'I was laid off 3 times in 2 years': Candidate applied to 50 companies in 4 months. 29 rejected him, 15 never replied. Job interview shares why she hired him

Job hunting can be exhausting, but repeated rejection can make the process feel deeply personal. One Delhi-based entrepreneur recently shared the story of a candidate who had faced three layoffs in two years and spent months searching for another opportunity. He had applied to 50 companies, received 29 rejections and heard nothing from 15 others. Yet when he finally walked into her interview, his career gap was not what stood out. His persistence, skills and clarity did.

Candidate had applied to 50 companies in four months

The Delhi-based entrepreneur took to social media to share her experience interviewing a candidate with a career gap. Before she could even ask about the gap, the candidate apologised for it. When she asked why, he explained that he had been laid off three times in the previous two years. Rather than blaming his former employers, he told her that he knew the layoffs had not been connected to his performance.

The entrepreneur was surprised by his honesty. While many candidates might try to hide a difficult career history, he had addressed it before she even asked. She then asked him to tell her everything.

29 companies rejected him, 15 never responded

The candidate had applied to 50 companies in four months. The numbers painted a difficult picture. He had received 29 rejections, while 15 companies never responded. Before meeting the entrepreneur, he had made it through just five interviews. Throughout the process, he had been keeping detailed notes on his phone. He recorded the company name, application date and rejection date. When there was no response, he sometimes simply put a dash.

For him, keeping track of every application was more than organisation. He said counting helped him prove to himself that he was still trying. There were weeks when adding another row to the list felt like his only achievement.

‘The hardest part was the silence’

According to the entrepreneur, the candidate said rejection itself was not the most difficult part of his job search. It was the silence. After about six weeks, he had stopped telling his family whenever he had an interview. His mother would ask him every morning whether anything was lined up, but he began saying no even when an interview was scheduled. The reason was painful but understandable. Explaining another rejection after returning home had started to feel heavier than the rejection itself.

Delhi entrepreneur saw his ability, not just his career gap

The entrepreneur decided to conduct the interview properly. What she found was a candidate who was sharp, had relevant experience and could think clearly under pressure. His career gap had not reflected his ability. She concluded that he had been “failed by a slow, indifferent process”, rather than by a lack of capability. So she hired him. The candidate's reaction stayed with her. Before leaving, he thanked her three times and held her hand.

‘We never see the version of them before it’

The entrepreneur ended her post with a reflection on how easily the difficult part of a job search remains invisible. People usually celebrate when someone finally gets hired. What they rarely see are the applications that went unanswered, the rejection emails, the interviews that did not work out and the conversations candidates have with themselves during months of uncertainty. This candidate had faced three layoffs, dozens of rejections and weeks of silence. Yet he kept applying, tracking every attempt and showing up for interviews.