I had a zoom call with the senior studio manager, who asked me about my experience. The role is for entry-level candidates who may not have a portfolio that I had and who want to explore photography or styling after the six-month contract. I think the interview went very well and she said I would move on to the next stage without hesitation. I arrived at the headoffice for the next stage of the process, which was a half day of unpaid work in the studio from 9am to 1pm. I signed in at the reception and told them who I was meeting. The receptionist said they didn't know which department the person I was to meet, because their name was very common in the company. I emailed them, but got no reply. I waited for more than 20 minutes in the lobby, until the receptionist finally found the right person. A lady came to get me and said the senior studio manager was on holiday, but she would do the interview instead. She said it would be relaxed and they just wanted to see how I worked. I had to work with a new studio assistant who was only hired a few weeks ago. He showed me what he was doing, but I felt uneasy because there was no supervision. The senior studio manager was away, and the other staff were busy with their own tasks. The assistant told me more about the job, the pay, and the questions that were not answered in the first interview. He also gave me a tour of the facilities, like the cafe and the gym. It seemed like a nice place to work, and the people were friendly. At 1pm, I was sent home and told to wait for the feedback from the senior studio manager and the e-commerce department. I left feeling hopeful. I was very disappointed with the way they handled my application. They took a month to tell me that I was not selected and that they could give me some feedback. I requested the feedback and they asked me to wait. The feedback was very vague and unsatisfactory. They said they chose someone who was more suitable for the role, but they did not explain how they assessed my skills and experience. They did not seem to care about getting to know me, except for the photographer who was from an external agency. They also said they were busy as an excuse. I felt that it was unfair that the other applicant had a normal interview process, while I had to deal with staff who were distracted and the interviewer who was on vacation.

1st stage is going through CV 2nd stage is going through a trial working on a test shoot 3rd Stage is what you feel like you can benefit after 12 months into getting into a junior role.