You walk out of the room feeling good.
They smiled when you explained your experience. They nodded enthusiastically when you talked about your achievements. They even said “We’ll be in touch very soon.”
And then?
Silence.
No call. No email. Not even a cold “thank you for applying.”
You check your phone constantly. Refresh your inbox like it owes you closure. Replay the entire interview in your head — again and again and again.
Eventually, the silence starts sounding like a verdict:
“You’re not good enough.” “You said something wrong.” “You’ll never get a job at this level.”
Let’s pause here.
Because what you’re experiencing isn’t just rejection. It’s rejection without closure — and that’s a special kind of cruel.
There’s a term for this:
Cognitive dissonance. When your brain struggles to reconcile two opposing truths.
They smiled. You felt it went well. But the result? Nothing.
So now, your brain fills the gap with self-blame. Because it’s easier to believe you failed, than to believe you’ll never know.
Now let me tell you about Aastha.
6 years of experience in brand management. Multiple product launches. Strong academic background. She wasn’t just good — she was strategically sound and emotionally intelligent.
She reached out after 3 back-to-back interviews where she felt confident… and heard nothing.
I asked her:
“Walk me through what you said.” She did. She had clear numbers. Impact. Ownership.
Then I asked:
“Walk me through what you didn’t say.” Silence.
And there it was.
Most candidates — even smart, articulate ones — forget the silent parts of the interview:
- The emotional imprint you leave. Are you memorable? Are you trusted? Are you likable in 30 minutes?
- The proactive curiosity. Did you ask questions that show you’re already thinking like an insider?
- The alignment with business pain points. Did you explain how you solve their problem — not just what you’ve done in the past?
Aastha realized she had been focused on “sounding impressive,” but not enough on “making it easy for them to imagine working with her.”
She wasn’t wrong. She just wasn’t remarkable in a room full of strong contenders.
So here’s what we fixed:
- She stopped saying: “I handled end-to-end brand campaigns for FMCG clients.” And started saying: “I built campaigns that took us from 2.5% market share to 5.4% in 9 months — without increasing the marketing budget.”
- She stopped saying: “No, I think you’ve covered everything.” And started asking: “What would success in this role look like in the first 3 months?” “What’s one thing your team is struggling with that you wish someone would just take off your plate?”
- She sent a 4-line thank-you email that summarized how she could solve their pain point.
The Result?
One of the companies that ghosted her… Actually called her back after she followed up 6 days later — not to reject her, but to schedule a final interview.
She cracked it. She’s now building a new category at a Series B startup — leading the function.
If you’ve felt this sting — of a good interview that went nowhere:
You’re not alone. And it’s not always your fault. But it is your responsibility to close that feedback loop — because companies won’t.
Let’s review your next interview like a strategy meeting. Because interviews aren’t tests. They’re trust exercises.
That being said, if you’re looking to stay ahead in the evolving world of hiring, check out the free resources we offer to help you navigate recruitment effectively.
Access your free tools here: https://sarabjeetsachar.com/free-tools/