'I am in shock': Candidate interviews for a sales role and gets rejected, company founders impressed by response and decide their talents deserve a custom position

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Aug 24, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Interviews are always scary. Not the kind of scary where you watch a horror movie, but the "please don't embarrass yourself in front of someone who holds your career in their hands" kind of scary. You rehearse answers, research the company, try to anticipate every curveball question, and still somehow feel like you're stumbling over your own words. 

I once spent eight months interviewing at a single company, cycling through phone screens, video calls, and in-person interviews, all while trying not to spiral into existential dread about my career. And now you're telling me the job market is even worse than it was back then? Yeah, college grads have it rough.

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  • Even if you’re prepared, there’s always that fear that you’re not enough, that someone else is sharper, wittier, or somehow more qualified. Every next step email feels like a mini heart attack, and every rejection chips away at your confidence.

    Which makes today’s story all the more remarkable. A candidate applies for a sales role at a startup, feels respected in every interview, and then gets rejected. But instead of a ded end, the founders were so impressed by their response that they decided to create an entirely custom role tailored to their talents. This story might just restore your faith in humanity. 

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    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

  • "I am in shock"

    I applied to a job on a whim. I made it to the 2nd round of interviews with founders of this startup. I wrote about crushing that interview as they told me I would move onto the last round.
    via whisky_woman23
  • I went to the 3rd interview and again felt respected and heard. However, it took a turn, when the interviewer said they thought my talents would be wasted in the sales role ai applied to.
    via whisky_woman23
  • They don't doubt my capabilities to do the role they assured. I felt a bit bummed and ready to sell myself harder. I said my talents
    via whisky_woman23
  • are already being wasted at my current jobs, and I at least could help them solidify their sales team and KPIs. She asked me what my dream role would be if anything was open in the company. I
    via whisky_woman23
  • Cheezburger Image 10544473600
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • said I see myself in research and development as we grow. Then her response shocked me. She told me that she and the founders were truly impressed by
    via whisky_woman23
  • my passion, knowledge, and thirst for learning. She said they see me giving presentations and education at conferences and events. They see me helping develop their
    via whisky_woman23
  • product lines, even offered me a 1 day/wk production job, too. They want to create a larger custom role in the startup that they are working on figuring it out. I'll hear
    via whisky_woman23
  • back if I get the initial role at the beginning of the week, but like this has never happened to me. TL; DR I applied for a role at a startup, but now they want to create a custom role for me.
    via whisky_woman23
  • Opposite-Ad-6603 Congratulations, That's great! I have seen this happen to a coworker before, but not during this kind of political climate. That's truely impressive and you should be proud!
    via Opposite-Ad-6603
  • sha1222 This is awesome! Very happy for you! Things like this rarely happen anymore.
    via sha1222
  • Moving Forward 18 That is fantastic! Beyond how well this reflects on your own approach, I'd see this as very positive about the company - they respect
    via Moving_Forward18
  • talent and they're willing to be flexible with roles and job descriptions to ensure that an employee's talents are fully utilized. I hope it works out - it sounds extremely positive!
    via Moving_Forward18
  • Dense-Middle-419 90% of startups fail. I worked for a few and will never venture into that arena again. You might
    via Dense-Middle-419
  • want to research this company before you take on an undetermined role. Big red flag they don't want a talented person in sales. Generating profits should be a main priority.
    via Dense-Middle-419
  • Do you want to work a lot with a promise of future success? Sounds like you have skills to entering into a more reliable company. Think about what you want in the next five years? If they use the term " disrupt the industry" run run run !!
    via Dense-Middle-419
  • Classic_Media_7018 Congrats! Them saying your talents would be wasted in that role is a huge green flag.
    via Classic_Media_7018
  • Life-Ocelot9439 Fantastic! I did this once in banking, based on an interview, so you must have been a showstopper.
    via Life-Ocelot9439
  • Thin_Rip8995 this is the dream scenario you showed up so strong they stopped trying to fit you into the box and started building a box around you
    via Thin_Rip8995
  • your move now is to anchor it into reality ask them to outline responsibilities, decision making power, growth path, and comp for that custom role startups love big visions but you need
    via Thin_Rip8995
  • clarity so it doesn't turn into "do everything for scraps" also don't undersell yourself on salary just because it's flattering they're impressed treat it like leverage you've already proven your value
    via Thin_Rip8995
  • The NoFluffWisdom Newsletter has some sharp takes on career moves and negotiation worth a peek!
    via Thin_Rip8995

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