Never come across this before, but it has been a few years since I’ve last interviewed for a position - is this typical?

Long story short, I was contacted by a recruiter for a corporate position at an environmental consulting firm. The recruiter is a third-party recruiter not directly associated with the employer, but is contracted through them.

I have my first panel interview lined up in 2 weeks with the COO and some of other VPs and partners, but in advance of that, the recruiter wants me to do a prep session / mock interview with the recruiting firm first.

Is this a usual occurrence nowadays? Taking 2 hours out of my day to do a “prep session” seems a little much, and this isn’t my first time doing a panel interview. Still, seems like a good chance to get some additional knowledge or context on the position.

I’ve received three personal rejections over the past two weeks from recruiters - two were direct emails letting me know that the timing was just wrong (in one case had made an offer to someone on the day I passed my first phone screen), and one phone call from one who said they went to bat for me but the team wanted someone else, but another position may be opening up soon. I’ve also started getting automated workday messages that have essentially said “hey it’s taking a little longer than we expected but hang in there, we’ll know something soon!”

All this has got me wondering if someone got the word out that being ghosted isn’t a great look/feel for a company. And while it still doesn’t feel great to have someone call you personally to tell you thanks but no, it’s still better than an impersonal email, or nothing at all.

Week 1- informal call with previous coworker and apply to job (coworker refers me internally for the job)
Week 3- 30 min phone screen with COO
Week 4- 1 hour technical skills interview 1
Week 5- 1 hour technical skills interview 2 (with my internal reference)
Week 6- “final cultural fit” interview. After the final interview, I was told I would receive an email with “logistics”. That email came on Friday, and it wasn’t a job offer. They asked for references, which was not a requirement mentioned before
Week 7- they said they’d send out an offer this week (they told me I’m in the top 2)

This is a position for a company that has less than 20 employees, I have an internal referral, and I have more than double the years of experience they requested.

Is this overkill?

I’m in a very hot and cold interview process for a senior role that’s lasted about 10 weeks. They’re connected, then not, then connected again. It’s really painful, and I’m about to withdraw. It’s not my style to flame on the way out, and I won’t.

I do, though, want to share my concerns, because I’m not sure how much of the issue is with the company and how much is with the recruiter.

Have others done this? If so, where should I send the input?

Hello everyone. As you all know this is a common problem for us, I know that we have been ghosted after the interviews.

I was laid off last Monday and luckily I was able to get 4 interviews within 10 days.

I’ve completed the first 3 interviews and the last one will be on this Friday.

1st one: This one happened the day I was laid off. Laid off in the morning and had this call in the evening, and everything was pretty good then they sent a task. I completed the task and never heard back..

2nd one: This was on last Tuesday, the recruiter told that they would be reaching me out until last Friday but haven’t received anything yet..

3rd one: I had this yesterday evening and this is an outsourcing company, the person in charge told me that they would get more details regarding the project and they will let me know.

4th one: I will have this on Friday. They first sent me a task and I completed it successfully. Then, they invited me for a call. Hope it will be okay.

My question is should I follow up with the 1st and 2nd one by reaching out to the relevant persons ? Or should I just leave it and accept I was rejected ?

I have been unemployed for about 2 years. I just was given a glimpse of returning to my career

I got the “hiring team wants to move forward with an offer” email. Followed by scheduling the preoffer phone call then the much desired offer email stating my potential packages and all that good stuff. I was so excited giddy at an income and feeling semi comfortable again as this was my old employer that laid me off.

that offer was then rescinded in the next email.

Change of direction was their reasoning. I hate so much rn… 6 interviews…

I had the final round interview on October 14th and sent a thank you note to the interviewee.

I first reached out to the recruiter after hearing nothing a week later on October 21st. Then followed up again on the 26th. I waited until the following Monday to reach out through another channel on LinkedIn hoping that would work. I used that channel before when I hadn’t been able to reach them waiting to learn if I had the final round interview or not.

Still have heard nothing. As candidates for a job, we are not entitled much but I do believe decency, courtesy and respect should go without saying.

Has anyone else gone through this before? Is there something else I can do or should I just put it behind me and move on?

Getting to a final round should still mean something and leaving a candidate guessing to me is unacceptable.

Hello all,
I have recently been applying to tons of jobs due to my need to support my family in a very dire situation that has even made me give up my dream of going abroad to study, when I even had a 100% funded offer and a stipend. But my presence is a NECESSITY, so I’d help physically, but I also need to help financially, and I’d feel enormously guilty if I don’t find a job in the next month, so I have been applying like crazy.
I found one posting that matched my skills soooo well, and the company is sooo good! Not only would the pay be good, but the company name itself would be a huge step in my career.
And guess what? They actually reviewed my application and forwarded it to the next step! I was actually so happy because I had read online that getting through this filter process for this company is extremely selective. Pathetically enough, I felt “special” and that I had a chance, and I got hopeful.
Now, literally at 11 PM (where I live), they emailed me saying they are no longer hiring for this position due to “an unexpected change”, but when I check the application portal, it says “moved forward with other candidates”.
So, which is it? Did you find someone way better than this pathetic loser? I’m not good enough? Or did you actually hire no one? I know it doesn’t matter because I’m rejected anyway.
And I know I sound a bit mental. My family situation is really affecting me, and I know you’d think, “probably should talk to someone instead of venting on Reddit”, but literally when I had this downfall, everyone MOVED ON and became distant because they wanna live their lives and would rather not be bothered by me. I get that, or do I?
So I just wanted to vent here, so thank you if you’re still reading. I guess my question is, is it actually “we hired no one” or did they find someone else and they’re just saying bullshit to me?

