided to email him in regard to a status update (this email included the lingering question of, “Do I need to reschedule my Diversity Inclusion Interview?” [Trust me, there’s a reason I keep mentioning this]). Later, on that same day, the recruiter responded by letting me know that he had spoken with the hiring managers and that I have an offer in process! When I received this news, I was actually willing to let go of some of the communication breakdown. However, if you’re still reading this, this is actually when the story becomes a comedy of errors.

For the next 2 weeks, I had to email the recruiter (twice) to learn about the status of my offer (yes, folks, this type of situation can ACTUALLY happen!). In his first response (5 days after the offer was explained to me), the recruiter mentioned that my offer was going through the various rounds of approval. In his second response (15 days after the offer was explained to me), the recruiter scheduled a video chat with me in which he notified me that my offer was rescinded (?!) due to some headcount issues at the company. He also mentioned that if this position reopens in 2018, then I should reach out to him personally. Frustrated and annoyed by this breakdown in communication, I put a smile on my face and tactfully ended the conversation. The end...just kidding!

In mid-February, I got an email from the recruiter in which he informed me that the position had reopened. He asked if I was still interested in the role, and (against my better judgment) I responded and let him know about my continued interest in the role. After 2 weeks of no response (I assumed that GitHub had changed their mind), I was re-annoyed at the lack of communication but also, in a weird way, I had the closure that I needed. Well, a few days after that, the hiring manager (someone that I actually would still like to work with) messaged me and asked if I was still interested in the role. I told him yes, and he mentioned that I should look for and respond to the recruiter’s email from 2 weeks earlier. From there, it became a tag-team effort.

The hiring manager and I, both reaching out to the recruiter (this includes me asking the recruiter questions like, “Do I need to re-interview or do additional interviews?”, “Are there any other steps that you specifically need me to take?”). Miraculously, by early March, I was once again told by the recruiter that I have an offer in process and my candidacy would be reviewed by the Hiring Committee and I “should” have a formal offer within the next week and a half. Well, one week later, I got an email from the recruiter in which he mentioned that I am missing my Diversity Inclusion Interview (sound familiar?) and that I should try to schedule that within the next week or two (?!).

From here, largely because I was fed up by this vicious cycle of unnecessary red tape, I eventually spoke with another recruiter. The response given to me was, “We did some things wrong on our side, but we’re really excited about this new recruiting process! Our Hiring Committee has only been in effect for 6 weeks, but since you were already in the pipeline and previously we hadn’t approved your offer, we’re now funneling candidates like you into this NEW process. When your application goes to this committee, they make the final decision, which could be yes, no, or needs more info (i.e., let’s schedule more interviews!!!).”

A few days later, I was provided with the committee’s feedback (which was a laughable “No, due to low technical skills” <-- really?! I completed my technical exam in November...). I realized that I wasted 7 months of my life dealing with constant video interviews, no communication, miscommunication, bureaucracy, incompetence, and a general lack of common sense. For all the great benefits that this company provides, every single perk is utterly meaningless since this company has the power to convert candidates from extreme excitement to extreme disgust. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Explain a database to a 5-year-old?