Firm_Heat5616's journey

I recently went through a frustrating job application process for a senior position at my previous employer. I had left the company a few years back and during that time, I gained a lot of experience and took on more responsibilities that I believed made me a strong candidate for the role. I even had a recommendation from the hiring director for a similar position she had last year, but I wasn't ready to make a move at that time. After applying over 3 months ago, I had to constantly push for updates throughout the process. I made it through all four interviews, including one with the VP, which I thought was a good sign for alignment. However, I just received news from the recruiter that they decided to go with an internal candidate instead. It feels like I was strung along the whole time, as if they had already planned to hire someone internally and just used me as a benchmark. I'm really frustrated that it took over 3 months to get this rejection. I can’t help but feel like I dodged a bullet, but it’s still disheartening to invest so much time and energy into a process that led nowhere.