Seven interview processes. Seven rejections.
The first ended after the second round. The second reached the final interview and lost to someone “more junior.” The third included preparing a presentation and ended with an automated email. The fourth stopped after one round: “still interviewing other candidates,” a month later. The fifth asked whether he would freelance instead. The sixth said they had found “a better fit.” The seventh reached a final interview and is still pending, though he has stopped counting on it.
He has a stronger portfolio than he had in 2024, when he was hired faster with less experience. What he has now is more callbacks and no conversions. Every interview asks the same questions, offers the same compliments, and ends the same way.
The rejections are not identical. The pattern is.