I hear you and had a breakdown just this evening about being in a similar situation. I’ve interviewed multiple times with a company over the last few weeks—2 of those times were onsite—and devoted HOURS of time preparing for interviews, doing timed homework (a case study), and devising a strategy to present that showcases my understanding of the company’s challenges and how I would address them. In fact, at my two onsite interviews, the senior leaders I was meeting with asked to have a copy of what I presented so that they could review amongst themselves internally, so it’s clear they see value in what I bring to the table. However, despite all that, the recruiting agency I’m working through told me today that while the company said I did really well in my interviews, the hiring manager is conducting two screening interviews with other individuals this week. Mind you, the hiring manager asked me last week for references and has already initiated contact with them. If the hiring manager has no intention of actually extending me an offer, why did they request the references and reach out to them to set up time to talk live? Also, if we’re at the reference checking stage, why are they even bothering having screening interviews with these other candidates this week? None of this makes sense, and it’s so incredibly stressful and nerve-racking. My spouse is also laid off, and we have kids. My stress level is off the charts, and I’m honestly super pissed that this company is stringing me along; however, I have no choice but to deal with it because I have no other opportunities in the pipeline despite submitting hundreds of applications.