As a highly skilled AppSec engineer with considerable expertise in my 20 ~ 30ish, I recently underwent two interviews—one with a prominent Fintech company and another with a well-established bank. I received commendations for my exceptional technical knowledge and was recognized as a person of admirable character and a positive attitude. My responses during the interview were consistently deemed superior to other candidates.
However, to my disappointment, I was ultimately informed that I was not considered a cultural fit for these organizations due to their purportedly overwhelming workloads and the challenges associated with managing certain stakeholders known for their rudeness.
What baffles me is that this determination was made after just the initial round of technical interviews, without any detailed discussion of the specific workload or an opportunity for me to express my willingness to take on challenges. Furthermore, when asked about my tolerance for risk in stakeholder management, I provided an honest response, indicating that I possess a minimal tolerance level, rating it around 9 out of 10.
Adding to my perplexity, I recently noticed that these organizations are still actively seeking candidates for the same role I interviewed for, even though it has been two months since my interview. This leaves me questioning the logic behind their decision-making process. It's difficult to comprehend from any angle, except for the possibility that they may have a preference for a candidate of a specific ethnicity.