I had a screening interview for a CSM role at Darktrace, and it felt more like an exam than an actual conversation. Instead of sharing details about the company, I was mostly asked about it, which made it feel like I was being tested rather than informed. The second-round interview with the hiring manager started off on the wrong foot. From the very first minute, she mentioned that my experience didn’t align with the position, which immediately made me feel like I was being dismissed. I then had to present a 10-minute case study, and afterward, I received 20 minutes of negative feedback. It felt more like a critique session than a productive discussion. If the team already believes your skills aren’t a match for the role, I don’t understand why they would invite you to the second round. Overall, it was a frustrating and demotivating experience.

Application on-line, followed by Recruiter screen, which went fine. This was followed a week later by an interview with the hiring manager, which was nice. This was followed a week later by an interview with the VP of Renewals. The last stage was a panel interview and Case Study presentation on a cyber incident of my choosing.