I don’t usually post things like this, but this experience stayed with me.
Recently, I attended a walk-in drive for an SDE role at TGH software solution. Around 100 candidates showed up. The process was supposed to start at 11 AM — GD, two technical rounds, then a senior-level round and HR.
Everything felt normal in the beginning.
I cleared the GD. Then the first technical round by around 2 PM. After lunch, I completed the second technical round by 4 PM. By then, most candidates were done.
Out of around 100 candidates, only about 6 were selected for the CEO round.
We thought we were close to the end.
But that’s when the waiting started.
4 PM passed… then 5… then 6.
No clear updates. No proper communication.
Candidates slowly started leaving. Some got tired, some had other commitments, and some just gave up waiting.
By the time the CEO round finally began around 6:45 PM, only those selected candidates were still there.
Eventually, we found out the CEO had been busy in meetings.
And I kept thinking… if the drive was already scheduled, why call so many candidates without ensuring availability?
After waiting the entire day, I walked in expecting at least a proper conversation. Some discussion about my skills, my projects, anything.
He picked up my resume, glanced at it, and said:
“Ye kya hai, isme to kuch dikh bhi nahi raha.”
(My printout was slightly dull, but clearly readable.)
I replied calmly, “Dikh to raha hi hai sir.”
And then, without even looking at me properly, he said:
“Hogya tumhara interview.”
That was it.
No questions. No discussion. No evaluation.
For a moment, it almost felt like he expected me to apologize… or just accept it quietly… maybe even try to justify myself.
But there was nothing to justify.
For a few seconds, I just stood there.
Confused… a little angry… but mostly disappointed.
And in that moment, it didn’t feel like an interview anymore.
It felt like a test of how much disrespect I was willing to tolerate.
I had a choice.
Stay, adjust, and pretend this was normal…
Or leave.
I picked up my resume, paused for a moment, and chose to walk out with my dignity.
No arguments. No reactions. Just left.
Later, I thought about the offer itself:
- 3 LPA CTC
- ₹15,000/month during 6 months training
- 2.5-year bond
- ₹1.5 lakh penalty
- Requirement to submit original documents
And honestly, it just confirmed what I felt in that room.
I’m not sharing this out of frustration.
I’m sharing this because sometimes we normalize things we shouldn’t.
Interviews are a two-way process.
If a company can’t respect your time or treat you with basic professionalism during hiring,
you already have your answer.
Sometimes, not getting selected isn’t the loss.
Sometimes, the real win is walking away with your self-respect intact.
TL;DR: ~100 candidates → only 6 selected for CEO round → hours of waiting → interview ended in seconds → walked away with dignity.