My recruiter and I waited for a lengthy 9 months and received a verbal offer, only to be completely ghosted, leaving us in the dark. The interview process began in January for a full-time position, with the first five interviews happening relatively quickly over a couple of months. Then it stalled for a few months due to a personal issue involving a senior manager who was supposed to interview me. Later, I had a final round with the firm's CEO. Everything went well there, but I received no feedback for several more months. In August, they asked if I would consider switching from a permanent role to a consulting position, because the hiring manager struggled to get approval from the parent company. The hiring manager submitted approval requests twice, but I don't know why they were denied. My recruiter and I agreed on the verbal offer and compensation package, and we were waiting for them to sign the contract so I could start in September. However, they ghosted us and never contacted us again, even though they are still using my recruiter to fill other openings within the firm. This firm seemed an ideal place for me, and I truly enjoyed my interviews, yet that was only a facade.