After submitting my application on LinkedIn, I received an email for a phone interview from a recruiter who was very professional. She provided me with a detailed description of the job and what the client was looking for, even before I had a chance to ask any questions. I appreciated her transparency. She then moved me forward to a video interview with the hiring manager and even prepped me before the interview to ensure I was well-prepared. After the interview, she followed up with me to get feedback on the hiring manager, and I felt confident that I would receive a job offer. However, when they didn't get back to me for two weeks, I assumed I had been ghosted and moved on with my job search. But two weeks later, the recruiter called to explain that the hiring manager was on vacation and that there was a hiatus due to the end-of-year holiday season, but she promised to get back to me in January 2023. Unfortunately, I never heard from them again, but the recruiter remained professional until they stopped considering me. Not even a rejection email. I suppose that is the new norm now - ghosting candidates.