I took vacation days for an interview, bought my own plane ticket, and paid for my own hotel. The first thing the interviewer said was, “I have no intention of hiring you. This is just a courtesy since I know your brother.” I flew home after 8 painful hours.To my utter shock, they ended up calling me back two weeks later.
Apparently, the “sure thing” candidate they had in mind dropped out at the last moment. Out of desperation, they dusted off my file and gave me a second look. This time, I didn’t have to pay for the flight—they covered everything.
During the second round, the tone was completely different. The same manager who dismissed me so casually leaned forward with forced enthusiasm, pretending they had always seen “something special” in me. I answered their questions calmly, but I couldn’t forget the humiliation of my first visit.I left the building knowing one thing: even if they offered me the job, I wouldn’t take it.
And that’s exactly what happened. A week later, the offer came in. I smiled, politely declined, and accepted a position at a rival company a month later.The best part? My new employer turned out to be one of their biggest competitors. And within a year, I was leading the team that helped us beat them out of a major contract.