‘Sinking hole in my chest’: Fresh graduate opens up about rejection from S$7.5k role after six interview rounds

SINGAPORE: A fresh graduate recently admitted on social media that they have been struggling to come to terms with being rejected for a role they desperately wanted after making it all the way to the final interview stage.

Posting on the r/singaporejobs forum, the graduate, who studied at one of Singapore’s Big 3 universities, said they had barely been able to “eat or sleep” since receiving the rejection.

“I’ve been looking for ways to feel better, but the pain still stings,” they wrote. “I’ve been going through all the stages of grief, even trying to bargain with HR to consider me for an intern position first. I honestly don’t know what I can do to ease the pain.”

They shared that the role was closely aligned with their interests and came with a starting salary of more than S$7,500 a month, making the setback even harder to accept.

According to the graduate, the hiring process involved five separate one-hour interview rounds before they were invited for a final face-to-face interview. Looking back, they felt they may have stumbled during that last stage or simply “didn’t pass the vibe check.”

Looking at the bright side, they do have another job offer in hand.

“I do have another less lucrative offer in an unrelated industry, and I acknowledge that even securing a job in today’s market is a blessing already,” they said. “But I can’t get rid of this sinking hole in my chest over what could have been.”

Still struggling to move past the disappointment, they turned to fellow Singaporeans for advice and asked: “How do you guys cope with final interview rejection?”

“Don’t assume life will always feel like today.”

Many users who had experienced similar disappointments said they understood exactly how the graduate felt. 

One share, “Totally know how this feels. As a graduate, I applied for a role, went to 4 rounds, and got rejected at the last hurdle. The salary offered by HR was S$11k. The person who ended up filling the role had like 10 YOE. The hiring manager didn’t even realise until the last interview that I was finishing my bachelor’s and not my Master’s.”

A few others suggested viewing the rejection as a redirection rather than a failure and advised him not to take it too personally, as hiring decisions are often influenced by factors outside a candidate’s control, such as “budget changes, internal hiring priorities, notice periods, or employers preferring someone who can start work immediately.”

One user encouraged the graduate not to lose heart and to keep applying. “To be honest, all high-paying jobs as such don’t come easy. You will go through many rejections as such, but you have to keep your head up. This is the working world; this happens every day to someone. The right opportunity will come to you.”

Another commented, “Treat it as a good experience, not everyone has a chance to go through 5 interview rounds. Life already has a path for you to walk ahead, no need to look back.”

A third added, “Don’t assume life will always feel like today. At any moment, one bad phase can feel permanent. It usually isn’t. Live day to day if you can try to.”

In other news, an employer shared on social media that mealtimes have become a major source of frustration in her household after her domestic helper repeatedly turned down food prepared at home and allegedly wasted meals that had been cooked for her.

Posting anonymously in the MDW in Singapore Facebook group, the employer said her family had tried more than once to accommodate the helper’s food preferences, but nothing seemed to be working.

Read more: Employer says she’s under ‘extreme stress’ as helper keeps rejecting and wasting home-cooked food