I did eight interviews for an entry-level position as an SDR at ifm efector. The first few interviews were standard vetting interviews. For the second-to-last interview, I had to take a day of PTO to drive three hours out of state to a small sales office. I was not reimbursed for that drive. The interview was a role-playing session where they pretended to be rude, disinterested potential customers, and I had to pitch to them. The interview went well, and I was invited to the final round. For the final interview, I had to fly to their headquarters in Pennsylvania. The flight they booked for me was canceled at the last minute, and I had to book another one myself. I was not reimbursed for this rebooking either. I arrived at the hotel at 1 AM. The CSO picked me up at 7 AM and drove me to the office in his Porsche. Four executive-level members interviewed me, each for one hour, for a total of four hours. The first three interviewers were very easygoing and easy to talk to. After those first three hours, I was tired, but I felt like I had it in the bag. The final interviewer was the sales director. When he walked into the room, I immediately felt like I was interrupting something important. He wasn’t smiling and didn’t seem like he wanted to be there. After we introduced ourselves, he asked me why I looked so nervous. That really threw me—it felt like an aggressive way to start the conversation. I admitted to being a little nervous because it seemed like a natural way to feel. Judging by the look on his face, he didn’t like that answer. He then asked me what I knew about the job. I summarized everything the other members had told me and what I’d read in the job description. He told me I was wrong and asked if I’d like him to write it on the whiteboard. I agreed, and he proceeded to draw out and explain the entire internal structure of their sales organization. To this day, I have no idea how I was supposed to know that level of detail. The interview continued in that vein, and I felt like I couldn’t get him to shift his attitude toward me. He remained standoffish despite my best efforts to show interest and highlight my strengths. Before the interviews, they had asked me to bring questions. All three of the other interviewers gave me five to ten minutes at the end to ask mine. This person did not extend the same courtesy and ended the interview early, without giving me the opportunity to ask anything. When I went to shake his hand, he didn’t look me in the eye—and I felt like that was the nail in the coffin. After the formal interviews, I went to lunch with some of the younger/newer SDRs. I asked them if he had been that harsh with them during their interview process. They told me he’s always like that. When he walks around the office, people tighten up and act extra busy to avoid drawing his attention. In that moment, I decided I didn’t want to work for this company anymore. The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, I felt like I might get an offer since three out of the four interviewers seemed to like me. Shortly afterward, they called to let me know I didn’t get the job. I asked for feedback, and the only things they said were, “You were too nervous,” and, “You didn’t ask any questions.” I nearly laughed on the phone. It felt like a waste of time, but I learned a valuable lesson: some people are impossible to please—and that’s never a reflection on you.