I recently went through the interview process at Optiver for a VP of Brand Marketing role with a strong focus on employer and recruitment marketing. Unfortunately, the experience was one of the most disrespectful and misaligned processes I’ve encountered, especially for a company that positions itself as thoughtful, people-centric, and committed to excellence. The steps were as follows: • Initial screener call • 30-minute interview with a team member, which extended to 45 minutes.. • A full case study assignment, requiring strategic, creative, and executional work • A case study presentation, which was supposed to be the next step After spending many hours crafting the case study and delivering a comprehensive, high-quality submission, I was told that I would not even have the opportunity to present it. When I asked for feedback (even a single line) the company explicitly refused to provide any, despite the substantial amount of work completed. For a VP role centered around brand, reputation, and employer marketing, the irony was striking. They expected significant strategic work but avoided even the most basic level of courtesy, transparency, or respect. It became clear that they were either seeking free work or had little regard for the candidate experience, both of which contradict the image they project as an organization. No credible or well-run company asks candidates to complete large strategic assignments, declines to let them present their work, and then refuses to offer any feedback whatsoever. The process demonstrated a profound disconnect between Optiver’s stated values and their actual behavior—an unfortunate experience, especially for a role responsible for shaping how the company presents itself to the world. If you’re looking for an honest, respectful next step in your career, stay away.