# Sold the Dream, Then Vanished

**[TRUE STORY]** — by Senior director candidate · major telecom · via r/recruitinghell

A senior director candidate flew across the country for what a recruiter had promised would be the final conversation. The role, at a major telecom, was pitched as nearly tailor-made. "We'll build it around what you enjoy doing," the recruiter had said. "If there's anything we can do, you name it."

The on-site lasted five hours. Every conversation seemed to click. The recruiter texted afterward about a "quick turnaround" on the decision. Then: nothing. A week passed. Then two. The candidate followed up. Silence. Then they found the job reposted online — same role, same title, now a fresh listing. The travel expenses were never reimbursed.

On Reddit, the story resonated because it followed a now-familiar script: recruiters who love-bomb, hiring managers who seem enthusiastic, and then a void where a rejection or an offer should be. Commenters pointed out that recruiters sell the process — they do not make the hiring decision — and that a reposted job is often the only closure a candidate gets.

Two weeks. Five hours on-site. One reposted listing. Zero explanations.

*Source: [r/recruitinghell · viral, covered by News18 and Hindustan Times](https://www.news18.com/viral/did-i-just-get-completely-burned-executive-shares-bizarre-hiring-experience-after-being-treated-as-the-ideal-hire-ws-l-10205820.html)*
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