This was an initial interview, so the goal was to assess my motivations for the role, share a bit about my background, and learn more about the team, company, and what to expect in this role

You know that feeling when a job opening seems like it was made for you? Or at least, it feels like the right fit for the moment you're in professionally? That was the case here. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the right fit, at least not with this company. Things started off a bit rocky, with the first interview scheduled with HR not happening as planned. Still, I stayed positive and was genuinely excited about the role when I moved forward to speak with the hiring manager. That conversation was actually great. I left the interview feeling we had connected, which doesn't always happen. Of course, I understand there may have been other strong candidates as well, but it was one of those rare interviews that feels meaningful regardless of the outcome. After that, I didn’t hear anything for over a week. I sent a short and polite follow-up to HR just to check in. About ten minutes later, I received a very generic automated rejection. It was the kind you usually get immediately after submitting a résumé. It left me with a bit of a bad feeling, to be honest.