I went through multiple interview rounds—primarily video calls, with one main in-person meeting. I met two senior staff members: one was warm and engaging, while the other came across as condescending and dismissive. At times, it felt like my composure was being tested in an unnecessarily high-pressure setting or intentionally to provoke a reaction, which raised some red flags as it does not reflect real world working environments which knowledge and skillsets are tested. During the process, I was asked to present confidential work under NDA and complete a mini assignment. While I complied, it was concerning that the exercise felt more like a way to extract free ideas—something that goes against best practices in the industry. I later learned from internal staff various banks that this approach has been used before, particularly in co-op programs, which raises ethical concerns.