In early 2018, I applied for a role at a tech company that combined two areas of adtech I had substantial experience in. I’ll skip naming the company, but suffice it to say, this wasn’t just a hopeful shot in the dark. I was genuinely qualified for the job. While I’m sure I wasn’t the only candidate with experience in both areas, I also knew the pool of people who matched their criteria couldn’t have been massive.
The process started like any other: a phone screening with the recruiter. It went well. That led to an in-person interview with the company, and then a second round in person. By the end of those meetings, I was confident I was a great fit. My background aligned with what they were looking for, and the conversations had been productive and positive.
But then—silence.
At first, I chalked it up to the usual delays in hiring processes. I followed up with the external recruiter, but they didn’t have an update. So, I emailed the hiring manager directly. She apologized for the lack of communication, citing travel as a reason, and said no final decision had been made yet. Fair enough. Things happen. People get busy.
But then…more silence.
I waited a couple more weeks and followed up again. Nothing. Another follow-up. Still nothing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, I received an email. Not from the hiring manager, but from her boss—a person I had also interviewed with.
The email began with a vague reference to the company “going through some ebbs and flows.” Then came the real kicker:
“In short, we are putting this position on a slow track because we really need to find a homerun. What does that mean? It means we are looking for someone with strong platform customer service experience, understands media, has worked in email, and can be client-facing. I would say you were a strong candidate and decently close to what we were looking for.
As our interview process continues and if you are still interested, do not hesitate to reach out to see if anything has changed, but for now, I want you to know we do not have any plans of moving ahead with you as the candidate of choice.”
I sat there, reading and re-reading the email, trying to parse its meaning. The words “decently close” stuck with me like a thorn. Decently close? After three rounds of interviews, that’s how they summarized my candidacy? Worse, they openly admitted they weren’t actively hiring for the position anymore—they were just keeping the process alive in case a “homerun” candidate magically appeared.
It felt like they were saying, “Thanks for playing, but we’re holding out for something better.” The entire process—one that had initially felt so promising—was reduced to a disappointing dead end.
The Takeaway
This experience taught me an important, albeit painful, lesson about job hunting: sometimes, the outcome has nothing to do with your qualifications or your fit for the role. Companies can be disorganized, indecisive, or unclear about their priorities. Unfortunately, candidates are the ones left in limbo, wasting time and emotional energy.
In hindsight, I wish the company had been more upfront about their hesitation earlier in the process. It would have saved everyone time. But if nothing else, this experience reinforced the importance of resilience. Job applications don’t always end the way we hope, but they do teach us how to persevere—and to value the companies that treat candidates with the respect and transparency they deserve.
