The No-Feedback Rejection Stings

Why feedback matters after final job interviews?

Last week, my friend Jake received a rejection for the Software Development Engineer (SDE) job role. He’d been preparing for months for software development roles, specifically mid-level positions. After several interview rounds, including a virtual on-site, the dreaded email arrived: rejected.

From my conversation with him, what upset Jake the most wasn’t the rejection itself but the No-feedback. He had put in months of effort and had no clear idea of where he went wrong. Today, I want to share a similar personal story that resonates with many candidates who have been in Jake and my shoes.

My Journey: The Highs, the Lows, and the Unknown

When I was job hunting, I was also preparing for software development interviews. If you’ve ever done this, you know it’s like training for a marathon. There are three big pillars to prep for:

1. Behavioral interviews (to gauge your soft skills and team fit).

2. Coding challenges (to test your problem-solving abilities).

3. System design interviews (to measure your architectural thinking).

I started preparing months before even applying. Why? I wasn’t interview-ready. I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of interviewers and especially waste their time. Six months of prep later, I finally felt ready to hit “Apply” on job postings.

In the middle of difficulty lies the opportunity - Albert Einstein

Rejections, Ghosting, and Small Wins

I sent out 300–400 applications. Every morning, my inbox greeted me with rejection emails from at least five companies. Worse, most applications just disappeared into the void, with no follow-up—classic ghosting.

Current job market trend - Reddit

Eventually, some recruiters reached out, and I started scheduling interviews. One story, in particular, stands out. It’s eerily similar to Jake’s, and it’s about a company I’ll call “FAANG-Adjacent.”

The process began with a technical phone screen with an SDE. It was a one-hour Zoom call where I completed the assigned task confidently. I felt good about my chances. A week later, the recruiter reached out to schedule a virtual onsite.

The Final Rounds

Virtual on-site interviews are intense. Mine consisted of four back-to-back interviews:

1. Two coding rounds.

2. One behavioral interview.

3. One system design interview.

I scheduled the onsite three weeks out, giving myself time to prepare. I dove into the company’s culture, studied their decision-making process, visualized myself working for that company, looking at their offices, and practiced frequently asked coding and system design questions.

On the big day, I gave it my all. I enjoyed talking to the engineers, hiring managers, and bar raisers. I felt like I was hitting the right answers that the interviewer was looking for. Sure, there were a couple of moments where I thought, I could have done better, but I didn’t think there were major red flags to get an offer from them.

By the end, I was so confident I started planning for the offer. I googled their company culture, browsed posts on Blind, and read reviews from current employees. I was mentally preparing to either accept, reject, or counter the offer.

The Waiting Game

Three business days after the interviews, I hadn’t heard back. I followed up with the recruiter, who quickly responded, explaining there was a delay in the debrief. They assured me I’d hear back the next day and even mentioned "Fingers crossed to get you a positive outcome Tomorrow". This made my day and I was pretty happy after hearing back from the recruiter.

When the email finally arrived, I was optimistic. I found a quiet spot to read the “good news.” But instead, the words “We regret to inform you…” stared back at me.

It was a rejection.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Thomas Edison

The Feedback Black Hole

I wasn’t just disappointed—I was confused. What went wrong? The email from the recruiter said, “It’s company policy not to share specific feedback with candidates.” That stung.

I had spent months preparing for this opportunity (and weeks specific for this company), only to walk away with no idea what I could improve on. My confidence took a hit, and my internal critic wouldn’t stop whispering: "you can’t be sure about anything anymore".

Credit: GIPHY

I wasn’t alone, though. A quick search led me to countless similar stories online. One particular post stood out—it was about a senior director-level candidate who had the same experience with that same company, DoorDash. If even high-level professionals aren’t getting feedback, what hope is there for junior or mid-level candidates?

Why Feedback Matters

To be clear, I don’t hold anything against the company itself. The engineers, hiring manager, and recruiter were great to talk to. In fact, the recruiter was fast and responsive throughout the process.

But here’s the thing: companies need to understand how much time and effort candidates put into interview preparation. Sharing feedback isn’t just a courtesy—it’s an opportunity to help candidates grow.

Imagine if they’d told me, “Your system design skills need improvement,” or, “We were looking for a more detailed approach to behavioral questions.” I could have taken that feedback, worked on it, and returned stronger to interviews for other companies—even to their company after a 1-year cool-down period.

Have you had a similar experience? Share your story where you didn’t receive feedback after interviews. I’m compiling a ranked list of companies based on the number of reports I receive. If I get more than 20 names, I’ll publish the full list—and you can subscribe to get the free email update. Maybe, just maybe, companies will start recognizing how valuable feedback is for everyone involved.

Your thoughts? Let’s discuss this in the comments below!