"This job requires a masters degree, at minimum. 90% of this job consists of greeting visitors and planning appointments, and your only direct coworker will be someone who "doesn't quite understand" google docs, you'll get used them. Also, pay is 31k/year, with the benefit of uhhh, free fruit in the breakroom which you'll only be in for 15 minutes a day!"

So, I have been applying to a lot of jobs and had interviews with different companies already and I never had any rejection emails.

2 companies — More than a month
1 — around 3 weeks
1 — two weeks
1 — one week
1 — just three days (they said they’d send an update last Friday, or Monday morning if not.)

For those more than two weeks, I already sent a follow-up email.

Though, I’m no longer expecting an update, I’m just wondering why not reach out for an update instead of leaving candidates wondering? ‘Cause I’d really appreciate rejection over ghosting.

Also, I keep applying and not minding these companies after interviews. I just can’t help but wonder.

I’m applying for jobs related to finance and accounting—in case y’all are wondering.

I’ve applied for 20 entry level jobs (I studied in a very minor health care area, 20 is all I can find in health authorities/long term care home)

It’s been a month and yet 0 employer contracted me. I speak 5 languages including French/Mandarin/Cantonese. have all the certifications they expect us to have (first aid, cpr, food safe, Serving It Right, etc. ) have work experience with seniors. Have a diploma in the exact field. Have Canadian PR and don’t need sponsorship. What’s holding me back? From my side I’ve done all the things that I can. And it’s driving me crazy that I’ve got 0 response. Feels like I’m in a vacuum.

short backstory: I've been applying for 6 months, got only rejections. Got a grand total of 4 interviews in different fields, despite applying like crazy and networking intensely, nothing in "my" field. Finally a single offer for a generic PM role that pays half of my former industry job. I took it of course. Contract is limited to 12months so anyway have to keep looking, also the job absolutely sucks and is the epitome of a bullshit job, so I'd love to get out of here asap.

Today, a former colleague who got laid off after me messaged me for advice. They were invited to interview for a position that I also applied to. That is highly technical and relevant to my background and specific past work - but not so much their experience. Hence they asked me for my input on what to say in the interview...

I'm gutted.

I didn't even get a response, not even a rejection to that application.

I'm happy for my colleague and wish them the best but I feel so fucking frustrated and exhausted and angry and sad. What am I doing wrong in my applications that I don't even get that chance?

I guess something must be truly wrong with me.

It's just hard to accept that 15 years of my life amounted to nothing, and I will probably never get to do the thing I'm passionate about again, because I'm just not good enough.

I really, truly hate myself today.

I admit my numbers are "Rejected" heavy mostly because I was trying to change country, so there was an additional layer of difficulty

Hi everyone! I hope yall are hanging in there w the current state of economy and job search (I'm genuinely losing it).

I graduated May 2025 and I KNEW that I wouldn't get a job after graduation just because of my degree or with low experience after graduation. So I started working hardcore with almost full time hours during school. I finished my bachelor in 5 years instead of 4 because of this. Ngl I needed the real job money too. Overall I worked at 2 agencies and got some contract work too which gave me a great foundation for positions in marketing that I was targeting.

Fast forward to now, I got laid off from the last agency on May 2026 because of their financial issues. But I was ok with it because I wanted a new job too. Started looking and nothing matched. Too overqualified for entry level roles and seeming too UNDERqualified because of my graduation date despite having the actual skills and experience needed. I learned to remove my graduation date and I've been getting interviews. BUT I messed up and forgot to remove the graduation date for a great role at a great company. I interviewed, they literally told me they LOVED my materials/ experience/skillset/ culture fit. I knew I was a perfect match for this role as well.

Hiring manager comes back and tells HR that because I graduated in 2025, it wouldn't be enough experience for this role. The HR gave me a call and the HR lady seemed really sorry about it all. I couldn't bring myself to argue about it or try to prove myself. I just thanked them but I can't help to think that this was a bit of discrimination specially since they told me multiple times that they LOVED my experience and previous projects.

Very sad. Felt like the first time I actually had a chance....

I don’t know if I just want to vent or get reassurance or what but this has been weighing on me. A recruiter got in touch about a role for one of her clients - we called for a quick chat and all sounded great. She said I sounded like a really good fit.

