What the hell is going on?
I’m a Solution Architect with ~15 years of experience. Started as a software engineer, moved into architecture, and I’m currently looking for a new role in Europe. I wanted to share my recent experience with three companies — and how I basically lost 4 months of my life.
Company 1 — Big global fintech
Role: Senior Solution Architect
Process: 2.5 months, 8 interviews
By the 6th interview, they told me I was doing great — but I was “candidate #2” because someone else started the process a week earlier. They still pushed both of us through because they liked us equally.
I went through all 8 rounds.
Final outcome?
“If the first candidate declines, the job is yours.”
The ironic part: due to scheduling/sickness, we had final interviews on the same day… but he got the offer simply because he started earlier.
Company 2 — Legal platform (US-based)
Process: 6 rounds
Interviewed with:
- Directors of Engineering
- Chief Architects
- Tech Leads
- Architecture Board
Final round was with managers (not even in my direct reporting line).
Feedback from HR:
“Your answer to what makes a design document worth rejecting was too thin.”
This honestly surprised me. I record my interviews, and my answer covered:
- establishing documentation standards if missing
- required sections (assumptions, constraints, diagrams, trade-offs)
- governance and review processes
I even sanity-checked my answer afterward — it wasn’t vague at all.
Still rejected.
Company 3 — CDP platform
After the 3rd interview:
“We’re restructuring, the position is closed.”
Biggest mistake on my side:
I stopped applying elsewhere because I assumed after 4–5 rounds, you’re basically 99% there.
Apparently… that’s not how 2026 works.
Feels like I’ve been operating with a 2020 mindset in a completely different market.
Anyone else seeing this level of randomness and drawn-out processes? Or is this just the new normal?