You might unwittingly have been caught between two executives' agendas. If the pal who recommended you is inside the company, Salikof recommends you ask him or her to snoop for explanations. If not, call the vice-president. If you're worried that this nasty guy has trashed you to the vice-president and maybe even to others in your industry, you should know that most states have antiblacklisting laws, Hastings says. But ask around cautiously within your network before you take anything public.
Employers hate litigation threats, and blacklisting can be a hard accusation to prove.
Salikof is even more emphatic about the risks. I'd just chalk it up as a learning experience. Therefore, you might want to consult a career counselor or professional recruiter to hone your interviewing skills. Meanwhile, odds are you're out of the running for this job, our experts agree. And while you can never judge an entire company by one person, the fact that this guy would be your supervisor makes it pretty certain you wouldn't want the job, anyway.