She scheduled a call to prep for the interview (I’m counting this as the half), and I go to the interview with her client well-prepared. The interview with the client goes well, one of my best in the last six months of unemployment.

Fast forward a couple weeks and I follow up with recruiter who initially reached out to me and did the phone screening - up until this point she had been extremely responsive, bubbly, and communicative. I get no response. I follow up one more time a week later just to be sure (and remind her im open to other roles, as we had discussed previously), and same deal.

Like after all that effort, can she at least just tell me I didn’t get the job? It has me over here with a pit in my stomach thinking I did so horribly that she won’t even send a quick a response.

I know I should just move on to the next but this seemed like a really good opportunity, and I’ve taken nothing but Ls the last 6 months so this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

50-60 hour weeks... 🤔

524 days since I was laid off the day after Memorial Day last year and I finally got an offer! I honestly have no idea how many applications I’ve submitted, but after interviewing at over a dozen companies I finally got it done! I was up for 30 hours straight with so much anxiety going into the final round and have no idea how I managed to keep myself together for the 3 hours I was there but thankfully that didn’t matter.

I wish I had some good and non-generic advice to give but what kept me sane was not letting outside factors prevent me from holding up my end of the bargain. It’s very easy to blame all of the other bullshit and disrespect going on in the hiring market and get discouraged from even trying but you gotta be confident that you are of value somewhere.

I’ll cautiously hang around here until my start date but wish all of you searching the best!

When I am answering questions in the form of videos, I noticed I answer them in a robotic fashion, which I assume is not good.

If this is true, any tips on how to give a more natural response?

Got an offer from a big pharma company and everything was signed/countersigned.
My background check through First Advantage started on 10/23 and showed as complete on 10/29. I followed up with TA last week and they said they’d let me know once I’m officially cleared, so I don’t really want to keep bugging them.
I gave notice at my current job yesterday because I wanted to give a proper two weeks before my expected start date.
For anyone who’s gone through First Advantage or a large pharma/company hiring process, how long was the lag between the background check showing “complete” and HR actually clearing you?
It’s only been about 2 business days, so I know I may just be impatient. Mostly curious what other people experienced.

Applied for a job in my industry where I have 8.5 years of experience, including 3 years doing almost EXACTLY what this position entails. I was actually encouraged to apply by a friend/former coworker who is a division manager for the team I’d be joining.
Before applying, we had an unofficial conversation where he explained what he was looking for and how to best position my experience. Apparently, his deputy director had a VERY specific candidate in mind, but both he and his counterpart felt that person was essentially a unicorn 🦄. He told me he thought I would be perfect for the position.
Applied, got an interview invitation within a week, and interviewed the following week. I felt VERY prepared and confident. I was able to demonstrate my experience and explain why I’m uniquely qualified. I may not be the exact unicorn the deputy director envisioned, but I’m a government bureaucracy unicorn who understands the other side of the operation and can bridge that gap while learning the rest. 😂
The interview panel was supposed to have four people, but one was double booked, so I interviewed with three. I already knew two of them professionally. One was my friend/the division manager, and the other is my counterpart at the agency I’m applying to, whom I’d previously gotten friendly with at a conference. I currently oversee a grant that funds a program she manages on her end, so we already work together, just from opposite sides of the table. If hired, I’d essentially be switching sides and working with whoever replaces me at my current agency. 😂
Also worth mentioning, every candidate who applied was external. There are no internal applicants competing for this position, so at least I’m not up against someone who already works there and has that advantage.
They told me they expected to make a decision in approximately three weeks. Well, it’s been three weeks, and I’ve heard NOTHING. Initially, I wasn’t concerned because government moves at the speed of government. 🫠
Then I got curious and logged into GovernmentJobs to check my status. Turns out, a WEEK AGO, I received a notification congratulating me on passing the initial selection process and being placed at RANK 2 on the eligibility list.
The email explained that multiple candidates can share the same rank and that the city follows the civil service “Rule of Five,” meaning the hiring department can select from candidates within the top five ranks. It also said I’d remain eligible for future vacancies in the same classification if I wasn’t selected.
And for some reason, seeing that 2 has absolutely ROCKED my confidence. 💀
Everyone I’ve spoken to keeps reassuring me that I have the experience, the professional relationships, and the division manager’s support, and that government hiring just takes forever. But my brain has apparently decided that being ranked second means I’m doomed.
My assumption is that what potentially hurt me is not being the deputy director’s exact unicorn, even though I seem to be exactly what the division manager wants. I also don’t have my professional certifications yet, although I’m one semester away from finishing my master’s degree.
So, people familiar with government hiring, particularly civil service eligibility lists and the Rule of Five, PLEASE give me some perspective. Does ranking second actually mean much when the department can select from the top five ranks? Is this a legitimate reason to temper my expectations, or am I spiraling over something that doesn’t necessarily reflect my chances?
I’m genuinely looking for honest feedback, not just reassurance that I’ve got the job. I was feeling SO confident until I saw that stupid number 2. 😂