I applied and was invited for a recruiter interview, which initially went very well. The interviewer expressed enthusiasm about my qualifications and suitability for the role. However, she was unable to answer basic questions about company culture, internal communication, or leadership communication styles. Toward the end of the interview, the discussion turned to salary expectations. Her initial understanding of the salary range seemed unclear, and she subsequently revised the range downwards twice, which I found concerning. Despite this, she encouraged me to express my continued interest via email. I followed up within 24 hours, reiterating my interest and suggesting potential ways to bridge the salary gap, such as a reduced work week (by approximately 5 hours) or a signing bonus. Given the initial enthusiasm, I was surprised and disappointed to receive only a generic rejection email through the system, without any personal feedback.