I Failed Every Interview for 9 Months — Until I Stopped Preparing Like Everyone Else

---

6:30 PM. Lagos. 42 Tabs Open.

That evening, I sat in front of my screen, rereading a rejection email for the third time. It was from a company I thought was a sure thing. I had done everything right—at least, I thought I had.

Tailored cover letter? ✅
Mock interviews? ✅
STAR method? ✅
Resume optimized with action verbs? ✅

But it didn’t matter. For the ninth month in a row, I was getting ghosted, rejected, or worse—completely ignored.

This wasn’t just bad luck. It was the kind of slow, painful unraveling that makes you question if you’re even meant to be in the workforce.

Until something shifted. And no, it wasn’t a productivity hack or another LinkedIn course. It was a complete undoing of everything I’d been taught about job interviews.

Here’s how I went from constant rejection to landing three offers in a single week—without following the rules.

---

The “Perfect Candidate” Lie I Believed

When I first started applying for jobs, I believed the myth: if I could just look perfect on paper, everything else would fall into place.

So I chased perfection.

I Googled the “top interview questions in 2025.” I copied cover letter templates. I built an ATS-friendly resume that looked like everyone else’s. Every sentence felt like it had been written by a robot—because, in a way, it had.

But in every interview, I could feel the energy drop. It wasn’t what I was saying. It was how I was saying it: with fear. I was trying so hard to say the “right” thing, I forgot to say anything real.

---

Month 6: The “Polished” Breakdown

In my sixth month of job hunting, I got an interview with a mid-tier tech startup. The role was a dream. I rehearsed so much, I could recite my answers backward.

See Also – Top 7 Remote Careers to Learn in 2025 |These careers will be Explosive|

When they asked, “Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it,” I gave a clean, calculated story about a team project from three years ago.

Their response?

A polite nod. A forced smile.

Two days later, I got the email: “We’ve moved forward with another candidate.”

I stared at the screen. I didn’t feel disappointment. I felt nothing. Numb. Exhausted. I was following the script—and it wasn’t working.

That’s when I did something I never thought I would do: I stopped preparing.

---

The Interview That Changed Everything

A week later, I got a short-notice interview request from a boutique marketing firm. Normally, I would have prepared for days. But I was too burned out.

So I didn’t prep. At all.

When the hiring manager asked, “Why are you leaving your last role?” I didn’t give the usual spin. I said:

“Honestly? I left because I couldn’t grow there. And I’m tired of working jobs that look good on LinkedIn but drain me in real life.”

She paused—and then laughed. Not out of mockery, but relief.

“Finally,” she said. “Someone who’s not pitching a brochure.”

---

Why Most Candidates Sound the Same

The problem with today’s interview culture is that everyone’s trying to be safe. And safe is boring.

In 2025, hiring managers aren’t just reviewing skills—they’re reading between the lines for authenticity. They can smell scripted answers a mile away.

What they rarely see? Vulnerability. Honesty. Self-awareness. The things that make a person stand out.

When I ditched the rehearsals, I stopped sounding like a candidate—and started sounding like a colleague.

---

The Week It All Turned Around

That first “honest” interview didn’t just go well—it set off a chain reaction.

Two days later, I interviewed with a remote agency. I told them the truth about what I’d learned from 9 months of rejection. I didn’t try to hide my gaps—I explained how I’d grown from them.

By the end of the call, the hiring manager said:

“We usually get back in 3-5 days, but I already know we want you in for the next round.”

One week later, I had three offers on the table. All three came from companies I genuinely liked—and none of them required me to be someone I wasn’t.

---

The Real Reason I Wasn’t Getting Hired

It wasn’t that I lacked experience. It was that I lacked presence.

I was showing up to interviews trying to impress, not connect.

The truth is, nobody wants to work with a perfectly scripted automaton. They want someone who can admit their weaknesses, share their story, and still walk with confidence.

Once I stopped treating interviews like exams and started treating them like conversations, everything changed.

---

What I’d Do Differently if I Started Again

If I could go back, I’d throw away:

• The generic cover letters

• The list of “10 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer”

• The idea that I had to be flawless

Instead, I’d focus on:

• Owning my story — the messy parts, too

• Asking real questions that matter to me

• Showing who I am, not who I think they want

---

Real Talk: Interviews Are Changing in 2025

With remote work, AI screening, and global talent pools, standing out isn’t about sounding good—it’s about feeling real.

So if you’re someone who’s:

• Been ghosted after 10+ applications

• Lost confidence after a string of rejections

• Tired of pretending to be someone you’re not

Let this be your sign: stop preparing like everyone else.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be human.

---

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just “Ace” the Interview — Own It

Somewhere along the line, we were taught that vulnerability is weakness. That you only get hired if you check every box.

But here’s the truth:

Confidence isn’t knowing all the answers.
Confidence is showing up anyway.

If you’re stuck in the rejection spiral, try this:
Close the tabs. Delete the script. Reflect on your real story.

Then show up and tell it.

Because the most unforgettable candidate isn’t the one with the perfect resume — it’s the one who dares to be real in a room full of rehearsed answers.