On the first call with HR, I asked about the salary range right away. The answer was vague and unsure, but the number sounded okay to me, so I kept going. I went through several rounds, including a conversation with the VP. The team and interviewers were nice and easy to talk to, and the process itself was organized. After all those rounds, it turned out the actual budget was about half of what HR first told me. That wasted a lot of time on both sides. The team also mentioned that unpaid overtime is part of the role, which was another red flag for me. Be upfront about pay and working conditions from the start.