I recently interviewed for a niche position at a company that seemed like a great fit for me. The recruiter was really enthusiastic and convinced me that I was perfect for the role. I was excited about the opportunity, even though it wasn't my dream job, as I saw it as a valuable stepping stone for my career. However, at the end of the interview, I was hit with a surprise: they mentioned a three-month onboarding process that would only require 15 hours of work per week at a significantly lower pay rate—half of what I would normally earn. This crucial detail was never mentioned in the job listing, and I felt blindsided. Essentially, I would be losing money and dipping into my savings just to work for them during this trial period. When I received another job offer and expressed my preference for the position at this company if it was full-time from the start, they responded that they were looking to 'build a bench' for the role. It felt like they were asking me to audition for a job without any clear criteria for success, which was incredibly frustrating. I decided to decline their offer and pursue the other opportunity instead.